A new article put out by MSN Money – The Street, describes the explosion of the better burger industry, calling better burger franchises such as Elevation Burger and Five Guys “the next big opportunities in fast-casual restaurants".

While discounts may seem like the best way to drive traffic to your restaurants, many franchise owners will agree that there are much better ways. Fransmart's Sunny Pinhero gives his insights on alternative ways to drive traffic that are better for business.

Celebrity endorsements are powerful ammunition in the marketing world.  Everyone wants to live like the stars, even if that just means wearing the same kind of sneakers or eating at the same pizza joint.  You do not need to be a mega brand like Pepsi or Nike to utilize the power of the celebrity endorsement.  Here are some PR tips to making something out of nothing when it comes to press, and examples from some of the emerging food franchise brands in Fransmart’s portfolio.

Fransmart’s Mark Treptow shares his experiences and offers up an alternative approach to traditional investment vehicles - food franchising may have the upper hand in today's market

Fransmart is traveling to the Middle East, February 6th-15th - scheduling meetings now for Kuwait, Dubai - UAE, and Bahrain. Learn more, or schedule a meeting. Some of our strongest performing restaurants are in the Middle East - a booming market for US brands!

Freshii is utilizing the power of community benchmarking in creating healthy lifestyles for its customers, by having them post their 2012 healthy living resolutions online publicly, in a challenge to raise the world's energy meter.

Across the restaurant industry, marketers at all levels are striving to keep up with new technologies to connect with customers, ranging from social media to mobile devices. The race can be frantic. Unfortunately, keeping up with the fast pace of digital marketing can happen at the peril of the real world restaurant experience. Terms like “four walls marketing” and “local store marketing” are quickly becoming terms of yesteryear, but their principles are more important now than ever. Read on to hear how a hip NY-style pizzeria restaurant franchise merges new digital strategies with proven four-walls marketing principles.

Part 1 in a 3 Part Series covering different dietary restrictions, and how restaurant franchises are reacting to the growing needs of today’s consumer. About ten years ago, the term “gluten free” did not get much mainstream attention.  And those on a gluten free diet would sooner forego the hassle of trying to have their dietary needs met, than to bother with the restaurant scene.  Recently, however, food franchises are taking dietary restrictions more seriously and examining their practices to accommodate the diverse needs of their customers.

Where to invest your food franchise dollars -- with a Mature Brand, or an Emerging, High Growth Brand? Fransmart's Paul Tran shares insights that have enlightened many investors seeking profitable franchises, debunked widely accepted franchising myths, and reminded best-in-class food operators why they were originally successful.

Expanding into a foreign territory can be logistically challenging and intimidating for US based food franchise concepts, but it can also yield exceptional profits and serve as a springboard for larger regional development. Fransmart has a proven track record of expanding high-growth, innovative food franchise concepts around the globe with extensive experience in the Middle East. Fransmart's Ryan Durishin reports his experience launching Boardwalk Fresh Burgers and Fries’ market entry into the Middle East through a key partnership with Dubai-based Middle East Franchising, Inc.

Market research is forecasting phenomenal growth for the restaurant franchise industry in 2012, both in the United States and abroad. Fransmart's Casey Thorp reports with insights from Fransmart CEO Dan Rowe.

The world’s 4^th largest economy is NOT settling for 4^th place – Especially in the food franchise / restaurant sector.

Fransmart's Paul Tran reports on the India food franchise market, with insights from Arun Chanda, Founder & Director at Mint Hotels & Restaurants Consultancy Pvt Ltd in Delhi, India.

The Restaurant Franchise Industry continues to drive job creation in United States, and Elevation Burger franchisee Daniel Magnus creates new hope for job seekers.

Fransmart has been waiting for Google to take the full leap into social media by launching Google Plus Pages for Business, and ... (drum roll)... the time has arrived for restaurant franchises! In September, we recommended that restaurant franchise marketers dip their toes into the Google Plus waters by signing up for a personal account. Now is the time to lock in your restaurant franchise business page. While still an unproven platform, the features offered on Google Plus could provide groundbreaking new opportunities for restaurant franchises to engage with consumers.

By Mark Treptow

Sì, 是, Oui, да, Ja, نعم, ναί, Yes! Is what international fast casual food franchise developers are saying to Fransmart’s brands.

The battle for social media dominance continues, with both Facebook and Google pulling out the big guns in the past few weeks. Franchise and Restaurant Industry marketers are left to wonder - which platform will better serve restaurant chains?

By Mark Treptow

Winning growth strategies employed by successful multi-unit franchisees from within the Nature’s Table Café franchise system, including multi-concept developers from brands like Burger King, Wendy’s, Arby’s, Qdoba Mexican Grill, Subway, Pinkberry & Seattle’s Best Coffee

Hold on tight... the race for social media dominance is about to speed up with the arrival of Google+. How will this new technology impact restaurant operators and the franchise industry?

Fransmart interviewed three franchisees for their take on the couponing giant, Groupon. If you’re a franchisee, you’ve no doubt heard of -- and from – Groupon.  While the group buying model promoted by companies like Groupon and LivingSocial has exploded in popularity, a groundswell of complaints by many participating small business owners have left the franchise industry asking if Groupon is good for business.

We were sorry (but not totally surprised) to hear that Soul Daddy, the healthy soul-food brainchild of America's Next Great Restaurant contestant Jamawn Woods, has closed two of its three locations after just one month of operation.

Boardwalk Fresh Burgers & Fries Differentiates with Master Franchise Development Model to Attract Experienced Franchisees

Fransmart is proud to launch a new website, geared towards potential new franchisee candidates, and new brands considering franchise expansion.

Good word-of-mouth buzz is a franchisor’s dream, and today’s customer base is increasingly valuing online peer reviews as indicators of restaurant quality.   Yelp has emerged as the most visible aggregator of the man-on-the-street restaurant critique, and individual franchise locations are now being held up to scrutiny as much as a neighborhood bistro.  As a franchisor or a master franchisee, this means a significant transfer of your corporate brand’s power to your local franchisees.

Ann Hasselberger and Tracy Archer Parnica are friends with a lot in common: they’re both Nature’s Table multi-unit franchisees living in Florida who got their entrepreneurial start with franchising. But while Ann literally grew up with the company, Tracy arrived after a mid-stream career switch. We interviewed them to get their perspectives on the franchising experience.