If your franchise landed on Entrepreneur’s 2026 Top New & Emerging Franchises list, you’re growing fast — and your phone lines are about to feel it. Focus Answering Service gives franchise systems and their individual franchisees 24/7 live call answering, so no new-customer lead slips through while you scale.
First, though — congratulations. Every brand on this list built a franchise system worth buying into, and did it in five years or less. That kind of growth comes with a hidden strain that rarely makes the headlines: the phones.
Every new location multiplies your call volume, and in a young brand, there often isn’t a front desk in place yet to catch it all. A missed call is a missed customer — and for the franchisee who just invested their savings, a very personal kind of frustration.
The answer isn’t a new receptionist at every location. It’s making sure every call is answered professionally, consistently, and around the clock — so growth never comes at the cost of the customer experience.
Why New & Emerging Franchises Have a Phone Problem
Rapid growth and phone coverage tend to collide in predictable ways. A few patterns we see again and again in emerging franchise systems:
- New franchisees wear every hat. Owner-operators can’t run the business and answer every call at the same time — something has to give, and all too often it’s the phone.
- Growth outpaces staffing. Calls start coming in well before there’s a receptionist or front desk in place to catch them.
- Phone handling becomes inconsistent across locations. One franchisee answers warmly, another lets it ring off the hook — and a young brand still building its reputation can’t afford gaps like that.
- Corporate can’t be everywhere at once. Even the best-of-the-best franchisor support teams can’t man the phones for every location, so individual franchisees often need coverage of their own.
How Focus Helps Franchises Grow Without Missing a Call
Here’s the heart of it. Whatever the service, Focus gives a growing franchise system a phone experience that keeps pace with its expansion:
- Skilled, empathetic agents. It’s the power of a person. Our agents represent your brand the way you would. Not every answering service sounds warm or genuinely cares; ours is built around one human-driven ideal, and callers feel the difference immediately.
- After-hours and overflow coverage. We catch the calls that come in when a location is closed or the team is slammed. For most clients, the majority of volume is after-hours, with daytime rollover catching whatever the in-house team can’t reach.
- 24/7 lead capture. New-customer inquiries are the lifeblood of a growing franchise. We answer and capture them around-the-clock, so a prospect calling at 9 p.m. becomes a booking instead of a lost opportunity.
- Appointment scheduling and message taking. Bookings and messages are handled to each franchise’s exact specifications and passed along cleanly to the right person.
- Consistency at scale. Every location gets the same uniform, on-brand phone experience — so your brand sounds like your brand whether the call lands in the first market or the fiftieth.
- Flexible fit. Whether a franchisee has zero phone coverage or simply needs some backup during peak times, we scale to match.
- Complements, not competition. For franchisees who don’t already have a call center, Focus fills the gap. We’re additive to your system, not a replacement for anything already working at the corporate level.
Running your own call center is like running two very dissimilar businesses. Both are demanding. Leave the call center to our 40 years of experience, so you can concentrate on what you do best.
Proof: A Franchise Success Story
Take Justin Bogart, a valued franchise partner. As part of a national franchise, his company is required to have a non-automated agent answer calls around the clock — including weekends and holidays. Staffing that in-house wasn’t practical, and a franchisor-recommended answering service fell short, with calls that weren’t handled to standard.
Franchise Types We’re Built For
Focus is an especially strong fit for service-based franchises — the kind where a phone call is often the first real moment of contact with a customer. That includes categories like restoration and cleanup, home repair and home services, glass, sign installation, home care, and many more.
But the list below spans everything from food and fitness to lodging, retail, and recreation — and the underlying need is the same across all of them. If you’re a growing franchise and a ringing phone is a growing customer, we’re built for you.
Let’s Talk Growth
If your franchise is scaling and your phone coverage hasn’t caught up yet, we should talk. Whether you’re a franchisor looking to offer franchisees a reliable answering solution, or an individual owner who just needs the phone handled, Focus can help you grow without letting a single call slip through.
We may have even found you on this very list. Reach out to Focus at 800-886-6696 and we’ll show you how we can support your next stage of growth.
The Full List: 2026 Top New & Emerging Franchises
Here are all 150 brands recognized on Entrepreneur’s 2026 Top New & Emerging Franchises ranking — companies that have been franchising for five years or less.
Ranks, categories, and starting investment figures are as published by Entrepreneur.
