Fastest Growing Franchises 2026

Growth is the most seductive number in franchising. A brand adding units at 30% annually sounds like a rocket ship. But growth rate alone tells you nothing about whether those new locations are profitable, whether the franchisor has the infrastructure to support them, or whether you're buying into a system that's expanding faster than it can train operators.

This ranking uses net unit growth rate from FDD Item 20 filings, filtered to brands with 50+ total units (eliminating micro-systems where adding 5 locations looks like 100% growth). Every number comes from the FranchiseVS database of 171 brands.

The Top 20 Fastest-Growing Franchises

Brand-by-Brand Analysis

1. Row House — +94.4% Growth | 54 Units | Health: 76

Investment: $276,600–$499,500 | Royalty: 7.0% | Ad Fund: 2.0%

Row House went from effectively zero to 54 locations in a single filing period. The boutique rowing concept, part of the Xponential Fitness portfolio (which also owns Club Pilates and CycleBar), occupies a genuinely uncrowded niche — cycling, pilates, yoga, and barre are saturated, rowing is not. The Item 19 shows a single disclosed studio with $761,087 total revenue and $207,745 left after operating expenses (27.3% margin). The risk: a health score of 76 reflects that this is still early-stage infrastructure. Xponential has proven it can scale boutique fitness brands (Club Pilates at 1,029 units), but Row House hasn't yet demonstrated that unit economics hold at scale. Entering now means betting on the operator, not the proof.

2. Buffalo Wild Wings GO — +43.6% Growth | 140 Units | Health: 84

Investment: $564,345–$1,051,320 | Royalty: 6.0% | Median Revenue: $896,636

BWW GO is Inspire Brands' fast-casual spin-off — smaller footprint, delivery-optimized, lower labor cost than full-service Buffalo Wild Wings. Adding 63 units in one year to reach 140 total is meaningful traction. Median revenue of $896,636 against a $564K–$1.05M investment means first-year revenue roughly matches the investment at the low end. The 84 health score and Item 19 transparency put this in solid territory. The risk: you're deploying up to $1M in a QSR segment where delivery economics are still being figured out industry-wide. BWW GO's differentiation is the brand name — the food is the same as every other wings-and-burgers concept.

3. Scenthound — +37.7% Growth | 122 Units | Health: 89

Investment: $328,099–$549,869 | Royalty: 6.0% | Median Revenue: $434,641

The highest health score of any brand growing above 20%. Scenthound's subscription model ($30–$60/month memberships) creates recurring revenue that transaction-based groomers cannot match. Median revenue of $434,641 with a 6.5-year payback period is honest — this isn't a get-rich-quick play, but the subscription economics create a floor under revenue that most franchise models lack. At 122 units with 37.7% growth, Scenthound has cleared the "is this concept real" threshold. The risk: pet grooming has low switching costs, and the subscription model only works if member retention stays high. Average revenue of $452,732 is close to median, which is a good sign — it means the system isn't being inflated by a few outlier locations.

4. Wyndham Hotels — +29.8% Growth | 61 Units | Health: 62

Investment: $51.9M–$94.6M | Royalty: 5.0% | Ad Fund: 3.0%

The numbers are real but the context is critical: Wyndham's investment range of $51.9M–$94.6M puts this in institutional investor territory, not individual franchise buyer territory. The 62 health score is the lowest in the top 5, reflecting the capital intensity and cyclical nature of hospitality. Hotel franchising operates on fundamentally different economics than service or retail — you're in the real estate business first. The 29.8% growth rate reflects development pipeline activity, not necessarily a surge in demand for the Wyndham flag.

5. British Swim School — +25.2% Growth | 258 Units | Health: 79

Investment: $122,070–$168,420 | Royalty: 10.0% | Median Revenue: $412,356

One of the most capital-efficient fast-growing franchises in the database. The $122K–$168K investment range is remarkably low because British Swim School doesn't build pools — it leases time in existing facilities (hotels, community centers, fitness clubs). Median revenue of $412,356 with a 1.7-year payback is strong. The 10% royalty is high, but tolerable when the investment is this low. The risk: the asset-light model means low barriers to entry for competitors, and lease availability in your target market isn't guaranteed. Average revenue of $580,168 is substantially higher than median ($412,356), which means top performers pull the average up — your location is more likely to perform at the median than the average.

6. KidStrong — +23.7% Growth | 131 Units | Health: 79

Investment: $448,100–$600,000 | Royalty: 8.5% | Ad Fund: 1.65%

Children's development and fitness growing in the premium family market. The $448K–$600K investment is mid-tier for fitness, and the 10.15% total fee burden is above average. KidStrong's Item 19 is disclosed but median revenue isn't reported in a way that allows clean payback calculation. The risk: children's enrichment is discretionary spending that gets cut when family budgets tighten. The 79 health score reflects solid but not exceptional system fundamentals.

