IFA Names 2026 Franchisees of the Year

The International Franchise Association named 89 individuals as 2026 Franchisees of the Year for being outstanding franchise owners with excellence in entrepreneurship, community outreach, workforce development, and service to others. Top franchisees from IFA member brands across industries and communities around the country will be honored at the IFA26 Advocacy Summit Sept. 14-16 in Washington, D.

C. IFA will also name one franchise owner as the recipient of the new IFA Franchisee Cornerstone Award, selected among the group at the event. "Franchisees of the Year demonstrate what franchising is all about: individuals who have committed their lives and careers to the betterment of those around them, building something bigger than themselves," said Matt Haller, president and CEO of the IFA.

"Through their leadership, they create jobs and build careers, give back to their communities, and support other franchisees, all while exemplifying the entrepreneurial spirit at the heart of franchising. We are proud to recognize these individuals with one of IFA's highest honors and celebrate their commitment to making a difference both within their business and to those around them." Nominated by their parent brand, the Franchisee of the Year recipients are selected for being leading franchise owners for their community involvement, fostering a strong workforce, assisting their fellow franchisees when called upon, and embodying the entrepreneurial spirit.

Their outstanding performance and contributions help strengthen not only their business but also the entire franchise business model. There are approximately 832,000 franchise establishments across the U.S.

, providing nearly 8.8 million direct jobs and generating more than $907 billion in economic output. According to Oxford Economics, franchising on average provides higher wages and better benefits than nonfranchised businesses, as well as greater entrepreneurial opportunities to minorities, women, veterans, and other underrepresented communities.

The recipients will be honored at a luncheon on Sept. 15 and throughout the IFA26 Advocacy Summit in Washington, D.C.

The full list of 2026 IFA Franchisees of the Year is below: Aaron Wiswell, Aroma Joe's, North Berwick, Maine Alex Tyler, Tyler Ownership Group (Goldfish Swim School), Birmingham, Michigan Allen and Christy Stanczak, Aloha Auggies, LLC (Bad Ass Coffee of Hawaii), Saint Augustine, Florida Allison Navejar, Card My Yard Kingwood, Humble, Texas Amie Reynolds, CertaPro Painters of NE and NW San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas Amy and Michael Madson, Dream Vacations-Madson & Associates, Orlando, Florida Amy Albiero, SafeSplash + SwimLabs, Louisville, Kentucky Amy Lupo, Playa Bowls-Memphis Area, Collierville, Tennessee Ana Avendano, Ivy Kids of Long Meadow Farms, Richmond, Texas Benjamin Rogers, Ziebart of Bay City, Bay City, Michigan Beth and Phillip Dow, Home Helpers Home Care of Newnan, GA, Lone Oak, Georgia Boima and Jumanatu Morray, Wisdom Senior Care, Fort Mill, South Carolina Brent and Sherry Weaver, East Coast Wings + Grill, Lexington, North Carolina Brian O'Keefe, Christine O'Keefe and Eric Eisenberg, BrightStar Care of San Francisco, Mill Valley, California Cameron Gentry, Budget Blinds, St. George, Utah Cathy Abrena and Victoria Law, Grasons of Bellevue and Grasons of Mount Vernon (Grasons Estate Sales & Business Liquidations), Bellevue, Washington Celia and Mario Pastilha, My Salon Suite, Randolph, New Jersey Cesar Coronado and Marlon Sullivan, Evergreen Ventures Tropical (Tropical Smoothie Cafe), Evanston, Illinois Cheston C. Syma, WheelHouse Partners (Sport Clips Haircuts), Katy, Texas Chris Laverdure, Turbo Tint (Moran Family of Brands), Cary, North Carolina Dan Moore and Quinn Lukas, School of Rock Wexford and South Hills, PA, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Dave Collins, The Goddard School, Edgewater, Maryland David George and Rachel George, Fastest Labs of Greater Seattle, Puyallup, Washington David Muirhead, The Grout Medic, Manassas, Virginia Eric Danver, ECM-H&S, LLC (Hand and Stone Massage and Facial Spa), Medford, New Jersey Eric Holm, Metro Corral LLC (Golden Corral), Winter Park, Florida Ethan Fields, Bloomin' Blinds of Nashville, Lebanon, Tennessee Fred Fisher, Green Home Solutions, Tucson, AZ Greg and Laura Sulentic, Lincoln Express Employment Professionals Franchise, Lincoln, Nebraska Greg DuPey, The DuPey Team, Pillar To Post, Morrisville, Pennsylvania Lesh Singh, N.

