IFA 2026 Convention Brings Franchise Leaders to Las Vegas: Thousands of franchise professionals from across the U.S. and around the globe gathered in Las Vegas last week to connect, learn and engage in big-picture conversations at the International Franchise Association’s (IFA) 2026 Annual Convention.
From founders of emerging brands and multi-unit franchisees to C-suite executives, supplier partners and consultants, leaders from hundreds of industries came together for franchising’s biggest event of the year. Some attendees have come to the annual conference for more than 30 years, while others were experiencing it for the first time.
Over three content-packed days, roundtable discussions, breakout sessions, expert-led panels and a supplier showcase gave participants the chance to share ideas, ask questions and walk away with practical insights they can immediately put into action.
Eggs up Grill Names Seasoned Restaurant Finance Leader Kayla Money as Chief Financial Officer: Eggs Up Grill has appointed Kayla Money as chief financial officer. She brings more than a decade of financial leadership experience in the restaurant industry to the growing breakfast, brunch and lunch franchise.
Money joins Eggs Up Grill from Denny’s Corporation, where she most recently served as senior director of enterprise FP&A and investor relations, leading enterprise forecasting and long-range financial planning for the national restaurant brand.
As CFO of Eggs Up Grill, Money will oversee financial strategy, planning and analysis, budgeting, capital allocation and banking relationships to support the brand’s continued expansion. She will play a central role in driving sustainable growth, strengthening franchisee profitability and enhancing long-term shareholder value.
JINYA Ramen Bar Partners with Japan Airlines for Limited-Time In-Flight Offering: INYA Ramen Bar is teaming up with Japan Airlines to bring one of the restaurant’s most popular menu items to the skies. From March through May, guests flying from Los Angeles to Tokyo-Haneda on select flights will be able to enjoy JINYA’s signature Nikuman as part of the in-flight meal service.
Available on Flight JL15, the savory steamed bun — filled with seasoned pork and wrapped in pillowy-soft, fluffy dough — will be prepared onboard using a steam oven. The offering gives travelers a taste of JINYA’s chef-driven approach to Japanese comfort food, turning the flight into a flavorful journey of its own. The collaboration represents more than a menu feature, it reflects a celebration of cultural connection and hospitality.
bb.q Chicken Makes Debut at U.S. College Campus: bb.q Chicken has officially opened a new location at California State University, Dominguez Hills (CSUDH), marking the brand’s first entry into a U.S. university dining program. The quick-service restaurant opened its doors on January 26th, serving the university’s 15,000 students with its signature menu.
The store operates Monday through Thursday from 9:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Friday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The location operates in partnership with Urban Mosaic Food Co. through CSUDH’s Urban Mosaic Food Co. campus dining program. Students can pay using their meal plan as well, making Korean fried chicken available to students through the university’s dining program.
Farmer Boys Surpasses $170,000 Raised for Children’s Hospitals in 2025: Farmer Boys® proudly announces its 2025 fundraising total of more than $170,000 to benefit its long-standing hospital partners: Loma Linda University Children’s Hospital (LLUCH), UMC Children’s Hospital in Southern Nevada, and Phoenix Children’s. Contributions from 2025 mark the highest annual fundraising since Farmer Boys first started its partnership with the children's hospitals.
Through community-driven initiatives and the generosity of Farmer Boys guests, Farmer Boys continues its commitment to support children’s health through contributions that fund life-saving treatments, provide advanced medical equipment, and supply support for caregivers and nurses. In 2025, Farmer Boys expanded its community-driven initiatives, including donating portions of Grand Opening sales to local hospital partners, hosting canned food drives in collaboration with local food banks, and continuing promotional period fundraising programs. The 2025 results, raising $171,442.04 in support of pediatric healthcare across its markets, reflect strong engagement across all markets and reinforce the brand’s long-standing commitment to children’s hospitals.
Established Woodhouse Spas Franchisee to Expand in Chicago With Family Venture: Sonal Patel is now expanding her Woodhouse Spas portfolio in the Chicago market. This expansion marks an important milestone as Patel partners with her nephew and his wife to bring the brand's signature high-end experience to the local community.
Patel's journey began with Dunkin' and JEI Learning Centers, but her transition to the beauty and wellness space was her most fulfilling to date, representing the convergence of her business acumen and personal passion for self-care. Now, by partnering with family, she's furthering her impact beyond North Carolina and laying the foundation for a multi-generational legacy of entrepreneurship.
"In my opinion, it's always good to bring family in, especially when the family are these young, passionate individuals who bring so much to the table," Patel said. "They bring a level of passion, dedication and sheer enthusiasm for the business that serves as a very important stepping stone toward making any business a success."
Chicken Salad Chick Adds Sixth Restaurant to Charlotte Metro, Opening New Location in Cornelius, North Carolina: Chicken Salad Chick announced today the opening of its 21st restaurant in North Carolina and sixth for the Charlotte metro area. The new Cornelius location is conveniently situated in the Magnolia Plaza shopping center. The restaurant will celebrate its grand opening on Tuesday, March 10, when the first 100 guests in line will win free chicken salad for a year*.
