The Franchise King

Posted on: July 21st, 2023 by Ryan McCrady

Greg Flynn is bagging restaurants and hotels by the thousands – and now he’s gone international.

How America’s Largest Restaurant Franchisee Decides When to Raise Prices

Posted on: May 23rd, 2023 by Ryan McCrady

Flynn Restaurant Group, owner of eateries including Applebee’s, Taco Bell and Pizza Hut, is at the vanguard of menu strategy.

Inside the Making of Greg Flynn’s Franchising Empire

Posted on: June 20th, 2022 by Ryan McCrady

What does it take to build one of the biggest franchise companies in restaurant history? Discipline and a perpetual focus on the bigger picture, Greg Flynn says.

Flynn Doubles Down With Major Pizza Hut, Wendy’s Purchase

Posted on: June 20th, 2022 by Ryan McCrady

The firm added 937 Pizza Hut and 194 Wendy’s restaurants. It now owns and operates more than 2,300 restaurants generating more than $3.5 billion in annual sales—and Flynn gestured upward when asked this March for his updated sales forecast. “We are meaningfully outperforming in both systems,” he said, declining to name numbers. “Quite meaningfully.”

HOW FLYNN RESTAURANT GROUP STACKS UP AGAINST OTHER BIG OPERATORS

Posted on: March 24th, 2021 by Ryan McCrady

What do you get when you combine the largest franchisee in the U.S. with the second biggest?

One of the largest operators of any sort in the U.S.

The Power List: Multiconcept franchise operator Greg Flynn invests in opportunities for growth

Posted on: January 21st, 2021 by Ryan McCrady

In a crisis, great leaders take the long view and look for ways to improve the business for long-term success — from real estate acquisitions to finding more efficient ways to operate. And when you’re the largest franchise operator in the U.S., leading in a crisis means retaining a position of strength.

The Power List: Flynn Restaurant Group’s HR executive on investing in employees and operators

Posted on: January 21st, 2021 by Ryan McCrady

Betsy Mercado, senior vice president of human resources for Flynn Restaurant Group, was chosen for the NRN Power List by CEO Greg Flynn for how she supports the growing organization and works to create opportunity for women and minorities within the company.

How a Restaurateur Is Navigating the Pandemic

Posted on: December 11th, 2020 by Ryan McCrady

Sales at America’s biggest restaurant franchisee plunged 60% after COVID-19 hit, but the company survived. Why? “The strength of the team,” says owner Greg Flynn.

Hell of a Ride! Greg Flynn, with 1,245 restaurants, is Gunning for More

Posted on: August 9th, 2019 by Ryan McCrady

As founder, chairman, and CEO of Flynn Restaurant Group (FRG), Greg Flynn is the nation’s largest restaurant franchisee on a quest to be the industry’s premier operator. “It means being able to walk into a franchise convention and have people wonder, ‘How do they do it so well, at such scale?'” says Flynn.

Greg Flynn Owns 1,245 Restaurants and Makes $2 Billion A Year. Here’s How He Did It.

Posted on: June 17th, 2019 by Ryan McCrady

He bought his first Applebee’s 20 years ago, and since then has redefined what’s possible in the franchise industry. His philosophy: Be different, then go big.