Franchise Anonymous 29+30: Commercial kitchens & window film

Happy Sunday, folks. 

As a franchise consultant, I hear pitches from hundreds of different franchise concepts every year. 

I’m taking the most interesting ones, and telling you: 

• What sets them apart

• One potential weakness

• Who the ideal buyer is

My promise: you’ll learn something about franchising every time. 

Today’s mystery franchises: Commercial kitchen hood cleaning and window film & surface solutions.

The business: Commercial kitchen hood cleaning

Most people don’t think about what happens above the fryer. But restaurants have grease-filled hoods and ductwork that need regular deep cleaning to stay compliant (and not catch fire). This franchise handles that dirty, required, and highly recurring job.

What they do differently

• Regulated and recurring. Restaurant hood cleaning isn’t optional—it’s required by fire code and insurance. And it happens regularly: every 30, 90, or 180 days depending on kitchen volume. That makes this a recession-resistant, repeat-business model.

• B2B route-based simplicity. This is a night shift business with tight route logistics. No storefront. No customer drama. Just recurring service for restaurants, schools, hospitals, and chains. You build a route and service it on schedule.

• Low startup, high retention. It’s a low-investment business relative to food or retail franchises, with minimal overhead. And once clients are in, they rarely switch—unless something goes wrong. That means if you’re good, they stay.

• 🚩Potential weakness: It’s dirty, night-time work. This business runs while kitchens are closed, so expect night crews and some hard-to-fill roles. If hiring and managing off-hour labor scares you off, this isn’t your thing.

The takeaway:

If you like route-based, required service work—and can handle leading a crew that works while the city sleeps—this one’s interesting. You don’t need restaurant experience, but you do need hustle, process management skills, and a stomach for grease (figuratively and literally).

Interested? Let’s talk hood cleaning.

The business: Window film & surface solutions

Most home services franchises involve plumbing, painting, or patching drywall. This one’s different. It installs specialty window films and surface wraps—stuff that blocks UV, boosts security, or adds privacy—without the mess or margin compression of traditional trades.

What they do differently

• No employees required. You sell, the network handles installs (especially for bigger jobs). That makes it way easier to scale without dealing with hiring headaches right out of the gate.

• Proprietary, tech-forward products. Their star is a transitional window film that darkens in sunlight—like sunglasses for your building. That kind of innovation helps you stand out in a space that’s usually pretty commoditized.

• Flat-fee royalty. Unlike most franchises that take a cut of your revenue, CoolVu charges a fixed monthly fee. That’s great if you scale quickly—it keeps more profit in your pocket.

• 🚩Potential weakness: You’re the sales engine. This isn’t a passive model. You’ll need to hit the pavement, build local relationships, and close deals. If that doesn’t sound fun, skip it.

The takeaway:

A good fit for solo operators or sales-minded owners who want a niche, home-based business with real growth potential. You don’t need a construction background—just hustle, basic tech savvy, and the ability to talk to people.

Interested? Let’s talk window film.

If these aren’t doing it for you, I work with hundreds of other brands. Get in touch and we can find something that scratches the itch.

Thanks for reading!

Connor

Ready for the next step? Here are 3 ways I can help you: