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.

In 1987, Anthony Vidergauz visited his mother-in-law in LA while she just happened to be having new customized and super functional closet gear installed. After seeing the resulting innovative design and superior organizational capacity, Anthony was hooked, and insisted on working for the company. He left his job in South Africa as a tax law specialist and began his career as the Vice President of Legal Administration for California Closets. In 1994, he decided to purchase the company from then-owner William Sonoma, and since has expanded the business into a world-class brand.

Today, California Closets is a leader in its category and boasts a legion of Artisans capable of a level of craftsmanship that has set the company apart for artful organization. California Closets prides themselves on first listening to their clients then responding to their needs with visual tools, unique and custom designs, off-location construction, and minimal disruption upon installation. California Closets’ successful Room2Work line has given the company a more down to earth division. This more affordable option is for folks who are trying to make sense out of their closet space in tight offices and small homes. Innovation has something for everyone and California Closets is intent on addressing every inch.

Krispy Kreme is a leading branded retailer and wholesaler of high-quality doughnuts. The Company produces over 20 different varieties of premium doughnuts that include the Company's signature “Hot Original Glazed” doughnut. As of November 2008, there were 509 Krispy Kreme stores operating in 15 countries system wide including the United States, Australia, Bahrain, Canada, Indonesia, Japan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Mexico, the Philippines, Puerto Rico, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, the United Arab Emirates and the United Kingdom. Of these, the Company owns 97. Half of these are factory stores where patrons can find the “Now” lighted sign that means hot doughnuts are being created and are available for immediate purchase.

Although the sign falls into the category of direct marketing genius for this quintessential impulse item, tough times have befallen the company and stores are closing. Off-premises sales remain strong, but the company reports that increases in production costs have resulted in losses with 9 stores closing in Hong Kong. The loss of royalty fees from the franchise closings both in the Unites States and abroad is gouging revenues to the extent that Krispy Kreme reports there will be no further franchises offered in the United States at this point in time.

Today, due to the financial pressures on franchisees, the company has had to take responsibility for “certain obligations of franchisees in which it has an equity interest” as outlined in the financial statements. In addition to China store closing, two US franchisees recently filed for Chapter 11 protection.

According to the Wall Street Journal, some franchisees say the costs of offering these bargain meals are too high -- and worse, that penny-pinching consumers drawn by promotions are skipping full-price extras that typically help offset the low margins of the discounted items.

Doni Pitchford, a Subway franchisee in Jamaica, N.Y., says she ran into this issue in February when headquarters unveiled a new pastrami sandwich at New York-area stores. To promote the new menu item, the company issued coupons for a free sandwich -- with no purchase necessary. Even though Subway supplied Pitchford's store with slices of pastrami, she was responsible for picking up the rest of the tab. The cost of the bread, cheese and other condiments amounted to about $1.50 to $1.75 per sandwich, she estimates, and that didn't include the added labor expense she took on just to meet the throngs of customers that gathered in her 1,300-square-foot store.

Making matters worse, the two boxes of pastrami Subway sent Pitchford ran out in just two hours. "When I ran out of pastrami, we couldn't accept coupons anymore. Then our customers got mad," she says. "I don't mind my food costs going up as long as I'm increasing sales. But these people were coming in just for the coupons… It was a nightmare," she says. After giving away 120 sandwiches (half of which were made with her own supply of pastrami) over the two-hour period, she estimates having lost roughly $500 on the deal. Subway spokesman Mack Bridenbaker, says that although they encourage franchisees to take part in promotions like this one, participation is voluntary and Pitchford could have opted out.

The tension over the recession-driven deals highlights one of the conundrums franchised businesses like fast food must grapple with.

Read the Full Story: Can They Really Make Money Off the Dollar Menu?

Got $5000 laying around? Then you can forget the burgers and throw your money down on a license to operate a Chick-Fil-A. But get in line. Chick-Fil-A only gives about 75 of the 10,000 applicants per year the right to operate a franchise, and along with this right comes strict stipulations.

