Year began: 1965 Franchising since: 1974
In 1965, 17-year-old Fred DeLuca and family friend Peter Buck opened Pete's Super Submarines in Bridgeport, Connecticut. With a loan from Buck for only $1,000, DeLuca hoped the tiny sandwich shop would earn enough to put him through college. After struggling through the first few years, the founders changed the company's name to Subway and began franchising in 1974. Offering a fresh, healthy alternative to fast-food restaurants, Subway has franchises throughout the United States and in several countries, with locations in traditional and nontraditional sites alike.

Total investment: $74.9K-222.8K
Express/kiosk option available
Franchise fee: $15K
Ongoing royalty fee: 8%
Term of agreement: 20 years, renewable

Dunkin’ Donuts is a subsidiary of Allied Domecq, parent company of Baskin-Robbins and Togo’s. Franchisees may operate combination stores, co-branding Dunkin’ Donuts with Baskin-Robbins or Togo’s.

Total investment: $179K-1.6M
Express/kiosk option available
Franchise fee: $40K-80K
Ongoing royalty fee: 5.9%

Year began: 1960 Franchising since: 1986
Started in1960, Jackson Hewitt is a full-service, year-round national tax service specializing in computerized federal and state preparation of individual returns. It began franchising in 1986, the same year that the IRS introduced electronic filing.

Total investment: $48.6K-91.8K
Express/kiosk option available
Franchise fee: to $25K
Ongoing royalty fee: 15%
Term of agreement: 10 years, renewable

Year began: 1927 Franchising since: 1964
Taking its name from the hours its stores used to operate (7 a.m. to 11 p.m.), 7-Eleven has grown from a Dallas-based ice company to an international convenience store chain. Approximately 6 million customers visit 7-Eleven stores in the United States and Canada each day, buying items such as milk, wine, bread fresh-food items and gas.

Total investment: Varies
Franchise fee: Varies
Ongoing royalty fee: Varies
Term of agreement: 15 years, renewable

Year began: 1980 Franchising since: 1980
Founded in 1980, Mail Boxes Etc. became a subsidiary of UPS in 2001. The company now franchises The UPS Store concept, whose locations provide packaging, shipping, copy and print services, mailbox services, computer time rentals, and more. The UPS Store and Mail Boxes Etc. franchises are located throughout the United States and in over 40 countries.

Total investment: $153.95K-266.8K
Express/kiosk option available
Franchise fee: $29.95K
Ongoing royalty fee: 5%
Term of agreement: 10 years, renewable
Renewal fee: 25% of current franchise fee

Year began: 1979 Franchising since: 1979
The decline of full-service gas stations in the 1970s left many consumers without their traditional sources for oil changes. Jiffy Lube began under Jim Hindman in 1979 as an association of seven fast-lube centers in the western United States. Today the franchise is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Pennzoil-Quaker State Co. and has locations nationwide.

Total investment: $214K-273K
Franchise fee: $35K
Ongoing royalty fee: to 5%
Term of agreement: 20 years, renewable
Renewal fee: $17.5K

Total investment: $506K-1.6M
Express/kiosk option available
Franchise fee: $45K
Ongoing royalty fee: 12.5%+
Term of agreement: 20 years, renewable
Renewal fee: $45K

Year began: 1985 Franchising since: 1986

Total investment: $250K
Express/kiosk option available
Franchise fee: $25K
Ongoing royalty fee: 4%