I’ve written about AI and the franchise business before, but not in a situation like this. One in which a major franchisor like McDonald’s is being accused of using AI for illegal price-fixing between locations. Key Takeaways A consumer has sued McDonald’s in federal court. From my reading of the news story, the suit claims […]

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Pecan Jacks is growing and opening a new store in Panama City Beach, Florida, this October. But it’s not just another scoop shop. It’s a corporate training center. The brand sells ice cream and handcrafted candy. “Artisan desserts inspired by the charm of the seaside.” And Pecan Jacks now operates across 10 states. This is […]

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Please stop asking AI/ChatGPT to “find me the best franchise.” Because ChatGPT is not a human. It’s a robot. A smart one, but it’s not perfect. And it doesn’t “know” you. Please don’t pretend it does. Key Takeaways on Using ChatGPT to “Find Me the Best Franchise” Most franchise buyers are already using AI to […]

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I get a lot of questions these days about AI and franchising, and most of them come from people who are already deep into their own research. Sometimes their ChatGPT franchise research. These franchise buyers have been using ChatGPT for weeks, sometimes months, before they ever talk to me. That’s a fairly new development in […]

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Quick answer: Using AI tools like ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini to help you buy a franchise can be done. But you need human input. That’s because while AI is great at helping today’s franchise buyers organize information and can help translate complex franchise legal language into plain English, it’s not perfect. Or human. What AI […]

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Maryland lawmakers passed the biggest update to the state’s franchise rules in more than 40 years. The Franchise Reform Act (Senate Bill 415 and House Bill 730) cleared the General Assembly by wide margins. Governor approval followed, and the new provisions take effect October 1, 2026. This is the first significant change to the Maryland […]

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Breadless just made a big move. The Detroit-born sandwich brand signed its first-ever franchise development deal. The partner is Jonah Smith and Third Coast Harvest, LLC. Fact: This is a five-unit agreement. Two locations are headed to Ann Arbor, Michigan. Three are headed to Chicago. When Will New Breadless Locations Open? The first Ann Arbor […]

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You found a brand you like. The unit economics look solid. The franchisor’s rep is friendly and responsive. Now comes the part most buyers rush: picking a franchise territory. Fact: A five-year lease at $4,000 a month adds up to $240,000. Most of that commitment gets signed with a personal guaranty attached to it. That’s […]

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Dickey’s Barbecue Pit is facing a new problem that prospective franchise buyers should pay close attention to. California regulators say the franchise company failed to accurately report the number of franchise locations that had stopped operating. More specifically, The California Department of Financial Protection and Innovation (DFPI) has ordered Dickey’s Barbecue Restaurants, Inc. (a franchise […]

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Huddle House franchising is making a big push to attract franchisees who want to build a multi-unit restaurant business. The 60-year-old breakfast and family dining brand recently announced a new incentive package aimed at qualified franchise operators. And some of the incentives are significant. The biggest one may be the royalty break. The Huddle House […]

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