Why Phoenix Works for Franchises

Arizona’s capital is the sixth-largest city in the country, with 1.4 million residents in the area. The Greater Phoenix Area – including Scottsdale, Glendale and Tempe – hosts another 4.3 million people. The climate and booming population bring in a year-round list of fun things to do, and more than 15 million tourists visit the Phoenix area every year. But there’s one other accolade Phoenix can add to its list—the city is drawing the attention of prospective franchisors as a budding market for business.

Eric Renninger, the executive vice president of Honest-1 Auto Care, elaborated on the appeal of Phoenix and the integral role it plays as a burgeoning market for franchises. He should know – Honest-1 calls Scottsdale, a city adjacent to Phoenix, home.

“The area’s appeal is simple—there’s just a lot to do,” said Renninger. “There’s high-end shopping, there’s vacation spots and there are all kinds of major sporting events—everything from the Super Bowl and major golf tournaments to the Annual Scottsdale Arabian Horse Show.”

Having hosted two Super Bowls since 2008 and Major League Baseball’s Cactus League Spring Training every year, Renninger reinforced that it’s this type of culture that breeds success in franchisors, as it brings in a steady stream of visitors—both local and out of state.

“The success of franchisors in this area hinges on both the residents and the tourists. While it’s a gigantic area for tourism, the residents are loyal and well-educated. The amount of people in Phoenix at any given time gives businesses more consistency in their potential clients. It allows you to have a bigger volume of exposure. With that kind of steadiness, there are always people that turn out,” Renninger said.

But perhaps the most important part about the region to franchisors is Phoenix’s openness to entrepreneurial opportunities. With the sheer amount of schools and universities in the area, the number of entry-level job openings increases; and the more openings, the bigger the work force. That leaves plenty of room for a curious franchisee to commit to a multi-unit entrepreneur in the Phoenix Valley.

“There’s always room for new, progressive concepts,” Renninger said. “There’s a lot of demand.”

As for Honest-1 and Renninger, they’re working on becoming the most notable full-service auto repair brand in their neighborhood. With two locations in the greater Phoenix area, and more on the way, Renninger and the brand plan to expand in the valley.

“There was no dominant presence in the area for auto repair services. We hope to change that.”

Renninger, Honest-1 and future franchisors can view Phoenix, full of entrepreneurial-minded residents and inundated by a steady stream of tourists, as the key to westward expansion.