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What Is The History of Franchising In The United States?

Submitted by Nancy Lanard on May 9, 2012 - 9:01pm

What is the history of franchising in the United States? What role did fast food and sewing machines play in creating the demand for franchises in the United States?  

Franchising actually began in the United States in the mid-1800's with Albert Singer and the Singer sewing machine. Albert Singer used franchising as a means of distributing his sewing machines throughout the United States.  He is credited as the first franchisor in the United States and the first to develop a franchise contract.

Franchising grew more fashionable in the mid-1900's when a new type of franchise popped up in the form of the retail and fast food chains.  Both the move to the suburbs at the time and the advent of the baby boom created the need for fast food and retail chains to develop in more remote areas outside of cities, thus creating the need for franchising these types of businesses. Read more »

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