Food franchises: fast food, restaurants, cafés and bakeries
Food is the most in-demand franchise category and the one with the thinnest margins. Demand is not your problem — the problem is that ingredients, rent and wages leave you very little of every hundred you take. Each profile here sets out how the network works, four concrete differentiators, the rough investment level and who it suits.
Location and a single hour of the day decide the rest. A site that handles the lunch rush without a queue and without chaos in the kitchen makes money; the same brand two hundred metres away, where people only walk past, does not. No head office can hand you that variable — you have to stand on the pavement and count.
66 in this category
Run a restaurant under one of the world's most recognized pizza brands, with a complete operating, technology and marketing backbone behind you.
A Romanian healthy fast-food chain — made-to-order salads, soups, wraps, and fresh juices in a compact format built for malls and office zones.
A Croatian street-food concept that promotes fries from side dish to the main event — a wide range of sauces and protected one-hand packaging.
A Hungarian chain of donut cafés that has already opened in Prague too — a bold modern brand serving donuts, coffee, and seasonal editions in a compact operation.
A Dutch burger concept with hip-hop aesthetics — smash burgers, fries, and shakes under one bold brand from Amsterdam.
An Italian chain of toasteries — gourmet grilled toasties as fast food, built on simple operations with a small team.
A Dutch concept built on the avocado — photogenic healthy dishes and a focus on sustainability in a fast-casual setting.
A Canadian fried-chicken and chicken-sandwich concept coming to Europe under the MB Chicken (Mary Brown's) brand.
An American fast-casual concept of Mediterranean and Greek cuisine — gyros, souvlaki, and salads in a fresh, modern take.
A British Korean street-food chain — corn dogs, tteokbokki, and kimbap in a format built for sharing and a young audience.
A British halal fried-chicken concept — quick service that appeals to a broad urban audience across cultures.
A Greek street-café concept with specialty coffee and snacks — fast service, coffee to go, and several store formats.
A French healthy fast-food concept — salads from fresh ingredients, where you build your bowl exactly to your own taste.
Croatian street food built on fish — fish with fries, fish burgers, and sandwiches in a compact, fast venue.
A British chain of premium dessert restaurants — luxury desserts, cakes, and hot drinks served in an elegant, experience-built setting.
A concept of hand-decorated gourmet donuts and specialty coffee — colorful, Instagrammable treats finished right in front of the customer.
A German street-food concept that puts fries in the lead role — joined by burgers and currywurst in a modern, fast format.
A Dutch take on Korean cuisine — crispy fried chicken, Korean classics, and soju in a lively bar atmosphere.
Frequently asked
?How much does it cost to open a food franchise?
It depends on the format. A kiosk or takeaway window sits in a different bracket from a full restaurant with a kitchen and waiting staff. Every profile in the catalogue states the rough entry investment and what it covers, including the initial fee and equipment.
?Is a food franchise better than opening your own restaurant?
A franchise saves you the search for suppliers, recipes and a working system. You pay for it with the entry fee, ongoing royalties on turnover, and the fact that you cannot change the menu. Your own place looks cheaper on paper and costs more in mistakes.
?What most often kills a food outlet?
The wrong address and kitchen turnover. A lease is signed years ahead, so a bad location cannot be fixed later. The second reason is staff — hospitality churns fast, and a trained cook ends up costing you more than the equipment did.