Master Franchising

The world is a global marketplace and interest in international franchising has never been higher. Regardless of whether a business operates a franchise network in its domestic market, the prospect of expanding overseas to new territories can often be attractive.

Master Franchising is where, rather than simply acquiring rights to a single unit or the rights to develop a specified area via corporately owned stores, the franchisee is appointed to act as the "franchisor" for a whole country (or significant area).

As master franchisee, the franchisee is responsible for:

recruiting single unit and/or area developer franchisees in the allocated country
overseeing the operation of these sub-franchisees in the country
working with the franchisor to tailor the franchise opportunity to the relevant market
promoting the brand on a country-wide scale
establishing, with the franchisor, a local supply chain in the country to ensure that sub-franchisees have the appropriate equipment, products, services or ingredients that they need
occasionally, opening "corporate" units itself in the territory

If you are interested in acquiring the master franchise rights to a business for the United Kingdom, we would be delighted to assist. Unlike single-unit franchise agreements, Master Franchise Agreements are often open to negotiation and it is important to seek legal advice prior to agreeing any "Heads of Terms" document with an overseas franchisor.