The Best Franchise for a Small Town

Small towns can mean big opportunities for new businesses. If you’re someone who lives in a small town and wants to bring something new and exciting to your community – you’re in the right place. Learn more about the best franchises for a small town. 

Small Town Franchise Opportunities: A Complete List

When it comes to researching business ventures for small towns, there are a number of options that could be viable for your community. Below are the top six opportunities. 

1. Food and drink franchises: Quick service restaurants like pizza, sandwiches, burgers, ice cream, or coffee shops can work well in small towns. Like those in bigger cities, people in small towns are on-the-go, too. Having quick and easy meal options close by are always welcome. 
2. Fitness franchises: Over the last few years, there’s been a heightened interest in staying healthy and active among consumers. A fitness franchise like a gym, a yoga/Pilates studio, or a dance studio could be a good small-town addition. 
3. Cleaning franchises: There is always a need for cleaning services. Again, with heightened awareness of health and sanitization over the last few years, people have emphasized the importance of cleanliness. Owning a cleaning franchise – specializing in residential cleaning – could be a promising venture in a small market. 
4. Home improvement franchises: When you think of small-town charm, you think of beautiful – but well-loved – houses. A lot of these older homes need repairs or upgrades, and many homeowners don’t have the knowledge or the time for DIY projects. This gives home improvement franchises a great opportunity to steadily grow their clientele. 
5. Pet franchises: Regardless of the town’s size – people love their pets! However, small town residents may have to travel a bit to purchase food or grooming services for their furry friend. Owning a pet-focused franchise allows you to bring a number of products and services directly to small town pet parents. 
6. Automotive franchises: Small towns may not have many car dealerships. Franchises that offer car maintenance services like oil changes, tire rotations, and brake pad replacement or full vehicle detailing may have great growth potential, especially if they’re one of the only shops in town. 

Before committing to any specific franchise, you’ll want to carefully analyze your small town to make sure there’s space for your business and demand for your services. A reputable franchisor will help you analyze the market to determine where to best locate your franchise so you have the greatest opportunity for success. 

So, What Makes a Small Town…Small?

Curious what it truly means to own a business in a small town? According to the U.S. Census Bureau a small city or town has a population of less than 5,000 people. Midsized cities typically have populations ranging between 5,000 and 10,000 people. At Scooter’s Coffee®, we consider a small town to have between 4,000 to 15,000 residents. That may seem like quite a range, but a market of 4,000 to 10,000 people is ideal for one of our drive-thru coffee kiosks. For two locations, a town of 10,000+ is best. However, as we continue to grow our brand across the U.S., we do have our sites set on towns as small as 3,900 people! 

Scooter’s Coffee: The Best Franchise for a Small Town

At Scooter’s Coffee, we offer a unique coffee franchise opportunity. Our compact coffee kiosk model is a drive-thru only location that serves all of our amazing specialty coffee and food items. With our smaller storefront, franchisees are able to take advantage of affordable payroll and ongoing maintenance costs. Plus, our small footprint can fit where larger, traditional coffeehouses can’t – making our brand the best franchise to open in a small town.  

Scooter’s Coffee has nearly 600 locations across the country with many more in development. We’ve identified several territories throughout the U.S. that show to be promising areas for our concept – many of which are small towns. 

Interested franchise candidates should have a net worth of $500,000 with $200,000 in liquidity. To own a Scooter’s Coffee, the initial investment ranges between $797,000 and $1,341,500, which includes our franchisee fee of $40,000.  

To learn more about the best franchise for a small town, get started with Scooter’s Coffee today. Request information and one of our franchise representatives will be in touch.