7. Nothing Bundt Cakes — +18.6% Growth | 660 Units | Health: 82

Investment: $667,100–$906,500 | Royalty: 6.0% | Median Revenue: $1,354,939

The most impressive growth story on this list by one measure: 18.6% annual growth at 660 locations. Most brands decelerate sharply past 300 units as territory saturation kicks in. Nothing Bundt Cakes hasn't. Median revenue of $1,354,939 against a $667K–$906K investment is a solid ratio. Average revenue of $1,480,010 is close to median, indicating consistent system performance. The 11% total fee burden (6% royalty + 5% ad fund) is on the higher side, but the ad fund investment is clearly driving brand awareness that supports the growth. The risk: the gift-occasion model (birthdays, holidays, thank-you) is inherently seasonal. Q4 carries the year; Q1 can be lean.

8. Club Pilates — +17.5% Growth | 1,029 Units | Health: 94

Investment: $385,048–$839,058 | Royalty: 8.0% | Median Revenue: $969,022 | Payback: 3.1 years

The highest-scoring brand on this list (health 94) and the largest by unit count. Growing 17.5% at 1,029 units is exceptional — this is a mature system that hasn't slowed down. Median revenue of $969,022 with a 3.1-year payback and average revenue of $984,270 (almost identical to median) means the system performs consistently. Club Pilates benefits from recurring membership revenue, established instructor training pipelines, and national marketing scale that sub-200-unit competitors can't match. The risk: at 1,029 locations, territorial availability in top markets is thinning. New franchisees are increasingly pushed to secondary and tertiary markets where membership density may not support the same unit economics.

9. Woof Gang Bakery — +16.5% Growth | 236 Units | Health: 84

Investment: $184,420–$506,620 | Royalty: 7.0% | Median Revenue: $577,837 | Payback: 3.6 years

Premium pet grooming and retail with a 3.6-year payback and a $184K entry floor that's accessible relative to the category. Median revenue of $577,837 is solid, and the spread to average ($640,601) suggests a few high-performers but generally consistent system results. Pet spending has proven recession-resistant — owners cut their own discretionary spending before reducing pet care. The risk: the 9% total fee burden is manageable, but the $506K ceiling on investment means some locations require significant build-out capital.

10. CarePatrol — +16.2% Growth | 201 Units | Health: 72

Investment: $64,920–$135,770 | Royalty: 10.0% | Median Revenue: $191,874

The lowest investment floor of any brand on this list. CarePatrol is a senior care placement service — not a direct care provider, but a referral service matching families to senior living communities. You don't hire caregivers. You don't operate a facility. You earn placement fees from the communities. Median revenue of $191,874 is modest in absolute terms, but against a $64K–$135K investment, the economics work. Average revenue of $346,301 is nearly double the median, which is a warning flag — it means a minority of franchisees are doing very well while the typical operator earns considerably less. The risk: 10% royalty on $191K median revenue leaves $172K before all other expenses. That's a tight margin for a business with no recurring revenue lock.

11. Take 5 Oil Change — +15.2% Growth | 1,142 Units | Health: 89

Investment: $912,248–$2,053,642 | Royalty: 7.0% | Median Revenue: $1,327,808 | Payback: 5.9 years

The fastest-growing automotive brand in the database. Take 5's no-appointment, stay-in-your-car, 10-minute service model is a genuine operational differentiator. Median revenue of $1,327,808 is strong, and a 5.9-year payback on a $912K–$2M investment is reasonable for automotive. The 12% total fee burden (7% royalty + 5% ad fund) is the highest on this list. The risk: you're in the real estate business — every location needs a purpose-built bay structure, and site selection drives success or failure.

12. Stretch Zone — +14.2% Growth | 377 Units | Health: 72

Investment: $138,745–$320,099 | Royalty: 7.0% | Median Revenue: $307,794

Practitioner-assisted stretching is a niche that barely existed five years ago. Stretch Zone is the category leader. Median revenue of $307,794 against a $138K–$320K investment is respectable but not exceptional. Average revenue of $328,042 is close to median — the system performs consistently. The risk: a 72 health score reflects that this is still a "nice-to-have" service for most consumers. In a recession, stretching sessions get canceled before gym memberships do. The concept is real; the category durability is unproven.

