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From the filings

Multi-unit vs HQ: who actually buys

In quick-service, there are two buying motions, and they're completely different. HQ mandates POS and loyalty. Franchisees choose everything else. This guide maps exactly which is which.

For software vendors selling into US franchise brands.

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18,773
Subway units, now Roark Capital-owned, making one PE firm the procurement gatekeeper for the largest QSR system
73%
of QSR brands mandate POS, an HQ decision. Most other categories are franchisee-choice
17.4%
YoY growth at Wingstop, fastest-growing major QSR, $2M AUV, 6% royalty

What’s inside

  • Category-by-category breakdown: which tech is HQ-mandated vs franchisee-choice in QSR.
  • Roark Capital's Subway acquisition: why one PE firm now controls the single most important QSR procurement decision.
  • Growth leaderboard: Wingstop (+17.4%), Jersey Mike's (+8.3%), Chick-fil-A (+5.4%) vs declining giants Subway (−3.7%), Pizza Hut (−4.9%).
  • The targeting formula: growth rate × AUV = buying power. Wingstop franchisees at $2M AUV have margin to invest.
  • Sales motion guide: how to sell HQ-mandated tools (enterprise procurement) vs franchisee-choice tools (referral motion).
FR
FranCloud Research
PE ownership mapped via list_pe_portfolios and find_portfolio across QSR FDDs.

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Keep reading

From the filings · ReportThe Franchise Tech Stack Report 2026
How America's franchise brands actually buy software.Report · Cross-industry
From the filings · Data studyWho mandates a POS, and who leaves it open
The greenfield map for payments & POS.Data study · QSR
From the filings · GuideReading an FDD like a vendor
The seven items that tell you whether to call.Guide · Cross-industry

The brands you can actually sell into, from the filings.

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