The Franchise King®

Are ‘The Most Profitable Franchises 2025’ Really The Most Profitable?

most profitable franchises image of franchisee

This post serves as a warning to anyone thinking about purchasing a franchise listed as one of the “Most Profitable Franchises” in the near future. Keep reading.

The Most Profitable Franchises of 2025?

Each year, a website called “The Franchise Business Review” (FBR) puts together a list of what they call “The Most Profitable Franchises.”

From the website:

FBR has identified this year’s Most Profitable Franchise Opportunities based on feedback from nearly 35,000 franchise owners from over 365 leading franchise brands. In addition to ranking above the benchmark for high franchisee satisfaction, the brands on this list have at least 25% of their franchise owners reporting annual incomes of $150,000 or higher.” 

Sounds good to me.

And I’m sure it does to you-if you’re a prospective franchise owner looking to make money as a franchisee. And that’s the idea. The owners of that website want you to click to that page.

I mean who wouldn’t want to buy a profitable franchise?

I know I would. If only it was that easy…

My Little Experiment With The Most Profitable Franchises

Being around franchising as long as I have, when I see something that doesn’t sit well with me, it’s easy for me to look at it and quickly get to the heart of the matter.

In this case, it’s a supposed list of The Most Profitable Franchises. So I did some digging.

The first thing I did was randomly pick a franchise that was listed as a “most profitable franchise,” and requested a download of the “report.”

a franchise from the most profitable franchises report

As you can see from the image, 46 franchisees sent in surveys about Chicken Salad Chick.

Here are some of the things they were asked about:

In this case, the ratings ranged from Good, Very Good, to Excellent.

Interestingly enough, the “Financial Opportunity” part was only rated “Good.”

Which seems not so good for one of the “Most Profitable Franchises.”

Benchmarks

The other section of the report includes “Benchmarks.”

For example, under “Franchise Community,” there are 4 things that franchisees are asked to rate.

But I’m not going to share what they are here. If you’d like one of their reports, you are welcome to give the owners of the FBR website your name, email address, and phone number.



Free Report:
The 3 Most Profitable Franchise Types To Own Right Now
Invalid email address
You'll also receive my FREE VIP Franchise Newsletter

Finally, there was one thing missing from the report I received. And it’s a biggie.

Most Profitable Franchises Report Doesn’t Include Proof Of Profits

Call me crazy, but if I clicked a link to something titled “The Most Profitable Franchises,” I’d want to see proof.

Proof that the franchises listed are truly the most profitable franchises around.

Numbers.

Like charts with profit figures/averages of every franchisee who agreed to participate in the survey. In the report.

As in, where’s the evidence? Show me!

And speaking of numbers

What About The Other 4,700 Franchises for 2025?

FBR only surveyed 365 franchise opportunities. They named 75 of them as the moneymakers.

What about the other franchise opportunities out there?

Are they profitable, too?

Is there a chance that some of the franchises not surveyed are more profitable than the Profitable Franchises on the FBR Most Profitable list?

Of course!

And what’s the incentive for franchisees of the franchise companies listed on FBR to take valuable time away from their ‘profitable‘ businesses to participate in the survey?

Wait. There’s something else.

Do any of the 365 franchise companies deemed “The Most Profitable” pay any fees to FBR to be on the list-or to be promoted as such?

Why do I ask?

Because FBR isn’t a non-profit business. As I wrote about here.

My Sincere Apology To The Most Profitable Franchises Mentioned

I’m serious. I’m super-familiar with a lot of franchisors on the list. Heck, I even did some marketing for one of them.

Being on that list isn’t a bad thing. So, I’m sorry if I’m coming across like it is. And if you’re on that list, I don’t blame you for putting out Press Releases announcing your inclusion in it. It looks good for your brand. But the idea of a list like this is a bad idea. Why?

Because it states that the 75 franchisors on the list are the most profitable-without showing the specific numbers needed to back up their claim.

Now maybe I missed it.

Maybe (because FBR now has my valuable email address), I’ll be receiving that proof in a future email. Maybe.

There’s something else.

FBR states the following about their list of The Most Profitable Franchises:

The data also shows that franchisees from these Most Profitable Franchise brands rate their satisfaction with their overall financial performance 19% higher than brands not on the list, and 9 out of 10 (90%) would “Recommend their franchise to others.”

How does that work?

In Conclusion

Wrapping up, what are your feelings about a franchise profitability list like this?

Do you base your buying decision because a franchise is on a list like this?

Or, do you take it with a grain of salt and do your franchise research the right way?

As in, thoroughly. With proof via the numbers.

And by having lots of conversations with franchisees.

I hope so.

Please Share This Article!
1Shares

franchise article written by joel libava
Coaching Quiz

Note: When you buy through links on this website, we may earn an affiliate commission. In addition, I've started to use AI to help me craft better article titles and headings.
headshot the franchise king joel libava

I'm The Franchise King®, Joel Libava. For 24+ years, I've helped thousands of people avoid bank account emptying mistakes.
If you want to make a smart, informed decision on franchises to own, I can help you, too! Note:
I'm NOT a franchise broker/consultant/coach.
See how I'm different.

Recommended Reading
Introduction To Franchising
How Much Is A Franchise?
List of SBA Preferred Lenders
What Is The Franchise Fee? How To Buy A Franchise
Best Franchises To Own

Featured Franchises!
Top 33 Business Ideas
Starbucks Coffee Franchises
10 Best Franchise Websites
About Franchise Consultants
How To Read A FDD
Questions To Ask Franchisors
Questions To Ask Franchisees Franchise Discovery Day Franchise Reviews

Free Franchise Tools
Franchise Compatibility Quiz
Net Worth Calculator

"We engaged Joel's services at a very reasonable cost. He has impressive knowledge of this industry, he is honest, and very pleasant to speak to. There is no question that Joel added the clarity and in depth understanding of the franchise business that we needed. I can call Joel a friend. PS. Read his franchise research ebook!"
- Yolanda Wheaton, Georgetown, Texas