13. Scooter's Coffee — +13.2% Growth | 849 Units | Health: 94

Investment: $954,650–$1,523,400 | Royalty: 6.0% | Median Revenue: $880,794 | Payback: 11.3 years

Tied for the highest health score (94) with Club Pilates and Crumbl. Scooter's has expanded aggressively in secondary markets that Starbucks and Dutch Bros have ignored. Median revenue of $880,794 is solid for a drive-through coffee concept, and the 8% total fee burden is reasonable. The catch: an 11.3-year payback period reflects the capital intensity of building drive-through infrastructure. You're deploying $954K–$1.5M and waiting over a decade to break even on a simple payback basis. The risk: coffee is the most competitive QSR category in America. Scooter's is growing into markets precisely because the big players haven't arrived yet — when they do, the competitive dynamics shift.

14. Crunch Fitness — +13.0% Growth | 423 Units | Health: 89

Investment: $928,000–$3,743,000 | Royalty: 5.0% | Average Revenue: $2,506,012 | Payback: 4.7 years

The wide investment range ($928K–$3.7M) reflects the difference between converting an existing gym space and building from scratch. Average revenue of $2,506,012 is strong for fitness, and the 7% total fee burden (5% royalty + 2% ad fund) is one of the lowest among large gym brands. A 4.7-year payback is excellent for this investment tier. The risk: Crunch competes directly with Planet Fitness for the budget-conscious gym member. In markets where both brands operate, membership pricing pressure can compress margins.

15. Rumble Boxing — +12.9% Growth | 85 Units | Health: 79

Investment: $509,640–$1,141,016 | Royalty: 7.0% | Median Revenue: $399,647 | Payback: 8.4 years

Boutique boxing fitness at the higher end of studio investment. Median revenue of $399,647 against a $509K–$1.1M investment produces an 8.4-year payback — one of the longest on this list. Average revenue of $492,590 is meaningfully higher than median, suggesting some locations perform well but the typical unit underperforms the mean. At only 85 locations, the sample is still small. The risk: boutique fitness has a high failure rate (see 9Round at -39.5% and CycleBar at -14.3% on the declining brands list), and $1.1M at the high end is a lot to invest in a concept with limited track record.

16. Jersey Mike's — +11.7% Growth | 2,989 Units | Health: 89

Investment: $185,903–$1,417,592 | Royalty: 6.5% | Median Revenue: $1,285,259 | Payback: 5.0 years

Jersey Mike's growing at 11.7% with nearly 3,000 units is remarkable. This is a mature system still accelerating. Median revenue of $1,285,259 with a 5-year payback and 89 health score makes this one of the strongest QSR investments in the database. The 11.5% total fee burden (6.5% royalty + 5% ad fund) is high, but the ad fund is clearly working — Jersey Mike's has gained share from Subway for a decade straight. The risk: the wide investment range ($185K–$1.4M) means location type and market matter enormously. A $185K inline shop performs differently than a $1.4M freestanding build.

17. FirstLight Home Care — +11.0% Growth | 238 Units | Health: 78

Investment: $126,825–$218,820 | Royalty: 5.0% | Median Revenue: $1,134,061

Home care growing at 11% with median revenue over $1.1M against a $126K–$218K investment. The math is compelling: $1.1M revenue on a $218K maximum investment. But remember — home care revenue is mostly pass-through to caregiver wages. Net margins in home care run 5–12% of gross revenue, so $1.1M in revenue might mean $55K–$132K in operating income. The 6% total fee burden (5% royalty + 1% ad fund) is competitive for the category. The risk: home care labor is the tightest market in franchising. Finding and retaining caregivers is the number one operational challenge, and it's getting harder every year as the aging population drives demand up.

18. Always Best Care — +9.4% Growth | 275 Units | Health: 69

Investment: $89,725–$145,900 | Royalty: 6.0% | Average Revenue: $2,625,725

Average revenue of $2,625,725 on a $89K–$145K investment looks extraordinary. It is — but median revenue is not reported, which means the average is likely pulled up by high-performing territories. The 69 health score is the lowest among the home services brands on this list. The risk: a health score below 70 typically reflects issues in system support, litigation history, or unit trajectory consistency. The growth rate is positive, but the health score warrants deeper due diligence on the FDD litigation sections.

19. Assisting Hands — +8.7% Growth | 207 Units | Health: 89

Investment: $96,850–$180,000 | Royalty: 5.0% | Ad Fund: 0.5%

The best health score (89) of any home care brand on this list, with the lowest total fee burden (5.5%) and a sub-$180K investment ceiling. Assisting Hands doesn't disclose median or average revenue in a way that allows payback calculation, but the combination of metrics — high health score, positive growth, low fees, low investment — places it among the strongest risk-adjusted entries in the database. The risk: without clean revenue data, you're trusting the composite health score rather than verifiable unit economics. Ask the franchisor for Item 19 detail in your validation process.