Y. Connection (Wireless Zone), Dix Hills, New York James E. Williams Jr.

, Estel Foods, Inc., Saint Louis, Missouri James Long and Stan Synkoski, Apple Mountain, LLC (Applebee's Grill and Bar), Sandy, Utah Jared Ervin, Ervin Group (Sonic Drive-In), Grapevine, Texas Jason T. Pino, Jaton Mgmt Co.

LLC (Dunkin'), Woburn, Massachusetts Jay and Danielle Mechtly, i9 Sports, Wilmington, North Carolina Jeff Duff, Pinot's Palette-St. Matthews, Gilbert, Short North, & Jeffersonville, Finchville, Kentucky Jeff Hall, Midas of Eastern Ontario, Kingston, Ontario Jennifer Ashcraft, 37 Enterprises, Inc. (Capriotti's Sandwich Shop), Huntsville, Alabama Jennifer Collins, Kidcreate Studio-Greater Heights, Houston, Texas Jenny Beaudoin, S&J Enterprises LLC (Buffalo Wild Wings), Stephens City, Virginia Jignesh Patel, Kavir NA PB LLC (Potbelly Sandwich Works), Round Rock, Texas Joe Thomas, PuroClean National Response Team, Troy, Michigan John Murphy, Christian Brothers Automotive-New Tampa, Tampa, Florida Jonathan Steward, Mosquito Shield of Southern NJ, West Deptford, New Jersey Josh and Ashley Rodgers, The Alpha Group (Camp Bow Wow), Parkville, Missouri Keith McBride, 1-800-Packouts of NW Philadelphia, Holland, Pennsylvania Ken Sandy, Dryy Restoration, Ashburn, Virginia Kenneth W.

Bates, Bates Family Restaurants LLC (Eggs Up Grill), Johnson City, Tennessee Kevin McCord, Signarama Lawrenceburg Indiana, Lawrenceburg, Indiana Kevin Poel and Nicole Poel, Hydrate IV Bar Westminster & Lakewood, Arvada, Colorado Kevin Wenck, Fastsigns Allentown, Allentown, Pennsylvania Lee and Amy Cantres, Stratus Clean Atlanta South, Atlanta, Georgia Marisa Santayana Salas, Showhomes Premier-Miami, Coral Gables, Florida Mary Barrineau and Pam Thompson, Spherion Staffing, Charleston, South Carolina Matthew Prewett, The Brothers That Just Do Gutters- Atlanta, Lithia Springs, Georgia Michael A. Procaccio II, The Procaccio Corp. (Jimmy John's), Roselle, Illinois Michelle Monhollen and Robert Steffek, Fully Promoted of Centerville, Centerville, Ohio Mike Kuzminsky, Southern Hospitality Wings (Buffalo Wild Wings GO), Atlanta, Georgia Mike McClernon, Assisted Living Locators of Long Island, Glen Cove, New York Mitch Johnson, DRM Inc (Arby's), Omaha, Nebraska Mohammad Khadar, MESK Investments (IHOP), Lynnwood, Washington Montu Patel, Innovative Hospitality Management (Choice Hotels), Doylestown, Pennsylvania Nathan Coombs and Kevin Hansen, DreamMaker Bath and Kitchen of Ogden, South Ogden, Utah Noel J.

Rigley, The Rigley Group- Primrose Schools, Plano, Texas Omar E. Munguia Jr., Five Star Unlimited Inc (Pacific Lawn Sprinklers), Mooresville, North Carolina Perry Ciambella, FirstLight Home Care, Cheektowaga, New York Phil Turner, British Swim School, Brooklyn, New York Preeti Gulati and Vic Gulati, Kiddie Academy Educational Child Care Centers, Multi-Site in Illinois, Kildeer, Illinois Rachel Wheeler, Graze Craze Winter Park, Winter Park, Florida Randall Whitworth, Mr.

Transmission, Pelham, Alabama Randi H.