In May, we mentioned a story from the Wall Street Journal about recession driven value meals hurting franchisees. Subway franchisee, Doni Pitchford said she lost about $500 in one day on a promotion Subway was running for a new sandwich.

According to Franchise Times, Jim Underwood, owner of eight Subway stores in Alabama said “I’m paying a little extra food costs, and am getting a little less on the bottom line as a percentage, but I had the best year ever, profit-wise, in 2008. So how could I really complain too much? It worked.”

He’s not the only one who had a good year. Subway’s sales were up 17 percent last year, according to the restaurant-consulting firm Technomic—a hefty amount for such a giant chain. Much of the credit goes to Subway's $5 promotion, timed perfectly at the outset of a recession that would turn diners into value-conscious consumers.

Many companies that are not offering value meals are suffering in this economy. So I guess these value meals are a "win-win-win" for the franchisee, the franchisor and the consumer.

According to the Wall Street Journal, McDonald's plans to open another 40 restaurants across India, bringing the total to close to 200.

While much of India's retail sector is struggling, McDonald's has been largely unaffected by the slowdown and is planning on accelerating its expansion on the subcontinent, according to Amit Jatia, chairman of McDonald's in western and southern of India.

Last year, the fast-food giant opened about 25 restaurants. Mr. Jatia said the number of customers coming to McDonald's restaurants has continued to climb between 10% and 15% each month compared with a year earlier.

McDonald's adapts its restaurants in India to local tastes; in a nation that is predominantly Hindu and reveres the cow, beef isn't on the menu, for instance, replaced by chicken burgers and vegetable patties.

"People in India are used to McDonald's and now starting to rely on it" as it becomes more than just the occasional treat for India's increasingly affluent middle class, Jatia said.

Photo: Justin Sullivan / Getty Images.

It all started in 1946 when William Rosenberg (founder of Dunkin Donuts and also the International Franchise Association) invested $5,000 to form Industrial Luncheon Services, a company that delivered meals and coffee break snacks to customers in the outskirts of Boston, Massachusetts. The success of Industrial Luncheon Services led Rosenberg to open his first coffee and donut shop, the "Open Kettle". Then, in 1950, Rosenberg opened the first store known as Dunkin' Donuts in Quincy, Massachusetts.

The First Dunkin Donuts Location

The first Dunkin’ Donuts shop (shown left) was opened in Quincy, Massachusetts in 1950. The company began franchising five years later. By 1963, there were over 100 Dunkin Donuts shops open and by 1979 over 1000 loctaions open.

Photo: FranchiseTimes.com

Do you have a great food concept that could be the next top food franchise? If you have a great business model and a great restaurant that you feel can be franchised, I suggest you reach out to a company called FranSmart.

FranSmart manages franchise development strategy for innovative food and restaurant franchise concepts. They connect qualified franchise developers and operators with high growth franchise opportunities. Fransmart provides strategic consulting and support for the franchise concepts lucky enough to make it into their portfolio. FranSmart helps it's brands and their franchisees grow by securing high quality real estate, maximizing unit economics and securing brand awareness within the restaurant and franchise industry.

So, if you have the next big food franchise concept and feel you are ready to take the next step, trying to connect with FranSmart might be a good idea.