Hey everybody,

Two major restaurant chains just went through rebrands.

Only one of them worked.

And it wasn’t about the logo, or the color palette, or any of the individual design choices. It was about whether or not the head office actually listened to their restaurants. 

If you’re thinking about buying a franchise, this matters more than you think. 

Let’s dig in.

99% of Domino’s restaurants are franchise-owned. 

And the chain has a history of involving their franchisees. (There’s even a “Domino Franchisee Association in San Antonio.)

So when they rolled out their first major rebrand in years, it didn’t happen in a vacuum.

The project was huge: new boxes, new font, new jingle, updated graphics for their stores, ads, website, phone app.

It was a top to bottom rebuild, and it all rolled out smoothly, with minimal backlash and even a stock bump. 

Why? 

Because corporate built alignment first. They shared their research, their data, and got franchisee feedback.

By the time customers saw the new look, store owners weren't scrambling to explain it. They understood it. They believed in it. The narrative was controlled.

The key: franchisees weren't surprised by the outcome. They helped shape it.

Everybody’s dunked on Cracker Barrel by now. 

And they’re not a franchise, but the lesson still applies. 

Their sleek, modern rebrand with clean lines and a minimalist aesthetic clashes tremendously with what people think of when they think of “Cracker Barrel”.

The problem?

Nobody at the store level was consulted.

I guarantee you no store manager who's been working the floor for 20 years, who knows Earl comes in every morning at 7am for his coffee and biscuits, would have looked at that Silicon Valley-style redesign and said, "Yeah, Earl's gonna love this."

But corporate loved it. It looked great on the earnings report. It photographed well for investor presentations.

And the people running the stores every day didn't find out until everyone else did.

So inevitably, corporate lost control of the narrative. 

Customers created their own story. And it wasn't a good one.

Here's the thing: in any franchise system, corporate always hears feedback from franchisees…eventually.

The question is when do they hear you?

Some franchisors ask for your input before they make changes. When they can still course-correct, build alignment, and roll things out smoothly.

Other franchisors tell you about the change after they've already decided… and you’re stuck explaining it to confused customers and trying to make it work on the ground.

One approach makes you feel like a partner. The other makes you feel like an employee.

If you're evaluating franchises, this is one of the most important culture signals you can look for.

When big decisions get made, will you have a voice? Or will you just be told what to do?

This shows up everywhere:

Some franchisors treat you as a partner, getting your input, data, and consensus.

Other franchisors treat you as an employee, and hand down a mandate that takes you by surprise. 

Luckily, part of your buying process should be validation calls with existing franchisees.

Ask them: 

"Tell me about a time the franchisor made a big change. How did they roll it out? Were you surprised, or were you part of the process?"

Their answer will tell you everything you need to know.

Got questions about what to look for in a franchise culture?

Want help identifying systems that actually listen to their operators?

Book a free strategy call. Let's talk.

Connor

P.S. If you're exploring franchises and want to know which brands treat their operators like partners, I can point you in the right direction. Grab a time on my calendar here.