🔧 The Franzy Five

Welcome to the Franzy Five — your 5-minute fix on the most compelling franchises and the trends shaping the industry. Each week, we spotlight one standout concept worth watching, then round up key stories driving growth across food, fitness, home services, and beyond. Think of it as your shortcut to understanding where the smartest money in franchising is headed — and why.

The Brand Story

Patch It Up isn't your typical franchise origin story. Founder Peter Kourounis spent years in the trenches of franchising — as a founder who scaled and sold his sign franchise to FastSigns, as an area developer, and as a franchise development executive in the home services industry. He'd seen what worked, what didn't, and most importantly, what franchisors couldn't change once they'd been operating for years.

So when his Uncle Stevie told him "you'll never go wrong learning a skilled trade," Peter took that literally. He noticed the drywall repair market was fragmented, underserved, and perfect for the franchise model he'd been refining at 1-800-Plumber+Air. But this time, he could start from square one. No legacy FDD constraints. No decade-old policies that couldn't be changed. Just a blank canvas and hard-earned wisdom about what franchise buyers actually want.

The result: Patch It Up launched in 2023 under Elevate Franchise Brands, leveraging proven home services infrastructure — dispatch systems, marketing automation, training protocols — but purpose-built for drywall services. Peter runs two corporate locations in New York, proving the model before scaling. The franchise offering includes a "startup bundle" with everything done for you: tools, iPad setup, uniforms, supplies. No task lists. No delays. Just show up and operate.

The Data Angle

Investment sits around $101,750 to $155,000 all-in, with a $49,500 franchise fee and $37,500 startup package that includes everything. Royalties start at 6% of gross revenue with monthly minimums that ramp: $0 in year one, $1K in year two, $1.5K in year three, $2K thereafter. Technology fee is $200/month, field management software $500/month, and brand fund 2% or $250 minimum.

Peter's Nassau, NY location generated $407,563 in revenue in 2024 with an average of 1.81 technicians and $18,760 revenue per tech per month. His Suffolk location did $294,547 with 1.4 techs. Average invoice: $1,553. Close rate: 48.5%. Cost of materials: 8.9%. The one franchisee who opened in September 2024 (Lansdale, PA) did $55,699 in their first four months.

The system is brand new — launched January 2024 with 4 US franchises and multiple corporate locations. Average gross revenue across the system is $702,110. Patch It Up has 8 franchises projected to open in 2025 with 2 already signed. The infrastructure advantage is real: Elevate Franchise Brands brings Call Center services, proprietary AI automation ("Elevate Engine"), Service Titan integration, and a playbook refined across multiple home services brands. Peter's building what he wishes he had when he started his first franchise.

🎙️ Hear Peter's Full Story

Peter Kourounis sat down with Franzy to share his journey from sign franchise founder to Patch It Up creator. He breaks down the mistakes he made, the lessons from years in the home services franchising world, and why he built Patch It Up differently from the ground up.