Good Morning Wolf Pack,

Today's newsletter covers a franchise system that just got banned from selling in an entire state, a youth enrichment acquisition with big growth ambitions, and School of Rock crossing a major milestone on its way to global dominance.

Enjoy!

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FROM THE WOLF DEN

1) Indiana Bans I Heart Mac & Cheese From Selling Franchises, Voids Existing Agreements

Indiana has permanently banned I Heart Mac & Cheese from selling franchises in the state and voided existing franchise agreements, following a sweeping 132-page administrative order from the Indiana Securities Division. The ruling found that the brand's parent company, Mac and Cheese Franchise Operations, failed to disclose material litigation history, employment background of key executives, and accurate cost and risk data in its franchise disclosure documents, which are violations of the Indiana Franchise Act that had been building since at least 2023.

The brand, which once had roughly 80 locations, is now down to just six. Indiana ordered the company to repay hundreds of thousands of dollars to franchisees in the state, who had complained for years about aggressive sales tactics, rosy projections, understated opening costs, and operational failures. The brand's co-founder and CEO, Stephen Giordanella, is now selling franchises for a new concept called Pilar Coffee Bar.

2) Spark Harbor Acquires Bach to Rock, Plans to Double the Footprint in Four Years

Spark Harbor, a platform operator focused on franchised youth activity brands, has acquired Bach to Rock from Cambridge Information Group, adding the 57-unit music school franchise to a growing portfolio that already includes Water Babies and USA Ninja Challenge. The deal was announced May 27.

Bach to Rock, which has earned a spot on the Franchise 500 list for ten consecutive years, operates a model that blends traditional music instruction with live performance, band programs, recording sessions, and DJ education. The brand spent recent years building infrastructure rather than chasing fast growth, and Spark Harbor says it is now positioned to scale, with a stated goal of doubling Bach to Rock's unit count over the next four years.

Jeff Phillips, CEO of Spark Harbor, said the brand fits its acquisition criteria: recurring student demand, a franchisee base that believes in the model, and schools that function as a genuine community anchor for families. President Brian Gross will remain in place to lead the business post-acquisition. East Wind Advisors advised Bach to Rock on the transaction.

3) School of Rock Hits 450 Locations, Opens First-Ever German School

School of Rock, the global performance-based music education franchise under Youth Enrichment Brands, celebrated the opening of its 450th location on May 20, a milestone that coincides with the brand's first-ever entry into Germany. The new School of Rock Candidplatz in Munich is owned by master franchisees Bill Cole and Dominik Ueblacker, and marks another step in an accelerating international push that now spans 135 schools across 18 countries outside the United States.

The brand has added more than 100 new locations worldwide over the past three years, and by the end of 2026 expects to operate 480 total schools. That trajectory puts it well ahead of where it stood when it opened its 400th location just over a year ago in early 2025.

With 650-plus schools open or in development across 23 global markets and over 80,000 students enrolled, School of Rock is one of the more quietly dominant franchise systems in youth enrichment. The Germany expansion is notable specifically because it's a market where formal music education has deep cultural roots, and where a performance-first model like School of Rock is a meaningful departure from the norm.

EXTRA SAUCE 💥

Huddle House Signs 10-Unit Deal to Grow in the Midwest The breakfast-focused diner brand inked a new development agreement covering Northwest Arkansas and Mid-South Missouri, with its first opening expected in Branson West, Missouri later this year.

College H.U.N.K.S. Hauling Junk & Moving Expands Into Midland, Michigan The junk removal and moving franchise signed a new agreement with Rossano Rea and Chris Karwacki to bring the brand to Midland, MI, continuing national expansion in smaller markets.

Atomic Wings Set to More Than Double Its Locations With 20+ New Openings in 2026 The New York-born fresh-wing brand is targeting 20-plus openings across New York, New Jersey, Texas, South Dakota, Minnesota, Ohio, and Illinois, nearly doubling its current 24-unit footprint in a single year.

VIO Med Spa Adds 10 New Franchise Owners, 15 Locations to Its Development Pipeline The physician-guided medical spa franchise has signed 10 new agreements in 2026, adding 15 locations across Chicago, Sacramento, and New Jersey with a membership model built around recurring revenue.

PVOLVE Continues Rapid Expansion With Three New Studios in Illinois, Kansas, and Washington The functional fitness brand focused on longevity and mobility signed three new franchise agreements as consumer demand for sustainable, non-impact fitness concepts continues to grow.

Replay Sports Cards Signs New Franchise Agreement to Expand Into Tampa America's first national sports card shop franchise added a Tampa location, continuing its Florida push alongside an existing Boca Raton location as the hobby collectibles market stays strong.

Handel's Ice Cream Posts 20 New Franchise Signings and Multi-State Expansion in Q1 2026 The 81-year-old ice cream franchise entered Washington and Florida for the first time, with new deals in Texas and Colorado adding to a pipeline that now tops 150 parlors in development across 20 states.

Service Experts Named a Top New and Emerging Franchise for 2026 by Entrepreneur The national HVAC service company, franchising after 30-plus years as a corporate-only operator, earned the No. 104 spot on Entrepreneur's list of 150 brands offering franchise opportunities for five years or fewer.

Floor Coverings International Ranks No. 5 in Entrepreneur's First-Ever Home Improvement Franchise List The mobile flooring franchise, which signed 101 new franchisees in 2025, earned the top flooring spot on Entrepreneur's inaugural home improvement industry ranking from the Franchise 500.

Five Star Bath Solutions and Card My Yard Earn Spots on Franchise Business Review's Culture 100 Five Star Franchising had two brands land on the Culture 100 list, which ranks franchise systems based solely on franchise owner satisfaction scores across 33 benchmark areas.

MR MIKES SteakhouseCasual Signs 6-Store Multi-Unit Agreement, Entering Atlantic Canada for the First Time The Canadian casual dining brand surpassed 50 locations last year and is now pushing coast to coast, with the Atlantic Canada deal marking its first entry into the region.

In a Shifting Consumer Landscape, Boozy Franchise Brands Have to Put the Experience First As alcohol consumption habits evolve, franchise brands tied to boozy offerings are moving beyond their menus to compete, leaning into atmosphere, programming, and event-driven experiences to drive traffic.

WOLF BITES

• FIFA and Infantino draw bipartisan skepticism ahead of the World Cup 🤔

• Boardinghouses are staging a comeback as cities look to revive affordable housing 🏠

• Electric bills set to spike this summer as electricity prices outpace inflation ⚡

• China sends synthetic human embryos to its space station in a first-of-its-kind experiment 🧬

• Uber, Wayve and Waymo are headed towards a robotaxi showdown in London 🚕

• Nearly $500,000 of bourbon stolen in daytime heist in Philadelphia 💰

• Japanese city suspends 94 schools after first-ever bear sighting 🐻

That’s it for this edition of The Wolf Report. Feel free to reply with any questions or feedback. Thanks and see you Thursday!

— The Wolf