Ranked by system size

System size is the number most franchise directories lead with, and it is the number easiest to read too quickly. A 323-unit hot-dog chain and a six-unit German döner system plainly have different operating histories, purchasing leverage and support demands. They share this table because a prospective restaurant operator may compare both packets, not because unit count makes the food or economics equivalent.

The rows use Item 20 outlet counts, or the equivalent outlet table in the document behind the brand record. Item 20 is a year-end snapshot. It can show franchised outlets, company outlets, openings, closures, transfers and projected sales, but the headline total alone does not explain any of those movements. The FTC’s FDD walkthrough recommends reading the disclosure and its attachments rather than treating one number as a verdict.

Count what is actually counted

A total system and a franchise system are not always the same thing. Shah’s 2024 row, for example, reports 58 outlets while its 2024 filing says none were operating as franchises; most of that footprint was licensed. Pepper Lunch’s row reports the six US units disclosed in the study behind the table, while the current North American operator page describes a wider and later footprint. Those statements can both be accurate because they cover different definitions and dates.

Company stores matter too. They can give a franchisor operating experience, but their existence does not show that franchised stores have the same costs or results. Conversely, an entirely franchised system may be large without the franchisor operating a comparable restaurant itself. The split in the table is there to expose that distinction, not to score one ownership mix above another.

Scale is not quality

More units can indicate that a format has been replicated many times. It can also hide churn if the reader ignores openings and closures. Fewer units may mean an early-stage system, a narrow territory or a deliberately compact network. Neither size proves franchisee profitability, food quality, support quality or future growth.

The measurement year therefore stays on every row. Comparing a 2023 count with a 2026 count is useful only when that date difference remains visible. For a serious review, follow the row to the profile, read the source year, then ask for the current FDD and compare its full Item 20 tables with the older snapshot. This page ranks disclosed scale, not investment merit.