Quick Informal Govt Summit
A session on the Quick Informal Govt Summit will have a look at franchising dos and don’ts in addition to the most recent tendencies and improvements in franchising.
Picture: Willie Lawless/ Networld Media Group
August 27, 2025 by Mandy Wolf Detwiler — Editor, Networld Media Group
The panorama of franchising is present process a speedy and profound transformation, pushed by a confluence of evolving client calls for, groundbreaking technological developments and a basic shift within the expectations of contemporary franchisees.
Gone are the times of a inflexible, one-size-fits-all strategy. At this time, the standard franchise mannequin is being reshaped by modern ideas like micro-franchising, which presents accessible, lower-cost alternatives and the seamless integration of technology-enabled franchising to streamline operations and supply data-driven insights. This evolution is not only about adapting to vary; it is about pioneering new methods to construct resilient, empowered and interconnected franchise networks that may thrive in a dynamic international market.
A session on the Quick Informal Govt Summit in Austin, Texas, Oct. 5-7 referred to as “The Franchise Paradox: Development and Empowerment within the Fashionable Period” will discover the most recent tendencies and improvements in franchising. Register right here for the summit.
Panel individuals embrace:
- Carl Comeaux, CEO of Crust Pizza.
- Andy Huang, vp and chief working officer at L&L Hawaiian Barbecue.
- Rebecca Kahn senior director of grasp franchising operations for North America — Canada, USA, Mexico for Gong cha World.
- Carlo Verdugo, VP of franchise operations and improvement for Juice It Up!
In an e-mail Q&A, we requested the audio system about franchising dos and don’ts.
Q: In an period of rising franchisee independence and native market customization, how are main manufacturers fostering innovation on the unit degree with out sacrificing scalability or model cohesion?
Comeaux: Innovation travels quickest when native concepts are examined, measured, and scaled throughout the system. A powerful model is not constructed by stifling creativity — it is constructed by channeling it.
Q: What are the simplest methods you have seen for constructing sturdy, collaborative franchisee communities — and the way do these communities contribute to model innovation and resilience?
Kahn: Probably the most efficient methods I’ve seen is creating structured alternatives for open dialogue, knowledge-sharing, and co-creation between franchisees and the franchisor. I’ve seen large success in constructing structured, but versatile, franchisee councils the place suggestions is not simply heard — it is actioned. Whether or not it is by common regional summits, franchisee advisory councils or collaborative pilot packages, giving franchisees a voice and a seat on the desk fosters belief and mutual accountability.
When franchisees see that their concepts can form insurance policies, coaching, and even product launches, they shift from merely working underneath a model to actively contributing to its evolution. At Gong cha, a few of our most precious improvements, whether or not it is in-store know-how, operational frameworks, or visitor expertise enhancements, have emerged from the sphere. Franchisees know their communities and prospects deeply, and after we deal with them as companions relatively than recipients of top-down directives, we unlock an ecosystem of steady enchancment.
Robust franchisee communities additionally drive resilience. Throughout difficult occasions — financial uncertainty, provide chain disruptions, and even native market shifts — franchisees who really feel linked to one another and the model usually tend to lean in, share options, and keep aligned with long-term model objectives. The community turns into a residing, respiration help system that helps everybody climate the storm and emerge stronger. Franchisee communities are the frontline lens into what’s working, what’s shifting, and the place innovation is required. When these communities are sturdy, manufacturers turn into extra agile. They’re capable of anticipate and reply to challenges quicker, and infrequently with extra creativity, as a result of the options are co-developed by the very individuals who stay the model every single day.
Q: What do you see manufacturers doing fallacious in relation to franchising and the way can they right that?
Comeaux: Franchising fails when progress outruns economics — unit profitability should come first. A one-size-fits-all playbook works for t-shirts, not for markets.
Choosing franchisees is like deciding on enterprise companions—you may’t afford the fallacious match.
Coaching is just not a second — it is a motion that drives long-term efficiency.
Q: What’s one innovation or shift in franchising that you just’re most enthusiastic about proper now — and why?
Kahn: I am particularly excited in regards to the integration of sensible know-how into retailer operations — not simply as a method to scale effectivity, however as a robust instrument to strengthen human connection. In an business the place visitor expertise is every little thing, tech like self-service kiosks, AI-driven analytics and cellular suggestions platforms enable us to streamline operations, tailor service and have interaction company extra meaningfully.
There’s been an actual shift in mindset: from seeing know-how as a transactional instrument to embracing it as an engagement platform. At Gong cha, we’re utilizing digital kiosks, loyalty apps and in-store automation not solely to enhance velocity and accuracy however to raised perceive our company and personalize their expertise in methods which might be scalable throughout lots of of places.
For instance, our discipline groups now have real-time visibility into retailer efficiency, permitting them to focus help the place it is wanted most. We’re additionally exploring how digital loyalty platforms and storytelling can empower franchisees to construct deeper native connections whereas nonetheless delivering on the promise of a worldwide model. In franchising, it is a game-changer. Traditionally, one of many greatest challenges has been scaling genuine, significant visitor interactions throughout a large community of householders. Now, know-how permits us to do this — persistently and intelligently — so franchisees can compete not simply on product, but in addition on expertise.
And extra importantly, it provides us a chance to attach innovation with values. We’re exploring methods to align promotions with social causes or cultural moments that matter to our company, utilizing know-how to construct emotional loyalty, not simply transactional frequency. That is the place the way forward for franchising is headed: towards manufacturers that aren’t solely operationally wonderful however meaningfully linked to the individuals they serve.
The Quick Informal Govt Summit is hosted by Networld Media Group. Click on right here to register for the Summit.
About Mandy Wolf Detwiler
Mandy Wolf Detwiler is the managing editor at Networld Media Group and the positioning editor for PizzaMarketplace.com and QSRweb.com. She has greater than 20 years’ expertise protecting meals, individuals and locations.
An award-winning print journalist, Mandy brings greater than 20 years’ expertise to Networld Media Group. She has spent almost 20 years protecting the pizza business, from unbiased pizzerias to multi-unit chains and each measurement enterprise in between. Mandy has been featured on the Meals Community and has gained quite a few awards for her protection of the restaurant business. She has an insatiable urge for food for studying, and may let you know the place to search out one of the best slices within the nation after spending 15 years touring and consuming pizza for a residing.
