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| Good Morning Wolf Pack, Today's newsletter covers WellBiz Brands' momentum-filled second quarter across its five beauty and wellness concepts, Layne's Chicken Fingers signing 24 new agreements to hit 50 units, and Minnie Bird inking its largest franchise deal yet to break into the Florida market. Enjoy! Was this email forwarded to you? FROM THE WOLF DEN 1) WellBiz Brands Continues 2026 Momentum with New Market Growth and Development Milestones in Second Quarter WellBiz Brands, the global franchisor behind Drybar, Elements Massage, Fitness Together, Amazing Lash Studio and Radiant Waxing, just closed out a strong second quarter. The company signed 15 new franchise agreements, opened 6 new studios and processed 9 franchise renewals, pushing its portfolio past 737 locations. Among the highlights: first-to-market Drybar and Radiant Waxing studios opened in Buffalo, New York, from first-time franchisees Sarah and Sal Muneer, who developed complementary studios side by side after purchasing the building together. New Drybar locations also opened in Kansas and California, extending the brand into fresh markets. On the development side, new agreements included multi-unit Drybar commitments in Northern New Jersey and a three-unit Elements Massage deal in California's Bay Area, along with additional signings across New Jersey, Ohio, Arizona, Illinois and Wisconsin. It's a portfolio-wide growth story that spans five very different beauty and wellness categories at once. 2) Layne's Chicken Fingers Signs 24 Franchise Agreements, Reaches 50 Units Open in First Half of 2026 Layne's Chicken Fingers, the Texas "Born and Breaded" chicken finger brand, is proving that hometown loyalty can scale. The Frisco-based chain landed a spot on the Franchise 500 and just closed the first half of 2026 having signed 24 new franchise agreements. Multi-unit franchisee Taylor Thomas, who also owns Whataburger locations, opened three restaurants in 60 days and broke his own opening sales record, then signed on to develop 30 more Layne's locations across Oklahoma. "Layne's has 51 units open right now, but when you talk to Layne's fans, based on the passion and visibility they have, you'd think Layne's was a 500-unit brand," Thomas said. Founded in 1994 near Texas A&M, the brand has leaned on hand-breaded tenders and a loyal following to become one of the fastest-rising chicken finger concepts in the country, and its franchisees are betting there's plenty of runway left. 3) Minnie Bird Signs 20-Unit Franchise Agreement with DiPasqua Brands to Expand into Orlando and Tampa Minnie Bird, the fast-casual chicken concept co-founded by Venture Kitchen and Sean Thomas, just signed its biggest deal yet. DiPasqua Brands, the largest Subway franchisee in Central Florida, has committed to developing 20 Minnie Bird restaurants across the Orlando and Tampa markets, with the first units opening in 2027. It marks Minnie Bird's first multi-unit development agreement and its entry into Florida. The deal follows strong early numbers at the brand's company-owned restaurants, including its Schaumburg, Illinois flagship, which generated more than $2.3 million in gross sales in 2025 out of roughly 2,100 square feet. The agreement comes as Minnie Bird builds out its franchise development team under new SVP Julie Price, CFE, who is leading operator recruitment and market planning as the brand pushes further into franchising. EXTRA SAUCE 💥 Blo Blow Dry Bar Accelerates Franchise Growth with Double-Digit Signed Agreements in First Half of the Year North America's original blow dry bar franchise welcomed nine new owners and secured expansion from six existing ones across Georgia, New Hampshire, Oklahoma City, Orlando, Philadelphia and Toronto. Franchise Equity Partners Acquires Bravo Fit, Planet Fitness' Australian Franchisee Planet Fitness exited its minority stake in its Australian franchisee as private investment firm FEP took over ownership, with Bravo Fit's existing management team staying on to run the business. Service Experts Opens New Franchise Location in Fulshear, Texas Former Chief Data Officer Norv Parsell and e-commerce marketer Emily Arnim are bringing the HVAC brand to the fast-growing Houston suburb of Fulshear. BaseCamp Franchising Opens 300th Store, Signs 45 New Agreements in 2026 The parent of upscale thrift brands Uptown Cheapskate and Kid to Kid hit its 300th store milestone and is now eyeing further expansion across the Northeast. Birdcall Set to Make Midwest Debut with Five-Unit Franchise Agreement in Indianapolis The Colorado-born fast-casual chicken brand is entering the Midwest for the first time, with Indianapolis leading a broader push into Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio and Wisconsin. College H.U.N.K.S. Hauling Junk & Moving Closes First Half of 2026 with New Franchise Growth, Lays Groundwork for More Development The moving and junk removal franchise signed two new deals and completed a franchise resale in Q1, while adding fresh development leadership ahead of a bigger second half. Hand & Stone Massage and Facial Spa's Largest Franchisee Signs 13-Unit Development Agreement Eric Danver, owner of FGG Spa and the brand's biggest franchisee, is expanding his 63-spa footprint with 13 more locations concentrated in Florida. IFA Applauds Committee Passage of American Franchise Act The International Franchise Association's top legislative priority, which would lock in a long-term joint employer standard, cleared a key House committee and now heads to the floor. Boston Market Announces New Buy-In-Free Franchise Program Amid Company Failures The struggling rotisserie chicken brand unveiled "Boston Market Connect," an owner-operator model that waives franchise fees entirely for entrepreneurs willing to take on locations. Replay Sports Cards Signs First New York Franchisee Ahead of Fanatics Fest 2026 Former insurance broker Rob Ansalone is bringing the sports card franchise to Long Island's Bellmore/Merrick area, marking the brand's entrance into New York. WOLF BITES
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 | ||||||
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