The Leading Global Food and Beverage Franchises
Based on Franchise Direct's 2012 Top 100 Franchises
04/11/2012 – ATLANTA – Franchise Direct has released its fourth-annual rankings of the Top 100 Franchises. These rankings assess the most successful franchises operating on an international level, which the directory company has defined as operating in two or more countries.
Franchise Direct compiles the rankings by collating a range of data, including information self-reported by franchises, Franchise Disclosure Documents (FDD), Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filings, published industry sources, and other information pertaining to the financial state of the franchise.
For the second year in a row, Subway is the world's leading franchise, according to the Franchise Direct rankings. Subway’s website says it is in 99 countries, and according to this year’s rankings, the sandwich shop has again outranked McDonald's to claim the spot as the top franchise on the planet. Beyond the top two spots, food-related businesses continue to dominate franchising. According to this year’s Franchise Direct list, roughly one-third of the top 100 franchises listed and seven out of the top ten franchise businesses consider food sales as a primary part of their business.
The chart below shows the food and beverage businesses and their Franchise Direct rankings. The full list of businesses can be found on the Franchise Direct website.
Current news & stories
- LA’s Flagship Food Group To Acquire UK Based Atlantic Foods Group Flagship Food Group is a diversified food and consumer products company supplying frozen, shelf-stable, and fresh products into both the retail and food service markets.
- National Restaurant Association Projecting 448,000 Summer Jobs According to the National Restaurant Association, the restaurant industry is the nation's second-largest creator of summer jobs.
- Campbell to Acquire Plum Organics, Entering the Premium Baby Food Category Campbell Soup Company expects to close on the acquisition of Plum Organics by the fourth quarter of their 2013 fiscal year.


