COMPANYHISTORIES
NAIC 533110

Franchises, Selling or Licensing

How the companies in this industry began, and the forces that shaped them.

80companies1892–2003founding years80still active0no longer operating
§ 01

The industry over time

Companies foundedEconomyTechnologyEnvironmentHistory
FoundedWeyco Group, Incorporated
1892
1903
TechnologyThe Wright brothers achieve powered flight.
1914
EconomyWorld War I begins; global trade reorders.
FoundedChic by H.I.S, Inc.
1923
FoundedKrispy Kreme Doughnuts, Inc.
1937
1939
EconomyWorld War II begins; wartime production surges.
1945
EconomyThe war ends; a long global expansion begins.
1947
TechnologyThe transistor is invented.
FoundedMcDonald's Corporation
1955
EconomyMcDonald's franchising begins, remaking fast food.
FoundedPerkins Family Restaurants, L.P.
1957
1958
TechnologyThe integrated circuit is demonstrated.
FoundedNorrell Corporation
1961
1962
EnvironmentSilent Spring launches the modern environmental movement.
FoundedArby's Inc.
1964
FoundedGround Round, Inc.
1968
FoundedRed Robin Gourmet Burgers, Inc.
1969
FoundedSpaghetti Warehouse, Inc.
1972
1975
TechnologyThe personal-computer era begins.
FoundedMicroAge, Inc.
1976
FoundedSbarro, Inc.
1977
FoundedSpeeDee Oil Change and Tune-Up
1980
FoundedHungry Howie's Pizza and Subs, Inc.
1981
TechnologyThe IBM PC launches and sets a standard.
FoundedKenneth Cole Productions, Inc.
1982
1984
TechnologyApple ships the Macintosh; the GUI era begins.
FoundedCheckers Drive-Up Restaurants Inc.
1986
FoundedThe Maxim Group
1989
HistoryThe Berlin Wall falls; global markets open up.
1991
TechnologyThe World Wide Web is released to the public.
FoundedPapa John's International, Inc.
1993
TechnologyThe Mosaic browser brings the web to everyone.
1995
TechnologyWindows 95 launches; the internet goes mainstream.
1997
EnvironmentThe Kyoto Protocol sets the first climate targets.
2004
TechnologySocial media and Web 2.0 take hold.
2007
TechnologyThe iPhone launches the smartphone era.
2010
TechnologyCloud computing goes mainstream for business.
2015
EnvironmentThe Paris Agreement sets global climate targets.
2020
EconomyThe COVID-19 pandemic upends the global economy.
2022
EconomyInflation spikes; central banks raise rates sharply.
2023
TechnologyGenerative AI reaches mainstream business use.
§ 02

