TL;DR
QSR Magazine releases its 2026 QSR 50 report, highlighting industry resilience and AI adoption, with McDonald's at No. 1. The franchise sector is projected to contribute approximately three percent of U.S. GDP in nominal dollars.
Franchising has changed the business landscape, that’s for sure. The gross domestic product (GDP) of the franchise sector is projected to rise 5.6 percent this year to $552 billion, adding $29 billion in GDP to the U.S. economy. The franchise sector will contribute approximately three percent of U.S. GDP in nominal dollars. That’s a massive impact that can’t be taken lightly.
Yet, when it comes to CNBC’s fourth annual Disrupter 50 list, franchising has room to grow. From aerospace to financial services to cybersecurity to retail, the forward-thinking companies on this list have filled unique niches in the marketplace that were underserved or not even identified yet. Some have already passed the billion-dollar mark and it’s hard to even remember a world without some of them. The top 10 companies on the list include:
Uber
Airbnb
Ezetap
Palantir Technologies
23andMe
Bloom Energy
Ginkgo Bioworks
Klarna
Blippar
Coursera
In this story
This story was originally published in 1851 Franchise on June 8, 2016. Burnaze summarizes and links to the original reporting.
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