Franchise Times

United Kingdom-based PureGym signed an asset purchase agreement with Blink Fitness, following the New York-based franchise’s Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing in August. https://lnkd.in/gk39gkTh

Just as it was important to the new franchisee, the North Carolina opening was also a milestone for the franchisor, as the brand reached the other coast.?Curry Up Now was founded by CEO Akash Kapoor in 2009?in the San Francisco Bay Area. Beginning as a food truck, the brand opened its first brick-and-mortar location in 2011 and start franchising in 2018. https://lnkd.in/gTgBMJKi

The French Workshop is ready to expand beyond the Big Apple, and will use franchising to do so. https://lnkd.in/en8Era3J

David Timmons and his partner Kyle A. at Elevated Inc. are?Cheba Hut "Toasted" Subs?largest franchisees with their 22nd location opening this month in Englewood, Colorado. The new store comes 14 years after Timmons’ started with the brand that’s named after a slang term for marijuana. https://lnkd.in/gdAzmdZ4

“We didn’t want to be time-bound with typical private equity,” said Daisy CEO and co-founder Hagan Kappler of going the venture and angel investor route. “We knew this wasn’t a five-year get.” The Costa Mesa, California-based brand closed a $7 million Series B funding round September 5, with Goldcrest Capital and Bungalow Capital as lead investors, along with Bullish, marking the second investment in the business for each. This follows Daisy’s Series A funding in June that raised $11 million from venture capital firms and angel investors. https://lnkd.in/gE5DHhf2

Private equity firm Sycamore Partners bought Playa Bowls, an acai bowl franchise with 250-plus units. The firm typically specializes in retail brands—its portfolio includes mall staples such as Hot Topic, LOFT and EXPRESS—but Playa Bowls CEO Dan Harmon said its customer-focused approach makes for a great fit. https://lnkd.in/g_yMPZRP

Modern Market Eatery’s first franchisee took being an owner to the next level when it acquired the 29-unit chain this month. “We were their first franchisee, and built a couple stores,” Thrive Restaurant Group CEO Jon Rolph said. “We just believe the same thing we believed two years ago. It’s a brand that’s on trend, it’s in a space where we’re gonna see a lot of future growth inside this industry.” https://lnkd.in/gnxskw45

Sales at BurgerFi and Anthony's Coal Fired Pizza & Wings locations fell 4 percent during the three-month period ending July 1, 2024, a year-over-year decline of about $1.8 million, according to an August 16 filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. https://lnkd.in/gGbfPmsC

Is anyone else watching "The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives" on Hulu?? Maybe you saw a former Franchise Times Deal of the Year winner featured in two episodes .... Catch up on the hit dirty soda franchise Swig here:

An 11,000 square-foot Hawaiian property used as a vacation home by singer Justin Bieber and as a location for television shows is now an emerging franchise’s largest undertaking. Ryan Sawchuk, ReUp Living co-founder and CEO, said the home has been used as a short-term rental in recent years, but with a changing market, the group is now ready to prep it for a sale. ReUp Living was brought in to provide the capital for remodel and coordinate the project. https://lnkd.in/g3vfyXpn