---
title: "VIDEO: Franchise Funding and Industry Concerns"
url: https://burnaze.com/article/07bffcfa-f540-4eab-a318-20873d21fa24
source: "Franchising.com"
original_url: https://www.franchising.com/articles/20260129_video_franchise_funding_and_industry_concerns.html
author: "Kevin Behan"
category: "Franchise Industry"
industry: "Franchise Industry"
topics: ["Development & multi-unit"]
published: 2026-01-29T07:00:00.000Z
modified: 2026-10-31T16:48:28.396Z
image: https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1554469384-e58fac16e23a?w=1600&q=80&auto=format&fit=crop
---

# VIDEO: Franchise Funding and Industry Concerns

**TL;DR:** Multi-unit franchise owners shared their experiences securing funding for their franchises and discussed concerns about the industry, including competition and labor shortages. Franchisees mentioned using personal cash, equity, and debt, as well as leveraging relationships with local banks to finance their locations.

*By Kevin Behan, originally published in Franchising.com on 2026-01-29. [Read the original](https://www.franchising.com/articles/20260129_video_franchise_funding_and_industry_concerns.html).*

## Story

In the latest Franchisee Focus video, we asked several multi-unit owners about two topics that all restaurant franchisees can relate to: how they secured funding for their franchises and their top concerns about the industry that keep them up at night. The franchisees shared stories about how they financed their first franchise and continue to get funding as they have added locations. Some of the methods included personal cash and striking the right combinations of cash, equity, and debt.

It also included leveraging relationships with local banks, including securing favorable fixed rates from several years ago as they continued to grow. The franchise owners also discussed some of the main issues impacting the restaurant industry that are weighing heavily on their minds. Their responses included the competitive nature of the QSR space, an uncertain economy, unknown interest rates in the next several years, the increased costs of goods, high employee wages, and the lingering issue of labor shortage.

In the video, you’ll hear from: Christopher Baker, who operates 5 Wendy’s and 10 Tropical Smoothie Cafe units Nadeem Bajwa, a Papa John’s operator with 275 units Joe Sample, who has 12 Taco Bells and one Bobby’s Burgers locations Hear directly from the franchisees themselves in the video above.

## Entities

- Franchising.com (publication)
- restaurant industry (topic)
- Multi-Unit (sector)
- Taco Bell (company)
- Wendy's (company)
- Papa Johns (company)
- Kevin Behan (person)
- Tropical Smoothie Cafe (company)
- labor shortage (topic)
- franchise funding (topic)
- multi unit owners (topic)
- Bobby's Burgers (company)

---
Originally reported by Kevin Behan, Franchising.com (https://www.franchising.com/articles/20260129_video_franchise_funding_and_industry_concerns.html). Summarized by Burnaze (https://burnaze.com/article/07bffcfa-f540-4eab-a318-20873d21fa24).