Your store will be closed on Sunday to give employees a day off to rest or worship. You will not own the property upon which the store sits, nor will you be allowed to select your location. Investment information is conspicuously missing from the company’s website as well as the net, but good credit with a proven business track record will get you considered for a franchise. You will have to surender a whopping 50% of the monthly net profits.

If you looking for a low cost franchise and low on cash, maybe Chick-Fil-A is the way to go. As long as you don't mind giving away 50% of the net profits (income after expenses.) You may feel more like a Chick-Fil-A employee, but you are only risking the $5000 franchise fee.

Founder and chairman of Chick-fil-A, Inc., Truett Cathy says, he always found more joy in giving when he “did not expect anything in return.” In 1946, Truett and his brother Ben opened the Dwarf Grill (later renamed The Dwarf House) in Hapeville, GA. Over 21 years later, Cathy opened the first Chick-Fil-A restaurant in Atlanta's Greenbriar Shopping Mall. Today, Chick-Fil-A is the second-largest quick-service chicken restaurant chain in the United States.

Cathy’s brag board contains a 40-year record of annual sales increases and a record of educational philanthropy that includes originating the successful 1984 WinShape Foundation, an organization that exists to support the education of young people through scholarships and other programs. The foundation awards 20 to 30 students up to $32,000 to attend Berry College, a Christian College in North Georgia. Since 1973, the Leadership Scholarship Program has given away over $23 million in scholarships to its restaurant employees.

In addition, eight foster care homes under the WinShape Homes® program have been established in Georgia, with two additional homes in Tennessee and one in Alabama. The homes hold up to 12 children with two full-time foster parents and provide long-term care for foster children within a positive family environment. Camp Winshape exists to offer a two-week summer camp program for young people on the Berry College campus that enhances participants’ Christian faith utilizing arts and crafts, camping, and relationship building activities.

All Chick-Fil-A's restaurants operate with a "Closed-on-Sunday" policy. Truett Cathy donates his Sunday time off to the community and to a Sunday school class he has taught for more than 50 years.

On Monday, we spoke with Tom Taulli of BizEquity about valuing a franchise for sale. Tom said a key to a valuation of a franchise is your cash flow.

So now, you might be asking yourself, “How do I sell my franchise?” or “Will my franchisor allow me to sell my franchise?” or “Will my franchisor expect to be paid from the sale of my franchise?”

All of the above questions are valid concerns. You can find the answers to questions two and three in your franchise agreement. Sometimes, the franchisor will include certain stipulations as to whom, or how much the franchise must be sold for. If you are unclear after reading the franchise agreement, consult with your franchise attorney.

In some cases, the franchisor will actually help you sell your franchise unit, since they are always actively working with candidates that are already interested in the franchise system. In other cases, you are free to market your franchise for sale to whomever you want.

If you do not feel comfortable marketing the franchise for sale on your own, I suggest you seek the guidance of a business broker. Expect to pay a business broker about 10% of the sale price.

If you want to sell your franchise on your own, I suggest you visit BusinessMart.com. I am the president of BusinessMart, Inc. and we help business owners sell their business and franchisees sell a franchise.

If you already own a franchise and you are interested in finding out how much your business is worth, Tom Taulli of BizEquity is the man to talk to.

BizEquity.com is an online business valuation service, and is completely free. We had the pleasure of speaking with the founder, Tom Taulli. We asked Tom if franchises were valued differently than mom-and-pop business and this is what he had to say:

“Interestingly enough, based on our experience, there is usually not much difference between a franchise and independent small business valuation. So our business valuation tool does not take this distinction into account.”

Tom also said, “A key to valuation is the cash flow of the business or franchise. And our tool has a way to determine the actual free cash flow. But, BizEquity is more than just pegging a valuation. We also generate a 28-page report that provides recommendations and advice as well as benchmarks on your company’s performance.”

So, after talking with Tom, we have discovered that a franchise and a small mom-and-pop business are usually valued the same. If you want a free business valuation, visit BizEquity.com.

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How Do I Sell My Franchise?