20. Crumbl — +8.2% Growth | 1,059 Units | Health: 94

Investment: $816,066–$1,442,533 | Royalty: 8.0% | Median Revenue: $1,303,412 | Payback: 6.9 years

Crumbl at 1,059 units growing 8.2% might look slow compared to the top of this list, but context matters: adding 87 locations to a 1,000+ unit system in a single year is massive absolute growth. Median revenue of $1,303,412 with a 6.9-year payback and a 94 health score (the highest possible alongside Club Pilates and Scooter's). Average revenue of $1,354,688 is close to median — the system is consistent. The risk: Crumbl's rotating menu model generates enormous social media engagement but creates operational complexity. Cookie variety changes weekly, which means supply chain management, staff training, and waste management are more demanding than a fixed-menu bakery.

Growth vs. Health: The Correlation That Isn't

The most important insight in this data is what's missing: a clean relationship between growth rate and health score.

The fastest growers (20%+) have an average health score of 77 — meaningfully lower than the 10–20% tier at 85. Why? Because the brands growing fastest are often the newest, with the least established support infrastructure, the thinnest operational playbooks, and Item 19 disclosures based on small sample sizes.

The sweet spot for franchise investors is the 10–15% growth tier: brands large enough to have proven their model (Club Pilates at 1,029 units, Take 5 at 1,142, Scooter's at 849) but still adding locations fast enough to signal genuine market demand. These brands have both the growth trajectory and the system maturity to support new franchisees.

Three Warning Signs in High-Growth Brands

1. Small sample Item 19. Row House's financial performance data comes from a single studio reporting 2019 numbers. That's one data point from six years ago. Club Pilates, by contrast, has 1,029 locations contributing to its Item 19.

2. Average revenue far above median. When average revenue is 50%+ higher than median (CarePatrol: $346K average vs. $191K median), it means a few top performers are inflating the number most franchisees will never reach. The median is your reality check.

3. High growth + low health. Wyndham at 29.8% growth and 62 health, Stretch Zone at 14.2% growth and 72 health — these are brands where the growth story is running ahead of the operational reality. Growth without health is a franchisor selling territories; growth with health is a franchisor building a system.

What This Means for Prospective Franchisees

Fast growth is a necessary but not sufficient signal. Every brand on this list is adding locations, which means the franchisor is actively selling territories and operators are buying in. But the quality of that growth varies dramatically.

The brands worth the deepest due diligence: Club Pilates (94 health, 17.5% growth, 1,029 units, consistent revenue), Jersey Mike's (89 health, 11.7% growth, 2,989 units, strong median revenue), Scenthound (89 health, 37.7% growth, subscription economics), and Crumbl (94 health, 8.2% growth, consistent $1.3M median revenue).

The brands that need harder questions: Row House (small system, old Item 19 data), Wyndham (institutional investment only), CarePatrol (wide average-to-median revenue gap), and Rumble Boxing (high investment, long payback, small system).

Growth rate tells you what the market thinks today. Health score tells you what the data says about tomorrow.

Growth Rate Alone Is a Vanity Metric — Pair It With Retention

A franchise adding 200 units while losing 80 looks like 120-unit net growth — a healthy 15% rate on a 800-unit system. But the 80 departures tell you something the growth number hides: 10% of the system either failed, got terminated, or chose to leave in a single year. The brands with the strongest long-term franchisee outcomes aren't always the fastest growers — they're the ones where gross additions and net growth are nearly identical, meaning almost nobody leaves. Scooter's Coffee added 157 units net on 849 total, but only 3 departures — a 0.4% exit rate that signals franchisees are making enough money to stay. Compare that to a system growing 25% but with 8% annual churn, and the "slower" brand is actually building a more durable network. Ask for the gross openings and gross closures, not just net change.

What Happens to Franchisees Who Buy During Peak Growth

Buying into a franchise during its fastest growth phase feels like catching a wave — but the data suggests it's more like buying a stock at its peak valuation. Rapid-growth cohorts (franchisees who sign during 20%+ annual expansion) face three structural disadvantages. First, territory quality declines with each wave — the best markets go to the earliest buyers, and by the time a brand hits 20% growth it's selling territories in secondary and tertiary markets where customer density is lower. Second, construction and buildout costs spike during growth surges because contractors and landlords know the brand is expanding aggressively — a 15–25% premium on buildout isn't unusual for brands opening 100+ units per year. Third, the franchisor's support team is stretched thinnest during peak growth, so your opening gets less dedicated attention than franchisees who opened two years earlier. The contrarian move: look at brands growing 8–12% with health scores above 85. They're past the hyper-growth risk window but still expanding into viable territory.

Data source: FranchiseVS database, 171 brands, 2024–2025 FDD filings. Growth rates calculated from Item 20 net unit change. Minimum 50 total units for inclusion.