Franchise Times Magazine

After cutting costs for franchisees at its hair care concept My Salon Suite, Propelled Brands has brought down the investment range for another company in its portfolio.

In its 2026 franchise disclosure document, the initial investment for Camp Bow Wow is listed between $954,606 and $1.22 million. It’s a reduction from the previous range of $1.21 million to $2.03 million, one that was made possible by an extensive value engineering project by leadership at Propelled Brands.

Propelled acquired Camp Bow Wow in 2024, and the brand’s chief development officer, Mark Jameson, said the recently announced reduction was part of a two-year plan to spur growth.

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Camp Bow Wow Brings Down Costs for Future Expansion Since acquiring dog care concept Camp Bow Wow in 2024, Propelled Brands has been working to build a more efficient opportunity for franchisees. The result is a lower initial investment,

A consignment dispute at a Bricks & Minifigs store in Oregon over a Lego collection allegedly valued at $200,000 gained national traction in recent weeks, resulting in multiple lawsuits and questions over who’s to blame. Though the saga is far from over, the dispute shows how quickly an entire franchise system can feel the effects of decisions made by corporate or operators across the country.

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Viral Bricks & Minifigs Dispute Highlights Systemwide Effects of Franchise Litigation A consignment dispute at a Bricks & Minifigs store in Oregon over a Lego collection allegedly valued at $200,000 gained national traction in recent weeks, resulting in multiple lawsuits and

After a trip around the world, entrepreneurs Jessica and Damien Zouaoui noticed other countries had a different approach to spas.

Along with offering saunas, massages and the like, spas overseas served alcoholic beverages while also providing space for social gatherings. Realizing it’s something that didn’t exist in the United States, the married couple decided to carve a niche in the domestic spa industry with a new type of concept.

The pair founded Colorado-based Oakwell Beer Spa in 2019 and opened the first location in 2021. In the time since, the two have refined the concept, opened second spa and, earlier this year, reached the point where they were ready to begin franchising. The franchise launch marked a goal the couple have held long before they even knew their business was going to be spa-related.

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Oakwell Beer Spa Brings New Twist to Self-Care Category Oakwell Beer Spa, founded in 2019, launched its franchise system earlier this year. The brand, with a mix of beverage services and wellness offerings, was inspired by a globe-trotting trip

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Multiple franchisees were ordered to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars for harassment and discrimination in the workplace, according to the United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

A 60-unit Applebee’s operator settled with the United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission for charges related to the repeated sexual harassment of female employees.

The commission also concluded a disability discrimination case with a multi-unit Dunkin’ operator, while a Comfort Keepers franchisee was ordered to pay more than $300,000 for violating four anti-discrimination laws.

Meanwhile, a Chick-fil-A franchisee is accused of religious discrimination in Texas.

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Applebee's Operator Settles With EEOC On Sexual Harassment Charges Multiple franchisees were ordered to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars for harassment and discrimination in the workplace, according to the United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

For RealClean Aircraft Detailing co-CEOs Dustin Zeitler and Luke Goucher, learning to pump the brakes has been a surprising lesson in franchising.

Two years after launching franchise opportunities, they say maintaining composure in the early stages has paid off.

“We built out a lot more infrastructure and didn't actually conduct our first confirmation day until February 2025,” Goucher said. “For us, I think that knowledge shared from the franchise community on their perspective and some of the things you can do to set yourself up for success was invaluable. We really built out a foundation that can support effectively the level of growth that we saw come our way, and I'll forever be appreciative of that advice.”

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Where Are They Now? Patience Guides RealClean Aircraft Detailing’s Franchise Growth This article is part of "Where Are They Now?"—an ongoing series in which Franchise Times Reporter Alyssa Huglen catches up with emerging brands.

Read the latest in M&A news from Franchise Times:

1. Shareholders of European Wax Center will receive $5.80 per share as General Atlantic took the waxing brand private in May.

2. Red Robin Gourmet Burgers sold 30 company-owned restaurants in Washington and Idaho to Evergreen Dining, an experienced multi-unit restaurant operator, for $23.5 million cash.

3. Qdoba Restaurant Corporation, a portfolio company of Butterfly Equity, closed on a $435 million whole business securitization, consisting of $360 million of senior notes and a $75 million variable funding note, through Qdoba Funding.

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Red Robin Refranchises 30 Stores, Plus More M&A News Shareholders of European Wax Center will receive $5.80 per share as General Atlantic took the waxing brand private in May. The all-cash deal had an implied value of $640 million.

Fitness Ventures added two major markets to its Crunch Fitness portfolio with the acquisition of a Los Angeles-based franchisee.

The operator bought 22 locations in Texas and California from Harman Fitness. In so doing, the company became the largest Crunch franchisee and entered Southern California and Houston, two of the largest markets in the United States.

CEO Brian Hibbard said that while the May acquisition made Fitness Ventures the largest Crunch franchisee with 115 locations in 30 states, attaining that status was never as important as growing sustainably and providing great customer service.

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Fitness Ventures Establishes Itself as Largest Crunch Franchisee With Acquisition of 22 Gyms Fitness Ventures, which had primarily focused on mid-sized and tertiary markets, established a presence in Texas and Southern California with the acquisition of 22 gyms from Harman Fitness.

FAT Brands sold its assets to four buyers for about $1 billion. Franchisees should be watching out for red flags or steep changes following the sales, approved by a Texas bankruptcy court in May.

After months of uncertainty, franchisees look to an unknown future with new owners. Any ownership transition can be tough to navigate, but coming out of bankruptcy and changing hands comes with its own challenges.

“What franchisees want to be looking at is whether the brand is going to be in a restructuring mode for a long period of time and just trying to regain financial footing,” said Robin Gagnon, the CEO and co-founder of brokerage firm We Sell Restaurants. “That really tells us a lot about whether these brands are being prepped for long-term growth or they’re being positioned for a future exit. It has immediate repercussions for the operating groups that are out there.”

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As FAT Brands Sells Its Assets, What Should Franchisees Keep in Mind? FAT Brands sold its assets to four buyers for about $1 billion. Franchisees should be watching out for red flags or steep changes following the sales, approved by a Texas

In her monthly "Grab Bag" column, Editor in Chief Laura Michaels asks the tough questions—What superhero power would you most like to have? What’s the weirdest thing you’ve ever eaten?—to show a side of franchising execs you don’t normally see.

What’s something not many people know about you?

I’m a children’s book author, and I wrote ‘The Legend of Jet the Gerbil.’ My daughter helped me with the subtitle: ‘Could be the Greatest Gerbil Story Ever Told.’ —Michael Keller, CEO, Jeremiah’s Italian Ice

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Why the CEO of Jeremiah’s Italian Ice Doesn’t Want Pumpkin in August In her monthly "Grab Bag" column, Editor in Chief Laura Michaels asks the tough questions—What superhero power would you most like to have? What’s the weirdest thing you’ve ever eaten?—to