55 Fastest Growing New Franchise Chains of 2009

Franchise Times has posted its annual list of the 55 fastest growing new franchise chains. Although the top 10 franchise systems that are 5 years old and under grew at 1,300 percent, the risk of longevity is shown in that only 13 are repeat winners from 2008.

FranData's chief executive officer, Darrell Johnson, observes that the restaurant sector has been particularly hard hit. Says Johnson:

"The 10 food franchises on this year's list is the lowest in the six-year history of the Fast 55. There were 15 on the list last year, including two in the top 10. No food franchise made the top 10 this year and only two were in the top 25." - Franchise Times

The top five fastest growing new brands and their growth rate are:

1. Healthsource Chiropractic  2185%
2. ITS Financial (Tax Services)  1755%
3. SuperSlow Zone  (Fitness Ctr) 1450%
4. Auction It Today (Retail)   1441%
5. Premier Rental-Purchase  (Furniture) 1230%

Here is Franchise Times' full list of 55 (pdf, 10 pgs., 5.4 MB)

Some argue that these brands are some of the riskiest and most volatile because the rate of growth tends to severely strain management structures and that the youngest brands are the riskiest. Others argue that these brands have grown to a point where they begin to have a recognizable brand name.