STARTUPCENTRAL

Running more than one franchise brand is no longer a niche strategy — growing numbers of operators are buying into two or three concepts to spread risk, share overhead and accelerate expansion. That shift is reshaping how franchisors recruit partners and how owners plan growth: brands gain investors who bring financing and systems know-how, while owners gain resilience and operational leverage across markets. For franchisors, signing a seasoned multi-brand operator can ease s

Local shops and digital brands are starting to see shoppers push back against a long list of recurring charges. Instead of adding another monthly fee, businesses can try alternative models that encourage repeat purchases and steady revenue while giving consumers more control. First, let customers buy a pool of credits they can spend over time. A credit wallet gives shoppers flexibility: they can top up when it suits them and redeem value for services or goods. Small businesse

Tixr says reaching roughly $1 billion in processed ticket sales this year comes as the company inks deals with the San Jose Earthquakes and Houston Dynamo and pushes deeper into live-event commerce. Tixr CEO Robert Davari announced the milestone Tuesday, casting the growth as proof that smaller firms can disrupt entrenched markets by fixing customer pain points. The company’s platform will now power ticketing and fan commerce for the two Major League Soccer teams as it scales

Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams announced this week that David Stever, 60, will serve as its chief executive as the Columbus-based maker begins franchising. Stever, who left Ben & Jerry’s in March 2025 after a high-profile split involving Unilever and the Ben & Jerry’s board, joins Jeni’s as it prepares to open its initial franchised shop early this summer and builds on roughly $150 million in revenue and more than 90 company-operated scoop shops. Court records and business filing

A company that ran dozens of Hardee’s restaurants across nine states shut all operations late last year and has asked a court to liquidate under Chapter 7, documents show. ARC Burger — supported by outside investors — listed liabilities in the range of $10 million to $50 million in its filing and said unsecured creditors should expect no recovery. The closures left more than 1,600 workers suddenly without jobs by mid-December. The failure follows a bitter legal dispute betwee

Reed Hastings argues that artificial intelligence will take over much analytical work, and he recommends students and parents prioritize humanities, emotional intelligence and creative pursuits Reed Hastings, who helped launch Netflix, told a recent podcast that the long-standing push for science and technical majors has gone too far as AI begins to absorb many routine analytical roles. Hastings said technologies that excel at pattern-finding and rule-based problem solving wi

Bobby Berk, the Emmy-winning designer known for his television makeovers and hospitality ventures, urges emerging entrepreneurs to accept stretch assignments that are reasonably teachable—and then move quickly to master them. Berk credits a mix of humility, friendliness and relentless problem-solving for turning on-camera exposure into a diversified business: a design studio, TV series on a home networks, a bestselling book and a small but growing collection of boutique getaw

Many businesses and city managers still treat water like another monthly expense to be paid and forgotten. That view is narrowing their options. Because moving, treating and reheating water consumes electricity and fuel, decisions about taps and pipes increasingly belong in the same conversation as energy use and reliability. Look at it from a municipal or site level and the math changes. When a factory, hospital or data center pumps imported water, it’s also buying power to