The companies

Weyco Group, Incorporated →
Active · founded 1892
Weyco Group, Incorporated is a major manufacturer, purchaser, and marketer of men's and boy's footwear, including…
Wolverine World Wide, Inc. →
Active · founded 1906
Late 1980s:Company begins making hiking and outdoor boots under both the Wolverine and the licensed Coleman brand.
Van Houtte Inc. →
Active · founded 1919 · Canada
Van Houtte Inc.
Eskimo Pie Corporation →
Active · founded 1922
Having celebrated its 75th anniversary in 1996, the Eskimo Pie Corporation boasts one of the best-known names in the…
Chic by H.I.S, Inc. →
Active · founded 1923
With a concentration on the budget segment of the denim market, Chic by H.I.S, Inc.
Fila Holding S.p.A. →
Active · founded 1926 · Italy
Early 1980s:[fsps*2.5]SNIA BPD S.p.A.
Maid-Rite Corporation →
Active · founded 1926
Maid-Rite Corporation's franchise restaurants have been serving their signature "loose meat" ground beef sandwiches…
Riddell Sports Inc. →
Active · founded 1927
Riddell Sports Inc.
Krispy Kreme Doughnuts, Inc. →
Active · founded 1937
Late 1950s:There are 29 Krispy Kreme shops in 12 states.
Uno Restaurant Holdings Corporation →
Active · founded 1943
Uno Restaurant Holdings Corporation is the controlling body for a group of companies that operate and/or franchise a…
American Greetings Corporation →
Active · founded 1944
Founded in 1906 as a small Cleveland jobber's shop, American Greetings Corporation, which advertises itself as "the…
Long John Silver's →
Active · founded 1946
World War II Years Lederer is forced to close ten of his 13 White Tavern Shoppes because of shortages.
Playboy Enterprises, Inc. →
Active · founded 1953
Playboy Enterprises, Inc.
McDonald's Corporation →
Active · founded 1955
Since its incorporation in 1955, McDonald's Corporation has not only become the world's largest quick-service…
Medical Management International, Inc. →
Active · founded 1955
Medical Management International, Inc., which prefers to be known by the name under which it does business, Banfield,…
Embers America Restaurants →
Active · founded 1956
Embers America Restaurants, which began as a single-unit neighborhood restaurant in the mid-1950s, has transformed…
El Chico Restaurants, Inc. →
Active · founded 1957
One of the largest Mexican dinner house chains in the United States, El Chico Restaurants, Inc.
Perkins Family Restaurants, L.P. →
Active · founded 1957
With over 450 restaurants throughout the United States and Canada, Perkins Family Restaurants, L.P.
Flanigan's Enterprises, Inc. →
Active · founded 1959
Flanigan operated his business under three names during the 1990s.
Little Caesar Enterprises, Inc. →
Active · founded 1959
Little Caesar Enterprises, Inc.
Pizza Hut Inc. →
Active · founded 1959
Pizza Hut Inc.
International Management Group →
Active · founded 1960
Headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, International Management Group is the world's largest and most influential sports…
Norrell Corporation →
Active · founded 1961
Though it is best known as a temporary agency, Norrell Corporation offers a wide variety of services.
Pearle Vision, Inc. →
Active · founded 1961
Pearle Vision Inc., a subsidiary of British food conglomerate Grand Metropolitan plc, is one of the largest optical…
Big O Tires, Inc. →
Active · founded 1962
Big O Tires, Inc.
Taco Bell Corp. →
Active · founded 1962
Taco Bell Corp.
Arby's Inc. →
Active · founded 1964
A subsidiary of Triarc Companies, Inc., Arby's Inc.
Carlson Restaurants Worldwide →
Active · founded 1965
Carlson Restaurants Worldwide boasts a roster of 820 restaurants in 55 countries, with annual sales exceeding $2…
Domino's, Inc. →
Active · founded 1965
Privately held Domino's, Inc.
Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. →
Active · founded 1965
As a subsidiary of media giant Time Warner Inc., Turner Broadcasting System, Inc.
Foodmaker, Inc. →
Active · founded 1966
Foodmaker, Inc., is the operator and franchisor of Jack in the Box restaurants, the fifth-largest fast-food hamburger…
Ground Round, Inc. →
Active · founded 1968
A pioneer in casual dining restaurant chains, Ground Round, Inc.
La Quinta Inns, Inc. →
Active · founded 1968
With more than 220 inns in 29 states, La Quinta Inns, Inc.
Shoney's, Inc. →
Active · founded 1968
Headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee, Shoney's, Inc., is one of the restaurant industry's most respected companies.
Sir Speedy, Inc. →
Active · founded 1968
Sir Speedy, Inc.
Red Robin Gourmet Burgers, Inc. →
Active · founded 1969
Red Robin Gourmet Burgers, Inc.
Taco John's International, Inc. →
Active · founded 1969
Taco John's International, Inc.
InterDigital Communications Corporation →
Active · founded 1972
InterDigital Communications Corporation has been a pioneer in wireless telecommunications technology for more than 30…
Noble Roman's Inc. →
Active · founded 1972
Operating a chain of casual dining restaurants in the Midwest, Noble Roman's Inc.
