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 hood cleaners, and tree preservation specialists
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: Tree care, but broader
Most landscaping brands pick a lane: mow lawns, remove trees, or spray for bugs. This one combines all three—tree care, lawn care, and pest control—into a single, recurring-revenue service for suburban homeowners who’d rather not DIY.
What they do differently
Three services, one brand. Tree work gets them in the door. Lawn care and pest control keep the trucks coming back. It’s a smart upsell strategy that builds dense routes and sticky customer relationships.
Preservation over removal. While most tree companies make money by cutting things down, this one focuses on saving trees. That positions them more like arborists than lumberjacks—and plays better with the eco-conscious crowd.
Home-based start, real growth potential. You launch lean—no storefront needed—with as few as four employees. But as recurring revenue builds, you can scale into new territories, add trucks, and grow your equity.
🚩Potential weakness: Labor-intensive and seasonal. You’ll need skilled staff (climbers, crew leads), and work can slow down in winter depending on your market. If hiring or seasonality makes you twitchy, this might not be your fit.
The takeaway:
This is a solid pick for someone who wants a service business with tangible assets, recurring revenue, and multi-line expansion. You don’t need green industry experience, but you do need leadership chops and comfort with managing field teams. Strong brand, high-margin services, and open territory.
Interested? Let’s talk tree care.
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
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