Gen Z Is Rewriting the Franchise Playbook One Post at a Time

Young franchisees are using social media savvy and peer-driven branding to reshape marketing culture—and older owners are finally paying attention.

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Summary

This piece examines how Gen Z franchisees are infusing youth-driven energy into marketing—leveraging social media, micro-influencers, and authentic branding to propel growth and reshape franchise culture from within. It also highlights their ripple effect: older owners are catching on.

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Gen Z’s Franchise Era Is Here—and It’s Not Your Father’s Subway Shop

Franchise ownership has long been associated with stability, consistency, and, let’s face it, middle-aged decision-makers. But something’s changing—fast. Gen Z, the generation raised on TikTok and Side Hustle YouTube™, is stepping into franchise ownership with fresh ideas and bold marketing strategies. And they’re not waiting for permission.

Unlike previous cohorts, these young entrepreneurs aren’t simply buying into proven systems—they’re rebuilding them from the inside, especially when it comes to marketing. Think authentic content over corporate polish. Think micro-influencers over mass-market ads. Gen Z franchisees are turning chain brands into local cult favorites with little more than a phone camera and a high tolerance for memes.

According to the International Franchise Association, Gen Z now makes up nearly 20% of new franchise inquiries in some sectors, including fitness, food, and personal care. Franchise Business Review confirms that interest among Gen Z has doubled since 2020.

The Rise of Peer-Led Marketing

What’s fueling this shift? For starters, Gen Z trusts peers far more than polished marketing. A report from Edelman found that 59% of Gen Zers are more likely to trust content from "someone like me" than a company executive or influencer with a million followers.

So they’re taking that insight and flipping it: leveraging nano- and micro-influencers—often friends, local creators, or even franchise employees—to promote the business. These aren’t celebrity endorsements. They’re customer testimonials with ring lights.

Franchise brands that have historically emphasized uniformity are now watching their youngest franchisees produce viral content that’s anything but scripted. For example, Gen Z-run Crumbl Cookies locations often feature short, quirky videos rating new cookie drops, turning product rotation into weekly internet events.

Gen Z spends an average of 4.5 hours a day on social media, per GWI’s Gen Z Report, and nearly half say they use it to evaluate brands before buying.

Franchise Culture Is Getting a Youthful Makeover

It’s not just marketing. Gen Z is also rethinking how franchise businesses should operate—from staff culture to store layouts. This generation emphasizes collaboration, transparency, and work-life balance. In interviews conducted by Entrepreneur Magazine, young franchisees say they’re prioritizing employee satisfaction just as much as customer retention.

They also want to feel like what they’re building is theirs. Not just a corporate extension. This mindset leads to stronger community engagement and bolder experimentation. Even major brands like Smoothie King are tweaking their franchise onboarding and marketing training to appeal to a younger, more socially engaged audience.

According to Statista, the U.S. franchise industry generated over $860 billion in output in 2024. The Gen Z effect on branding could directly influence how that number grows over the next decade.

The Ripple Effect: Older Franchise Owners Are Adapting

Perhaps the most surprising outcome of Gen Z’s rise in franchising? Their older peers are copying them.

Franchisees in their 40s and 50s—some of whom originally scoffed at TikTok—are now running employee Q&A reels, stitching viral trends, and asking younger team members for content ideas. It’s a bottom-up transformation: one driven not by corporate mandates but by peer success.

As one 47-year-old franchise owner put it to CNBC: “My sales jumped 18% after we started posting funny short-form videos. That’s when I stopped pretending TikTok didn’t matter.”

The Gen Z franchise effect is a reminder that influence doesn’t always trickle down. Sometimes, it scrolls up.

A Visual Look: Gen Z Franchise Tactics That Work

Infographic: Gen Z Marketing Tactics vs. Traditional Franchise Approaches

Strategy	Traditional Franchise	Gen Z Franchise
Marketing Tone	Polished & Formal	Relatable & Raw
Spokespeople	Paid Influencers	Local Creators
Brand Engagement	Monthly Promotions	Daily Stories
Hiring	Job Boards	TikTok Videos
Culture	Top-down Hierarchy	Peer-led Teams

Final Thoughts

Franchises used to be about predictability. Now, they’re about personality. Gen Z has figured out how to inject humor, values, and authenticity into systems that once prized sameness. As this generation continues to take the reins—and the ring lights—the entire franchise sector might become less corporate… and a lot more creative.

Just launched your new business and need resources to ace direct marketing at lower costs with higher ROI?

Check out Salesfully’s course, Mastering Sales Fundamentals for Long-Term Success, designed to help you attract new customers efficiently and affordably.

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