💼Why Veterans Thrive in Franchising

Welcome to the Franzy Five — your 5-minute fix on what’s moving in the franchise world.

One of the best aspects of working at Franzy is witnessing how individuals from high-performing, high-pressure careers apply their same strengths to business ownership. This week, we’re spotlighting our teammate Vivek Shah, a former fighter pilot and startup founder who’s now a franchisee and advisor helping others make their next move with confidence. It’s one of our favorite stories yet.

Also in this edition:

🏪 7-Eleven Gearing up for US expansion with public offering in 2026

🥞🍔 Applebee’s and IHOP team up under one roof in a real estate-savvy play

🌮 Taco Bell is outpacing the competition and building a tech and beverage empire along the way

Let’s dig in!

🎙 Franzy Insights: Fighter Pilot Turned Franchisee

This week, I sat down with Vivek Shah, a former U.S. Air Force fighter pilot, startup founder, and now franchisee of Sharkey’s Cuts for Kids. Vivek also works alongside us at Franzy as a Franchise Advisor, helping buyers find the right fit and navigate the process with confidence. His path from the military to startups to franchising is one of the most unique (and inspiring) I’ve heard yet.

Here’s what’s we covered:

• Combat-tested leadership: Vivek spent over a decade flying F-16s before turning his sights on entrepreneurship and franchising.

• Franchise fit: As both a franchisee and advisor, he shares how his military mindset shapes how he evaluates brands and builds businesses.

• Beyond the cockpit: From co-founding a health-tech startup to building a life around family and flexibility, Vivek’s story is anything but typical.

🔍 Our Take:
This might be my favorite episode we’ve done so far. Vivek’s story is a powerful reminder that the path into franchising, and business ownership more broadly, isn’t direct. He’s gone from flying F-16s in combat zones to launching a health-tech startup to running a Sharkey’s Cuts for Kids location, and now he’s helping others do the same through his work as an advisor at Franzy.

It’s also a big reason why I love working with veterans. They make such fantastic business owners. The discipline, the leadership, the ability to operate under pressure, those are exactly the qualities that set someone up for success. If you’re in the middle of a career pivot or trying to figure out how your background translates into ownership, this episode is for you.

Link to the Podcast →

🏪 7-Eleven Preps U.S. IPO to Accelerate Expansion

Summary:

• Seven & i will take its North American 7-Eleven business public in late 2026 to accelerate growth and acquisitions.

• The move follows a rejected $46B takeover bid from Couche-Tard, which investors hoped would jumpstart performance.

• Leadership says the IPO will unlock access to debt and fuel faster U.S. store rollouts—but analysts remain skeptical.

Our take:
7-Eleven is trying to prove it can grow faster on its own than under a global conglomerate—and going public in the U.S. is step one. While there’s real potential here for franchisees in the form of increased investment and expansion, execution will be everything. If Seven & i can’t deliver sharper margins and a clearer strategy, investor pressure won’t go away anytime soon.

Link to Reuters →

🥞🍔 Two Brands, One Roof, Cheap Upside

Summary:

• Dine Brands' first Applebee’s/IHOP combo in Texas shows how dual-branding can cut real estate and utility costs while maximizing daypart traffic.

• Franchisees cross-train teams, share equipment, and increase productivity without duplicating overhead.

• Dual-brand formats help franchisees expand into new geographies and concepts while franchisors unlock growth in tight or non-traditional real estate markets.

Our take:
Dual-branding isn’t just a clever real estate play, it’s a strategic growth unlock. For franchisees looking to scale, it offers a compelling blend of cost savings, operational flexibility, and cross-brand synergy. As more brands fight for prime space and consumer attention, expect this model to gain steam across food, fitness, and service categories.

Link to Franchising.com →

🌮 Taco Bell’s Model Is Recession-Proof

Summary:

• Taco Bell posted 4% same-store sales growth in Q1, beating the broader category and growing across all income levels.

• Chicken sales are up 50% in two years, and Taco Bell is going hard after the beverage category with Refrescas, a $5B drinks goal, and its Live Más Cafe spinoff.

• With 41% of orders digital and Byte tech rolled out across 600 drive-thrus, Taco Bell is leading Yum!’s push into automation and AI.

Our take:
While many QSRs are struggling to hold on to low-income consumers, Taco Bell is thriving, and eating into fast casual’s share too. Their winning formula? Relentless innovation, a tight value proposition, and a tech stack that actually works in-store. For franchisees, it’s a case study in what a best-in-class operator looks like during tough economic conditions.

Link to QSR Magazine →

✂️ Snippets

☕ Philz Coffee Gets a Jolt from Private Equity (Restaurant Dive)

🏓 Pickleball Franchise Continues to Grow (Franchising.com)

🌯 QDOBA Just Secured a $527M Growth Boost (QSR Magazine)

🏆 Meet the Nation’s Biggest Restaurant Franchisees (Franchise Times)