Franchising is blazing a path of progress

Upon coming back to Georgia in 2007, Jason fell so in love with the food served at Flying Biscuit Café, another Atlanta-based icon, that he and his wife served it at the brunch after their wedding. Today, in addition to representing District 35 in the Georgia State Senate, his family owns and runs a Flying Biscuit Café in Columbus, with another location opening in Macon this May.

As Georgians who have achieved success through franchising, we’re far from alone. With roots going all the way back to Benjamin Franklin’s printing press, franchising describes a model where one party (the franchisor) creates a winning idea, brand and business and then partners with entrepreneurs (the franchisees) who take the concept to new and different locations. In exchange for a fee, the franchisee enjoys access to infrastructure, training, mentorship and an invaluable road map.

The model allows would-be entrepreneurs to go into business for themselves, but not by themselves. Franchisors teach franchisees how to do business the right way and provide lessons from their own journey to improve their odds of success.

Here in Georgia, franchising is blazing a path of progress. According to the 2025 Franchising Economic Outlook from the International Franchise Association, our state is projected to be the country’s top state for franchise growth. There are almost 35,000 franchise establishments in our state, providing jobs for 361,000 Georgians and generating more than $37.4 billion in economic output. With more brand headquarters than any other city, Atlanta has been dubbed the franchising capital of the United States.

While franchising is often conflated with “big business” or faraway corporate offices and their brand names, the truth is franchises are fundamentally small businesses. Thanks to the independence between franchisors and franchisees, if you stop by a Flying Biscuit or a Great American Cookies in your neighborhood, that store is very likely independently owned. The jobs and services are created by locals for the benefit of their community. More than eight in 10 franchise owners (81.6%) own just one location, according to FRANdata. While we have both been food franchisees, the business model is far from just that — spanning over 300 industries from child care and home services, to hair salons and printing services.

Franchising opens doors for those who might not otherwise have an entrepreneurial path. According to data from Oxford Economics, Black-owned franchises earn 2.2 times more than Black-owned independent businesses; Hispanic-owned franchises earn 1.6 times more than Hispanic-owned independent businesses; and Asian-owned franchises earn 1.4 times more than Asian-owned independent businesses.

The momentum in Georgia for franchising is growing by the day and crossing party lines. IFA’s “Open For Opportunity” road show visits to Atlanta have brought seven members of the congressional delegation together, as well as Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens. With an official proclamation, Gov. Brian Kemp even declared May 13, 2024, as Open for Opportunity Day.

Recently, the Georgia State Senate passed its own pair of resolutions: one honoring franchising and the other recognizing Doc Cohen for his lifelong contributions to the business model. They both quickly passed through the chamber, symbolizing not only the value of franchising to Georgia, but its cross-partisan appeal and unique ability to lift people up.

Credit: Doc Cohen/contributed

Credit: Doc Cohen/contributed

Credit: Arvin Temkar/AJC

Credit: Arvin Temkar/AJC

Jason Esteves is a Democrat who represents Georgia in the state Senate and owner of Flying Biscuit locations in Columbus and Macon; Lawrence “Doc” Cohen is a veteran of franchising, the first franchisee in the IFA Hall of Fame and former IFA chairman.

Credit: Courtesy of Doc Cohen

Credit: Courtesy of Doc Cohen