Chelsea Sherlock, Mississippi State University and Erik Markin, Mississippi State University

Imagine going on a road trip and passing several seemingly identical McDonald’s restaurants. Despite their uniform appearance, their ownership may vary widely: One might be run by a family, another by an individual entrepreneur, and others owned directly by the corporation.

This is possible because McDonald’s, like many other well-known fast-food restaurant chains, operates a under a franchise business model. Franchising allows companies to grow by licensing their brand to independent operators, who then manage day-to-day operations.

Ownership structure can significantly affect performance, profitability and other business outcomes, research shows. As professors who study family businesses, we were curious whether it could also be linked to health and safety outcomes.

We hypothesized that family-operated franchises would receive fewer health code violations compared with nonfamily-operated restaurants. Our reasoning was grounded in previous research showing that family-owned businesses often prioritize maintaining a strong reputation over short-term profits.

To test this, we analyzed health code violations at 1,492 quick-service restaurants across the southeastern U.S., categorizing them across three ownership types: family-owned, lone-founder and corporate-owned. We did this by analyzing public franchise disclosure documents and identifying whether one person, two or more members of the same family, or a parent company was listed as the owner.

The results surprised us. We found that family-owned franchises received more health code violations than both lone-founder and corporate-owned outlets. Family-owned franchises also had more frequent “critical” health code violations, like food contamination contributing to food poisoning.

In contrast, we found that corporate-owned franchises generally performed better in terms of health and safety.

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Why would family-run businesses lag behind? We suspect it’s because company representatives visit corporate-run franchises more often, which ensures better compliance with health and safety standards. Lone-founder franchises also showed strong health code performance, possibly due to owners’ high level of personal investment and control.

While family-run franchises often excel at long-term goals – like preserving a family legacy and fostering community ties – our findings suggest they may struggle with day-to-day operational compliance pertaining to health and safety.

Why it matters

This study adds to the research on how different types of franchise ownership can influence performance outcomes – both financial and nonfinancial. It also offers several insights into why family-owned franchises might struggle with operational outcomes.

First, family-owned franchises may lack the frequent oversight that corporate-owned outlets receive, reducing their accountability for meeting health and safety standards.

Second, family-owned franchises may prioritize maintaining family harmony over strictly following rules set down by the head office. This can result in poor performance.

Finally, conflicts can arise when franchisees and franchisors have diverging goals. Research shows that family businesses often emphasize noneconomic goals like long-term reputation maintenance and less external monitoring, and thus generally have more conservative investment preferences. These tendencies run counter to the economic goals of most franchising parent companies.

Ultimately, our findings suggest that family franchisees may need to consider their effectiveness in managing a franchise outlet and for corporate franchisors to be mindful of the ownership form of their franchisees.

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What still isn’t known

While our findings provide valuable insights, they are not without limitations. Our study focused on restaurants in a single region of the U.S., so it’s unclear how broadly the results can be applied. Future research should investigate whether these trends hold in other regions, countries and industries, such as retail franchises. Additionally, understanding how geographic distance between franchises and corporate offices influences monitoring could provide further insights.

The Research Brief is a short take on interesting academic work.

Chelsea Sherlock, Assistant Professor of Management, Mississippi State University and Erik Markin, Assistant Professor of Management, Mississippi State University

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

Touchdown-worthy apps to amp up the crowd

(Family Features) The best watch parties have two things in common: good food and good company to root for your team with. Kick off your football feast with appetizers made with a game day favorite: avocados.

With nearly 2.5 billion pounds of avocados imported from Mexico annually, based on Hass Avocado Board Volume Data, the Big Game is the No. 1 occasion where avocados and guacamole are served and prepared. In fact, approximately 250 million pounds of avocados are imported in the weeks leading up to the Big Game, according to “Produce Blue Book” – that’s enough avocados to go down and back the length of a standard professional football field more than 400,000 times.

Just as the first quarter sets the tone for the game, apps are your first opportunity to build excitement and get your guests cheering. Because it’s not game day without guac, start the party by mashing up a bowl of Championship Guac – a real craving crusher made with creamy, delicious Avocados From Mexico and crispy bacon – to sack hunger.

Take your viewing party to a whole new flavor level with Gronkamole. This all-star dip features shredded chicken, blue cheese, Buffalo sauce and the same flare that football great and Avocados From Mexico partner Rob Gronkowski played the game with, so you know it’s ready to tackle every chip, cracker and veggie thrown its way.

These innovative spins on game day guacamole score big when made with fresh avocados, a nutrient-dense fruit everybody can cheer for. They taste good, are good for you and bring the good times on game day.

Find more touchdown-worthy eats, from dips and appetizers to main courses and desserts that are always good at BigGameGuac.com.

