If a company qualified for a ranking within the top 500, its position is listed to the left of its name. Companies that submitted unverifiable data are listed alphabetically beneath those that were verified. We consider numerous factors in our ranking, some of which are weighed more heavily than others. The most important features include financial strength and stability, and the system s growth rate and size. We also consider the number of years a company has been in business and the length of time it's been franchising, start-up costs, litigation history, percentage of terminations and whether the company provides financing.
All financial data is audited by an independent CPA firm.
These factors are objective, quantifiable measures of a franchise operation. We do not measure subjective elements such as franchisee satisfaction or management style, since these are judgments only you can make based on your own needs and experiences. All companies, regardless of size, are judged by the same criteria. The remaining information is self-explanatory. For easy reference, the initial franchise fee is listed separately as well.