More and more, those who have a desire to open a small business of their own have found that opening a restaurant franchise is very profitable. It is predicted that restaurant sales will reach $577 billion in sales by 2010. The restaurant business industry now employs 8% of most workers employed in america. That involves about 11 million people, and makes them the largest employer next to the government.

Restaurant s have been satisfying the hunger of individuals for ages, and restaurant franchising is around to add to the growth of the. In 1950, Colonel Harlan Sanders introduced his Kentucky Fried Chicken franchise and built a chain of over 600 restaurants by 1960. McDonalds was franchised in 1955, and so were House of Pancakes, Tastee Freeze, Dairy Queen, and Dunkin Donuts.

Seniors (people born between 1946 and 1964) are often the people opening new restaurants and junk food establishments. They have sophisticated tastes and the money to make their ideas a reality. They demand fresher ingredients, healthier dishes, and vegetarian options. Baby boomers are credited with setting the pace for what does and doesn?t work in terms of successful restaurants. If they dine out they want top quality, no matter where they’re eating.

More and more people are holding full time jobs, leaving little time to get ready meals in the home. Quick serve restaurants continue to be fueled by the buyer?s ever increasing need for convenience. More than half of most adults say they are busy, and convenience is really a critical section of their lives.

While older consumers demand quality, younger customers want convenience. 55% of consumers between the ages of 25 and 34 admit they are usually in a rush and want fast service. This sparks the growing dependence on quick service restaurants. Takeout restaurants are also a growing trend. 78% of all households in america use take out or delivery service at least one time a month. These folks consider themselves very value conscious.

Many investors are buying into co-branded franchises. Co-branding refers to franchising two or more different brands in a single location (Taco Bell, Pizza Hut, & Kentucky Fried Chicken). All three are housed in one building, rather than building three different restaurants. These restaurants are responsible for a lot more than 29,000 restaurants, and more are popping up constantly. Additionally, there are multiple franchising concepts with Dunkin Donuts and Baskin Robbins in the same building.

Some franchisors take their products overseas. Subway has nearly 800 international franchises (not counting Canada). If you add Canada they number around 2,000. How big is the company has contributed to their popularity far away.

Whether you’re selling sandwiches across the sea, or have an upscale dining establishment uptown. The outlook looks strong for food franchising in the next ten years. Given that consumers continue steadily to eat at restaurants, the franchise opportunity will be a gainful one.