Difficulties usually start at the cash register. At LJS, franchisees were willing to try wrap sandwiches, but claim the newcomers did nothing to pump up long-term sales. Besides clouding the chain's fried-fish niche, wraps wreak havoc in the kitchens. At corporate headquarters, however, the wraps represent a menu enhancement, not a departure. Many chains are coming of age.
Independent organizations tend to emerge most frequently with older franchise concepts.
Experts say that as franchise units grow in numbers, contracts change to accommodate the growth, often resulting in increased advertising or royalty fees and new covenants on territory. The larger a franchise gets, the more unwieldy it is to manage people and stores all over the world. Oak Brook, Ill.-based McDonald's, for example, was almost 40 years old before The Consortium appeared. The Consortium's Adams contends that as a franchise matures the franchisor takes on a greater role. They have all the answers, the solutions to your problems.