Doug Ducey, Cold Stone Creamery 
CEO Doug Ducey takes Inc. TV on a tour of the flagship NYC store, and discusses how he is building an empire with premium ice cream and singing staffers. Watch video
Franchises
Recent Franchises Articles
Doug Ducey, Cold Stone Creamery
The Billionaire Bootstrapper
A $550 sink nearly prevented Fred DeLuca from amassing a billion-dollar fortune. Read more
Jamba Juice Sold for $265 Million
Investors cited the former Inc. 500 company’s strong potential for continued growth. Read more
Case Study: Hooked On Expansion
Marc Shuman was determined to expand fast. Then a quarter of his franchisees started to struggle. Was shutting them down the best solution? Read more
(Re)born to Be Wild
The roof leaked, the financials were sketchy, the employees were unmotivated, and the customers were disgruntled--so Mike Schwartz decided to buy the place. ... Read more
Franchisee Battles Quiznos Over Location Policy
Quiznos loses first round; judge orders parties into arbitration. Read more
Getting Ready to Franchise
Can any business be turned into a franchise? No. Know what makes a strong franchising prospect. Read more
To Franchise, or Not To Franchise
A restaurateur ponders taking the leap into franchising. Read more
An Ugly Expansion
Licensing a business concept seems like an easy way to grow a business, but as many entrepreneurs discover, maintaining a brand's integrity through the proce... Read more
Buyers Learn to Beware at Franchise Boot Camp
Several workshops have popped up around the country to help prospective buyers of franchises evaluate their options more thoroughly. Read more
Rude Awakenings May Await New Franchisees
How much do you really know about that franchise you're planning to buy? These tales from the field show why you need to carefully investigate ownership and ... Read more
How Ideas Rise at Franchisor Great Harvest
To allow people to create their own enterprises, Great Harvest faciliates both the casual and formal sharing of ideas and information. Read more
Zen and the Art of the Self-Managing Company
The owners of Great Harvest Bread Co. are building a "learning organization" -- a company that fosters innovation and almost runs itself. Read more
In a Former Life: Anne Beiler
Anne Beiler, founder of pretzel shops franchisor Auntie Anne's, discusses the business lessons she learned as a waitress. Read more
Obit: Pizza Chain's Blockbuster "Deal" Ends in a Bust
Thinking he had a great deal cooking, Tony Riviera prepared to take his pizza concept national in a joint venture with Blockbuster. But when the entertainmen... Read more
My Biggest Mistake: Chris Sullivan
The founder and CEO of Outback Steakhouse on how he mishandled the rollout of a new restaurant concept. Read more
Nordahl Brue: My Biggest Mistake
If it ain't broke, don't break it. Nordahl Brue, founder and CEO of Bruegger's Bagel Bakeries, discusses the ill effects of diverging from his game plan. Read more
The Complete Franchise Business Plan
A franchise business plan is similar to a traditional plan except that the former has to combine components of both the franchisee and the franchisor, or par... Read more
10 Common Mistakes of Prospective Franchisees
Thinking of buying a franchise? Avoid these common mistakes. Read more
Information to Secure from a Franchisor
Here's a helpful checklist for investigating franchise opportunities. Read more
Franchise Site Evaluation Form
When trying to evaluate suitable site locations for your potential franchise, use this form as a guideline. Read more
Inner Beauties
Here's how Children's Orchard, a franchiser of children's discount stores, uses an intranet to alert franchisees to news about new products and unite them un... Read more
Obits: Neglect Zaps a Laser-Tag Franchisor
Q-Entertainment Inc., a franchisor of laser-tag amusement centers, went under when meteoric growth caused the company to neglect the needs of its franchisees... Read more
Extreme Managing
Jack Hartnett, head of 54 Sonic restaurants, demands that employees follow his orders unquestioningly and assumes responsibility for their personal and profe... Read more
Franchisees Thrive with Open-Book Management
Two Chick-fil-A owner-operators share tips for opening the books in a franchise. Read more
