---
title: "Does the Asset Light Business Model Work?"
url: https://burnaze.com/article/2c0f418e-e8a2-41b8-99c5-58c69a3a5d25
source: "1851 Franchise"
original_url: https://1851franchise.com/does-the-asset-light-business-model-work-2708581
category: "Restaurants"
industry: "Restaurants"
published: 2018-11-30T22:17:01.000Z
modified: 2026-11-01T04:08:11.615Z
image: https://newimage.1851franchise.com/cdn-cgi/image/quality=85,format=webp,width=1280,height=720/story/featureImage/0d2fd0add2508e90d87d62e82aba27d28322.jpg
---

# Does the Asset Light Business Model Work?

**TL;DR:** Restaurant Business columnist Jonathan Maze questions the asset light business model, citing potential risks of brand misalignment and cultural disconnect. Maze points to McDonald's as a case study, where franchisees formed the National Operators Association and the corporate office paused remodeling mandates.

*originally published in 1851 Franchise on 2018-11-30. [Read the original](https://1851franchise.com/does-the-asset-light-business-model-work-2708581).*

## Story

Maze acknowledges that franchising appears as an attractive option to many restaurant owners; the responsibility for building and hiring falls to the franchisee and allows franchisors to focus on brand strategy and development. The trade-off, he notes, can mean an increased risk of brand misalignment and the potential for cultural disconnect between owner-operators, unit employees and corporate decision makers.

Maze points to McDonald’s as a poignant case study. Last month the brand’s franchisees formed the National Operators Association and this month, the McDonald’s corporate office has paused remodeling mandates for some operators “willing to forgo some of the company’s contribution.” Maze calls this “a clear reaction to the franchisee discontent.”

“Franchisees don’t create independent associations if they’re happy,” Maze writes.

## Entities

- 1851 Franchise (publication)
- Restaurants (sector)
- franchising (topic)
- McDonald's (company)
- Jonathan Maze (person)
- asset light business model (topic)
- brand misalignment (topic)
- cultural disconnect (topic)

---
Originally reported by 1851 Franchise (https://1851franchise.com/does-the-asset-light-business-model-work-2708581). Summarized by Burnaze (https://burnaze.com/article/2c0f418e-e8a2-41b8-99c5-58c69a3a5d25).