During grand opening week, guests can expect to experience the Southern hospitality and community-focused mindset that Chicken Salad Chick is known for, with specials and giveaways.
Chicken Salad Chick of Cornelius is led by Sing Bev Hospitality. These multi-unit franchise owners own and operate 20 Chicken Salad Chick locations throughout North and South Carolina and collectively have over 100 years of experience in the hospitality industry. They first brought the brand to Charlotte in 2014 with the opening of their Carmel Commons restaurant, with further expansion to four other locations in the Charlotte market over the years.
IFA Forecasts 12,000 New Franchised Units in 2026: The International Franchise Association (IFA) released its annual "Franchising Economic Outlook" showing that franchise businesses enter 2026 positioned for a year of growth after 2025 was marked by macroeconomic turbulence. The "2026 Franchising Economic Outlook" projects more than 12,000 new franchised businesses in 2026 with economic output rising by 1.6%, exceeding $920 billion dollars, and the creation of nearly 8.9 million jobs.
"The resilience of franchising has enabled our model to adapt, endure and thrive in the face of challenging macroeconomic headwinds," said Matt Haller, IFA president and CEO. "After a year of recalibration, franchising is better positioned to navigate an improving economic environment than independent businesses due to tax certainty, lower interest rates, and investments in AI that will propel brand growth, franchisee unit level economics, and wage growth for the franchise workforce."
VIO Med Spa Accelerates Southeast Growth With 3-Unit Signed Agreement in North Carolina: VIO Med Spa, a nationally recognized, physician-guided medical spa franchise, continues its North Carolina growth with the signing of a three-unit development agreement, marking a strategic expansion in one of the Southeast’s most promising medical aesthetics markets.
With the U.S. med spa industry projected CAGR of 18.7% through 2032, and North Carolina’s population rapidly increasing, the market is primed for sustained growth. The first location of the agreement has recently opened at 8211 Brier Creek Pkwy Suite 101 in January, with a full grand opening slated for April. This opening adds to the brand’s existing presence of five locations in the state with two additional locations planned for the greater Raleigh area.
Mr Gatti’s Pizza Announces Acquisition of Brandenburg and Shepherdsville, Kentucky, Locations: Mr Gatti’s Pizza announced the acquisition of its Shepherdsville and Brandenburg, Kentucky restaurants by local owners. Two Kentucky restaurants were acquired by local owners: the Shepherdsville location at 162 Joe B. Hall Ave. and the Brandenburg location at 584 Bypass Road.
The Brandenburg location has planned updates, including new signage, televisions, flooring, and a bathroom remodel. Both acquisitions involved the brands and local operations and contributed to the retirement of their original owners after more than 40 years of operation.
“It was a perfect match of my love for Mr Gatti’s and my mission to preserve quality jobs for every team member while continuing to serve great food at an incredible price to our local community,” said Siddiqui, whose Shepherdsville restaurant has been open since 1983.
Krispy Kreme announces further refranchising plans after Q4 revenue declines: Krispy Kreme is now two quarters into its turnaround plan, focusing its attention on both refranchising efforts and development growth, especially in the U.S.
The Charlotte, N.C.-based doughnut chain had previously announced that its Japanese operations would be purchased by Unison Capital for $65 million, and during Thursday’s fourth quarter earnings call, Krispy Kreme announced similar plans to restructure its Western U.S. joint venture with WKS Restaurant Group. Moving forward, Krispy Kreme will have a minority ownership stake in its Western U.S. operations.
These efforts are part of the company’s larger capital-light strategy that will provide more financial stability for Krispy Kreme. The company said it intends franchising sales to grow from 25% to half of the company’s systemwide sales by 2027.
KBP Brands acquires 78 Sonic Drive-In restaurants: KBP Brands, one of the largest franchise groups in the United States, has acquired 78 Sonic Drive-In restaurants in Ohio, Kentucky, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia. This marks KBP’s second Sonic acquisition in less than two years. KBP is now the fourth largest franchisee in the Sonic system with 164 restaurants out of the brand’s 3,400 restaurants.
The company purchased the restaurants from Sonic corporate. Terms of the deal were undisclosed. Sonic is part of Inspire Brands, along with Dunkin’, Arby’s, Buffalo Wild Wings, Jimmy John’s, and more. KBP Brands’ roster now includes more than 1,100 KFC, Taco Bell, Arby’s, and Sonic restaurants across 32 states. Its first deal with Inspire Brands was in 2021 when it added Arby’s restaurants to the fold.
“We’ve had a successful five-year partnership with Inspire Brands and have seen strong results from our initial Sonic purchase,” KBP Brands chief executive officer Mike Kulp said in a statement. “We look forward to expanding that with a larger footprint and additional operational efficiencies.”