Franchises, we salute you and stand ready to help!
| Rank | Franchise | Category | Startup From |
| #1 | Travelin’ Tom’s Coffee | Food | $155k |
| #2 | Spark by Hilton | Lodging | $3M |
| #3 | Hello Sugar | Personal-Care Businesses | $92k |
| #4 | Gameday Men’s Health | Health & Wellness | $225k |
| #5 | Red Barn Homebuyers | Services (Other) | $59k |
| #6 | Freeway Insurance | Financial Services | $35k |
| #7 | That 1 Painter | Home Improvement | $113k |
| #8 | Gatsby Glass | Home Improvement | $196k |
| #9 | Bumble Bee Blinds | Home Improvement | $165k |
| #10 | Stand Strong Fencing | Home Improvement | $160k |
| #11 | Rolling Suds | Maintenance | $211k |
| #12 | True North Restoration | Maintenance | $140k |
| #13 | Ellie Mental Health | Health & Wellness | $392k |
| #14 | True Install | Business Services | $113k |
| #15 | The Pampered Peach Wax Bar | Personal-Care Businesses | $68k |
| #16 | Shah’s Halal | Food | $192k |
| #17 | Soccer Stars | Children’s Businesses | $70k |
| #18 | Lawn Pride | Maintenance | $141k |
| #19 | Team Up Athletics | Recreation | $52k |
| #20 | Varsity Zone | Maintenance | $204k |
| #21 | Bumble Roofing | Home Improvement | $172k |
| #22 | Temporary Wall Systems | Services (Other) | $154k |
| #23 | Exit Factor | Business Services | $63k |
| #24 | West Coast Sourdough | Food | $297k |
| #25 | Shrunk 3D | Services (Other) | $187k |
| #26 | Voda Cleaning & Restoration | Maintenance | $207k |
| #27 | GoldenTrust Insurance | Financial Services | $72k |
| #28 | Sparkle Squad | Maintenance | $161k |
| #29 | Up Closets | Home Improvement | $71k |
| #30 | Rumble Boxing | Health & Wellness | $510k |
| #31 | Kitchen Guard | Maintenance | $198k |
| #32 | Lightspeed Restoration | Maintenance | $154k |
| #33 | SWTHZ Contrast Therapy Studio | Personal-Care Businesses | $570k |
| #34 | DumpStor | Services (Other) | $125k |
| #35 | Content Recovery Specialists | Maintenance | $201k |
| #36 | Glo30 | Personal-Care Businesses | $296k |
| #37 | Dope CFO Certified Advisor | Financial Services | $83k |
| #38 | Vicky Bakery | Food | $627k |
| #39 | Deer Solution | Maintenance | $97k |
| #40 | Statemint | Retail | $42k |
| #41 | Wed Society | Business Services | $102k |
| #42 | The Back Nine Golf | Recreation | $276k |
| #43 | Top Rail Fence | Home Improvement | $161k |
| #44 | Slice House by Tony Gemignani | Food | $455k |
| #45 | Zivel | Personal-Care Businesses | $327k |
| #46 | Hawaiian Bros Island Grill | Food | $1M |
| #47 | ThirsTea | Food | $213k |
| #48 | Canopy Lawn Care | Maintenance | $98k |
| #49 | CC’s Coffee House | Food | $520k |
| #50 | VETS Junk Removal & Dumpsters | Services (Other) | $62k |
| #51 | Movita Juice Bar | Food | $413k |
| #52 | SkyRun Vacation Rentals | Business Services | $105k |
| #53 | Vara Juice | Food | $236k |
| #54 | Vertica Fitness | Health & Wellness | $194k |
| #55 | The Designery | Home Improvement | $185k |
| #56 | The Tox | Personal-Care Businesses | $285k |
| #57 | National Academy of Athletics | Children’s Businesses | $45k |
| #58 | CR3 American Exteriors | Home Improvement | $77k |
| #59 | The Knight School Chess Academy | Children’s Businesses | $41k |
| #60 | Ace Pickleball Club | Recreation | $818k |
| #61 | Lawn Squad | Maintenance | $79k |
| #62 | Pink’s Window Service | Maintenance | $128k |
| #63 | beem Light Sauna | Personal-Care Businesses | $392k |
| #64 | Graze Craze | Food | $167k |
| #65 | Cabinet IQ | Home Improvement | $298k |
| #66 | Clozetivity | Home Improvement | $70k |
| #67 | Fuse Service | Maintenance | $92k |
| #68 | World of Smoke & Vape | Retail | $250k |
| #69 | Project LeanNation | Food | $238k |
| #70 | Dill Dinkers | Recreation | $426k |
| #71 | Smalls Sliders | Food | $1M |
| #72 | Pickleball Kingdom | Recreation | $940k |
| #73 | Dryer Vent Superheroes | Maintenance | $71k |