Ruby Tuesday, Inc. →
Active · founded 1972
Ruby Tuesday, Inc.
Spaghetti Warehouse, Inc. →
Active · founded 1972
Spaghetti Warehouse, Inc., owns, operates, and franchises full-service, family-style Italian restaurants.
Cherokee Inc. →
Active · founded 1973
Cherokee Inc.
Information Builders, Inc. →
Active · founded 1975
Information Builders, Inc.
Wendy's International, Inc. →
Active · founded 1975
Wendy's International, Inc.
MicroAge, Inc. →
Active · founded 1976
MicroAge, Inc., a Fortune 500 company, is one of the nation's largest resellers of computer equipment and systems.
Blimpie International, Inc. →
Active · founded 1977
Blimpie International, Inc.
Indigo NV →
Active · founded 1977 · The Netherlands
Indigo NV is a pioneering developer and manufacturer of digital printing systems using patented liquid ink technology.
Ryan's Restaurant Group, Inc. →
Active · founded 1977
Ryan's Restaurant Group, Inc., operates more than 300 restaurants in the southern and midwestern United States.
Sbarro, Inc. →
Active · founded 1977
Sbarro, Inc., owns, operates, and franchises an international chain of family-oriented Italian restaurants under the…
Ben & Jerry's Homemade, Inc. →
Active · founded 1978
Ben & Jerry's Homemade, Inc.
Advantica Restaurant Group, Inc. →
Active · founded 1979
Advantica Restaurant Group, Inc., is one of the largest restaurant companies in the United States, operating 3,300…
L.A. Gear, Inc. →
Active · founded 1979
Near the end of a tumultuous decade, L.A.
Mail Boxes Etc. →
Active · founded 1980
Mail Boxes Etc.
SpeeDee Oil Change and Tune-Up →
Active · founded 1980
SpeeDee Oil Change and Tune-Up started out as a single quick-oil-change shop in the New Orleans, Louisiana,…
Au Bon Pain Co., Inc. →
Active · founded 1981
A relatively small player in the overall retail food service industry, Au Bon Pain Co., Inc.
Choice Hotels International Inc. →
Active · founded 1981
Choice Hotels International Inc., a subsidiary of Manor Care, Inc., is the world's second largest franchise hotel…
Consolidated Products Inc. →
Active · founded 1981
Consolidated Products, Inc., is a holding company that operated 152 restaurants in 11 states going into 1995.
Hungry Howie's Pizza and Subs, Inc. →
Active · founded 1981
Hungry Howie's Pizza and Subs, Inc.
Immunex Corporation →
Active · founded 1981
Immunex Corporation is a biopharmaceutical company that develops, manufacturers, and markets therapeutic products for…
TCBY Enterprises Inc. →
Active · founded 1981
TCBY Enterprises Inc.
Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association →
Active · founded 1982
The Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association is a nationwide organization that coordinates 70 independent health care…
Harvey Norman Holdings Ltd. →
Active · founded 1982 · Australia
Harvey Norman Holdings Ltd.
Kenneth Cole Productions, Inc. →
Active · founded 1982
Kenneth Cole Productions, Inc.
El Pollo Loco, Inc. →
Active · founded 1983
El Pollo Loco, Inc.
Hooters of America, Inc. →
Active · founded 1984
Hooters of America, Inc.
Chart House Enterprises, Inc. →
Active · founded 1985
Chart House Enterprises, Inc.
Checkers Drive-Up Restaurants Inc. →
Active · founded 1986
With its distinctive black and white checkerboard squares surrounded by bright red and chrome, Checkers Drive-Up…
The Score Board, Inc. →
Active · founded 1986
The largest distributor of sports memorabilia in the United States, The Score Board, Inc.
Outback Steakhouse, Inc. →
Active · founded 1987
Outback Steakhouse, Inc., runs a chain of casual restaurants with and Australian theme based in the South and the…
Grow Biz International, Inc. →
Active · founded 1988
Grow Biz International, Inc.
RFC Franchising LLC →
Active · founded 1989
RFC Franchising LLC operates the Ritter's Frozen Custard chain of premium ice cream shops.
The Maxim Group →
Active · founded 1989
Headquartered in Kennesaw, Georgia, The Maxim Group is North America's largest--and only--publicly traded retail floor…
InaCom Corporation →
Active · founded 1991
The third-largest and most profitable computer distributor in the United States, InaCom Corporation was formed in 1991,…
Planet Hollywood International, Inc. →
Active · founded 1991
Planet Hollywood International, Inc.
Worldwide Restaurant Concepts, Inc. →
Active · founded 1991
Worldwide Restaurant Concepts, Inc.
Papa John's International, Inc. →
Active · founded 1993
Papa John's International, Inc.
Texas Roadhouse, Inc. →
Active · founded 1993
Texas Roadhouse, Inc.
Roadhouse Grill, Inc. →
Active · founded 1996
Roadhouse Grill, Inc.
Pennzoil-Quaker State Company →
Active · founded 1998
The Pennzoil-Quaker State Company is a leading worldwide automotive consumer products company formed in 1998, through…
Biogen Idec Inc. →
Active · founded 2003
Biogen Idec Inc., formed through the 2003 merger of Biogen Inc.
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