Championship Guac

Servings: 10

• 5 Avocados From Mexico, peeled and pitted
• 1 lemon, juice only
• 1/2 cup white onion, finely chopped
• 1 cup tomatoes, diced
• 1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
• 1 pound bacon, fried
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• salt, to taste
• pepper, to taste
• tortilla chips, for serving (optional)
• crackers, for serving (optional)

1. To prepare avocado: In a bowl, use fork to mash the avocados and lemon juice until creamy. Then add the onion, tomatoes and cilantro.
2. To prepare bacon: Cut the bacon into squares then place it in a hot skillet over medium heat and cook 15 minutes, or until golden. Transfer to a plate to drain excess fat and let cool.
3. To prepare guacamole: Add the bacon, garlic powder, salt and pepper, to taste, to the guacamole; mix well.
4. To serve, put guacamole in bowl and serve with tortilla chips or crackers, if desired.

Gronkamole

Avocados From Mexico partner Rob Gronkowski’s favorite guacamole recipe
Servings: 4

• 2 Avocados From Mexico
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 3/4 cup chicken breast, cooked and shredded
• 1/4 cup blue cheese, crumbled
• 3 tablespoons Buffalo sauce
• salt, to taste
• corn chips, for serving (optional)
• carrot sticks, for serving (optional)

1. In a small bowl, mash avocados and stir in lemon juice.
2. Add chicken, blue cheese and Buffalo sauce to guacamole mixture. Add salt, to taste.
3. Serve with corn chips or carrot sticks, if desired.

SOURCE:
Avocados From Mexico

Beautifully Shareable, Ultimately Pair-able

BURLINGTON, Vt. /PRNewswire/ — Get ready to scoop, share, and celebrate! Ben & Jerry’s is excited to announce the launch of its latest innovation made for sharing: Scoop-apalooza – a collection of four delicious new flavors, available in 28 oz containers and each crafted to bring friends and family together for everyday celebrations. With larger sizes and irresistible combinations, these flavors are perfect for smaller group moments, gatherings, or just a cozy night in for fans and friends.

Experience the full interactive Multichannel News Release here:
https://www.multivu.com/benandjerrys/9241555-en-ben-and-jerrys-scoop-apalooza 

The Scoop-apalooza lineup features four crowd-pleasing flavors:

• Vanilla & Fudge Brownie: A classic combination of rich vanilla ice cream swirled with decadent fudge brownies made by the Greyston Bakery who support open hiring.
• Chocolate & Fudge Swirl: For chocolate enthusiasts, this flavor offers a creamy chocolate base with luscious fudge swirls that will make your taste buds dance.
• Strawberries & Cream: Sweet cream ice cream blended with vibrant strawberry swirls.
• Coffee & Fudge Chip: This flavor combines bold coffee ice cream, with coffee from our friends at BLK & Bold who empower youth and support grassroots change, along with oodles of fudge chips that are sure to perk up any gathering.  

“This is a whole new Ben & Jerry’s for today’s fans who know that sharing is caring,” said Flavor Guru, Haylee Nelson, adding “Scoop-apalooza is intentionally unpretentious to appeal to all of your friends and loved ones, and to pair best with any celebration be it cake, pie or dare I say… on a warm brownie?” 

Don’t love sharing your 16 oz Ben & Jerry’s pint? Scoop-apalooza proves that sharing can be deliciously easy. With a 28 oz container designed to bring everyone to the table, Scoop-apalooza turns ice cream into a moment for you and your crew. Feedback from early testing with fans was “Ben & Jerry’s pints are for your personal ice cream moments whereas Scoop-apalooza is ideal to dish out with friends.” Or, in other words, “Pint for you, Scoop-apalooza for the crew.”

Living up to their corporate mantra: “If it’s not fun, why do it?” Ben & Jerry’s is giving fans an exclusive chance to try and share some Scoop-apalooza with their friends before the flavors are available on shelves nationally. From January 14 – 28, the ice cream maker will give away exclusive Scoop-apalooza kits via Ben & Jerry’s social media channels and promotions offering fans the chance to get into the sharing spirit by gifting a kit to a pal as well as one for themselves.

 Scoop-apalooza will be available at grocery stores nationwide starting this month found alongside where you find your favorite Ben & Jerry’s pint. Learn more about our 4 NEW share-tastic flavors at https://www.benjerry.com/flavors/scoop-apalooza

About Ben & Jerry’s

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Ben & Jerry’s is an aspiring social justice company that believes in a greater calling than simply making and selling the world’s best ice cream. The company produces a wide variety of super-premium ice cream and Non-Dairy/vegan desserts using high-quality ingredients and lots of big chunks and swirls. As a Certified B Corp, Ben & Jerry’s incorporates its vision of Linked Prosperity into its business practices via values-led sourcing initiatives when purchasing ingredients. Ben & Jerry’s is distributed in over 35 countries in supermarkets, grocery stores, convenience stores, franchised Scoop Shops, and via on-demand delivery services. Ben & Jerry’s, a Vermont corporation and wholly owned subsidiary of Unilever, operates its business on a three-part Mission Statement emphasizing product quality, a fair financial return, and addressing issues of social, racial, and environmental injustice around the globe. The Ben & Jerry’s Foundation, guided by Ben & Jerry’s employees, granted $4.5 MM in 2024 to support progressive, justice-focused grassroots organizing around the country. For up-to-date information visit benjerry.com.

SOURCE Ben & Jerry’s