| #74 | Groovy Hues | Home Improvement | $158k |
| #75 | FunBox | Recreation | $647k |
| #76 | Sea Love | Recreation | $109k |
| #77 | Cleanest Restaurant Group | Maintenance | $103k |
| #78 | MiniLuxe | Personal-Care Businesses | $548k |
| #79 | Hangry Joe’s Hot Chicken & Wings | Food | $306k |
| #80 | Wonderly Lights | Home Improvement | $124k |
| #81 | Waterloo Turf | Home Improvement | $106k |
| #82 | Alsies | Food | $129k |
| #83 | Sticky Fingers Cooking | Children’s Businesses | $78k |
| #84 | Vignette Collection | Lodging | $18M |
| #85 | Wise Coatings | Home Improvement | $175k |
| #86 | Heating + Air Paramedics | Maintenance | $101k |
| #87 | JetSet Pilates | Health & Wellness | $413k |
| #88 | Heroes Lawn Care | Maintenance | $159k |
| #89 | Vicious Biscuit | Food | $799k |
| #90 | SnapHouss | Services (Other) | $31k |
| #91 | Tiger Adjusters | Financial Services | $43k |
| #92 | Cool-Binz | Services (Other) | $735k |
| #93 | Two Men and a Junk Truck | Services (Other) | $83k |
| #94 | Brooklyn Robot Foundry | Children’s Businesses | $91k |
| #95 | 1-800-Textiles | Maintenance | $43k |
| #96 | Preservan | Maintenance | $117k |
| #97 | The Bunny Hive | Children’s Businesses | $130k |
| #98 | goGlow | Personal-Care Businesses | $283k |
| #99 | Pet Evolution | Pets | $595k |
| #100 | Registry Collection Hotels by Wyndham | Lodging | $1000k |
| #101 | Houston TX Hot Chicken | Food | $671k |
| #102 | Blingle! | Home Improvement | $173k |
| #103 | Crispy Cones | Food | $351k |
| #104 | Service Experts | Maintenance | $120k |
| #105 | Slick City Action Park | Recreation | $2M |
| #106 | Bango | Food | $181k |
| #107 | i4 Search Group | Business Services | $65k |
| #108 | Plumbing Paramedics | Maintenance | $96k |
| #109 | Family Nest | Personal-Care Businesses | $55k |
| #110 | Angry Chickz | Food | $603k |
| #111 | NTV360 | Business Services | $48k |
| #112 | Let’s Get Moving | Services (Other) | $112k |
| #113 | Black Optix Tint | Automotive | $246k |
| #114 | District Taco | Food | $623k |
| #115 | Zion Healing Centers | Health & Wellness | $395k |
| #116 | Magnolia Soap and Bath Co. | Retail | $272k |
| #117 | Next Health | Health & Wellness | $2M |
| #118 | Five Iron Golf | Recreation | $2M |
| #119 | DPF Source | Automotive | $220k |
| #120 | Kaminskiy Care and Repair | Maintenance | $166k |
| #121 | Fresh Monkee | Food | $181k |
| #122 | Ohm Fitness | Health & Wellness | $379k |
| #123 | New Mom School | Personal-Care Businesses | $126k |
| #124 | Jeff’s Bagel Run | Food | $538k |
| #125 | Square Cow Moovers | Services (Other) | $163k |
| #126 | Mars Nation | Automotive | $55k |
| #127 | Beef-a-Roo | Food | $467k |
| #128 | Essential Speech and ABA Therapy | Health & Wellness | $299k |
| #129 | Level Up Automation | Home Improvement | $52k |
| #130 | Pink Zebra Moving | Services (Other) | $131k |
| #131 | Rydel Roofing | Home Improvement | $86k |
| #132 | Fresca Palapa | Food | $153k |
| #133 | Hudson Valley Swim | Children’s Businesses | $94k |
| #134 | Cookie Plug | Food | $174k |
| #135 | On the Hook Fish and Chips | Food | $359k |
| #136 | FreeForm Chiropractic | Health & Wellness | $380k |
| #137 | ECHO Suites Extended Stay by Wyndham | Lodging | $12M |
| #138 | Tempo by Hilton | Lodging | $23M |
| #139 | NEST Protection Plan | Services (Other) | $73k |
| #140 | H&H Bagels | Food | $633k |
| #141 | The Coven | Business Services | $213k |
| #142 | iSmash | Recreation | $350k |
| #143 | Tabla | Food | $185k |
| #144 | Cortz | Services (Other) | $103k |
| #145 | Tee Box | Recreation | $496k |
| #146 | Angelina Italian Bakery | Food | $455k |
| #147 | Boost Home Healthcare | Personal-Care Businesses | $163k |
| #148 | Oasis Business & Insurance Solutions | Business Services | $88k |
| #149 | The Good Pour | Food | $144k |
| #150 | Wagbar | Pets | $487k |