Franchise Anonymous 39+40: Full-service disaster restoration... or grill cleaning?

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: Full-service disaster restoration and mobile BBQ cleaning.

The business: Full-service disaster restoration

Disasters don’t schedule appointments. And when pipes burst or fires hit, homeowners want everything handled—yesterday. This franchise is one of the legacy players in full-scale restoration, with name recognition, deep insurance ties, and a whole lot of territory still open.

What they do differently

• Full-service model. Many competitors specialize—just water damage, just mold, just board-up. This one handles everything: cleanup, repair, rebuild. That matters when insurers and adjusters want one invoice, not five vendors.

• Established industry name. This isn’t a new concept looking for its first five franchisees. It’s been around for decades and has the systems, brand power, and national insurance relationships that come with that.

• Diverse revenue streams. Restoration isn’t just reacting to emergencies. There’s also contents cleaning, rebuilds, emergency services, and mitigation work. The more services you offer, the more jobs you can control from end to end.

• 🚩Potential weakness: Competitive and operationally demanding. This space is mature, crowded, and labor-intensive. You’ll need to recruit techs, build relationships with adjusters, and manage 24/7 availability. It’s not a lifestyle business—it’s a full-on operation.

The takeaway:

If you’ve got strong management skills, operational chops, and don’t mind the occasional 3AM water loss call, this is a proven model in a recession-resistant industry. It’s also capital-intensive and not a fit for someone seeking simplicity. But if you want to build a real business with a brand behind you, it checks the boxes.

Interested? Let’s talk disaster restoration.

The business: Mobile BBQ cleaning

Most home service franchises stick to the big stuff—gutters, carpets, windows. This one goes niche: grill cleaning. It’s surprisingly in-demand, especially in upper-income neighborhoods, and almost no one else is doing it at scale.

What they do differently

• Specialized and branded. While most grill cleaners are one-man shows, this brand brings a system: proprietary steam cleaning gear, branded stainless steel polish, and a CRM that handles scheduling and reminders. It feels like a real business, not a side gig.

• Add-on friendly. This works great as a standalone, but it’s also a clean bolt-on for anyone already running a home services business. Same clients, same drive time, just a new service line.

• Low overhead. No office. No storefront. No fancy van required. Just gear that fits in a trunk and a part-time tech to help as you grow.

• 🚩Potential weakness: It’s seasonal in colder markets. Winter slows things down unless you’re offering fireplace services too. Not a dealbreaker—but you’ll need a plan to smooth out the revenue.

The takeaway:

Ideal for someone who wants a simple, mobile business in a totally under-the-radar niche. You don’t need a trades background—just some hustle, basic people skills, and a willingness to own a weird but effective slice of the home services pie.

Interested? Let’s talk grill cleaning.

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: