Pickleball Kingdom Debuts a Reality TV Series as Major Franchise Deals and Filings Make Franchise News
- Smithfield Foods will buy Nathan’s Famous for $450 million. The deal will close in the next few months.
- HomeWell Care Services leaders and Main Post Partners have acquired the in-home care brand, which has more than 100 franchisees.
- A Mr Gatti’s Pizza franchisee in Texas has taken majority ownership of the franchise.
- Sailormen Inc., a 136-unit Popeyes franchisee, has declared Chapter 11 bankruptcy.
- Sixteen players will compete in Pickleball Kingdom’s reality TV series airing on YouTube. New episodes will debut on Wednesdays until the finale in March.
- Apartment Collection by Hilton, the hotel brand’s collaboration with Placemakr, soon will take reservations.
- Five Guys’ new Las Vegas restaurant features a full bar, the first U.S. location to have one.
- Sport Clips raises money for veterans; FAT Brands contributes to Feeding America.
Smithfield Foods, maker of packaged meats, has agreed to buy Nathan’s Famous for $450 million cash. Since 2014, Virginia-based Smithfield exclusively produced and sold Nathan’s products in the U.S., Canada and at Sam’s Clubs in Mexico, the Associated Press reported Jan. 21 it is buying Nathan’s shares for $102 each; the deal will close during the first half of 2026, QSR Magazine said.
The brand launched in 1916, when Nathan Handwerker used a $300 loan to open a Coney Island stand selling hot dogs for 5 cents each. The Handwerker family sold Nathan’s Famous to investors in 1987, and the franchise has continued adding restaurant units.
Nathan’s products are sold in about 79,000 locations globally, including restaurants, grocery stores and big-box merchants, according to Nation’s Restaurant News. Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest has been held on Coney Island, part of the New York borough of Brooklyn, since the 1970s.
HomeWell Care Services Acquired
HomeWell Care Services, which assists homebound people, has been acquired by the private equity firm Main Post Partners and the brand’s senior leadership team. HomeWell Franchising Inc. has 100-plus owners in more than 170 territories across the U.S., a news release stated on Jan. 21 Main Post Partners has a wide-ranging portfolio and extensive experience with franchises and consumer brands. Josh McDowell of Main Post said the acquisition is “an opportunity to build a true partnership, and we were excited to back management in this recapitalization.”
HomeWell CEO Crystal Franz said the acquisition “reflects our unwavering commitment to equip our franchisees with the resources, expertise and innovative tools they need to thrive. Together we are well-positioned to expand our reach, enhance our services, and continue making a meaningful difference in the communities we serve.”
Mr Gatti’s Pizza Franchisee Takes Controlling Interest
Fort Worth, Texas-based Mr Gatti’s Pizza announced Wednesday Jan. 21 that a franchisee, family-owned OneRyan Global LLC, has acquired a controlling interest in the 62-year-old pizzeria brand. Mr Gatti’s has more than 200 active and upcoming locations in Texas and the Southeast. Terms of the deal were not disclosed, a news release stated.
G. Brint Ryan will serve as Mr Gatti’s chairman, and Amanda S. Ryan will serve as vice chairwoman of the Gatti’s Board of Managers. No changes in brand leadership are expected.
QSR Magazine reported that OneRyan previously owned two units: a Mr Gatti’s Family Entertainment Center in Big Spring, Texas, and an Austin, Texas, restaurant – formerly corporate-owned – that OneRyan purchased in October 2025. That sale completed the brand’s transition to a 100% franchised system.
Popeyes Franchisee Files for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy
Sailormen Inc., the Miami-based owner of 136 Popeyes franchises, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on Jan. 15. The franchisee is in debt by nearly $130 million, USA Today said, citing court documents.
According to RestaurantDive.com, the franchisee reported more than $223 million in sales last year but disclosed a net operating loss of $18 million-plus. In its coverage, QSR Magazine said the company blamed its losses on higher costs of borrowing, inflation, difficulty in hiring qualified workers, lasting fallout from the COVID pandemic and changing consumer preferences.
Court documents detail Sailormen’s history. It was founded in 1984 as a multi-unit Popeyes operator. In 1987, Sailormen was acquired by businessmen Bob Berg and Steve Wemple, and at that time, the company operated 11 Popeyes in the Miami area. From 1995 through 2000, Sailormen expanded into Alabama, Georgia, Illinois, Louisiana, Missouri and Mississippi. From 2012 until 2018, Sailormen sold off holdings in Alabama, Illinois, Louisiana, Missouri and Mississippi to focus on new store development in Florida and Georgia.
Pickleball Kingdom Launches TV Contest
In mid-January, Pickleball Kingdom premiered Pickleball Kingdom Paddle Battle, the first reality television series featuring a pickleball competition. “These athletes are playing for more than wins,” Ace Rodrigues, the show’s creator and CEO of Pickleball Kingdom, said in a news release. “They are playing for their dreams.”
Sixteen elite players will participate, the news release stated. One man and one woman will earn professional pickleball contracts based on their performances, and one man and one woman will be awarded a Pickleball Kingdom franchise based on fan voting. New episodes air Wednesdays on YouTube, with the finale in March.
Hilton Introduces Apartment Collection Brand
Hilton’s new lodging category, Apartment Collection by Hilton, will offer furnished U.S. apartments that can be booked starting in the first half of 2026. The new accommodations are part of Hilton’s partnership with Placemakr, an apartment hospitality brand and operator specializing in flexible, short-term and extended-stay accommodations in urban and suburban markets.
The Apartment Collection by Hilton may add up to 3,000 new units to Hilton’s current global inventory of roughly 10,000 apartment-style units, according to a news release from the hotel giant. Apartment sizes range from studios to four-bedroom units.
Five Guys Raises the Bar in Vegas
Five Guys on Jan. 29 will hold the grand opening of a Las Vegas restaurant equipped with a full bar and offering all-day breakfasts. It’s the brand’s first U.S. site to serve beer, wine, frozen cocktails and alcoholic milkshakes, according to Nation’s Restaurant News. The 10,000-square-foot restaurant is located on the Las Vegas Strip – at the Grand Canal Shoppes inside The Venetian Resort.
Five Guys originated in Arlington, Va., in 1986, and has more than 1,900 locations in 29 countries. It began franchising more than 20 years ago.
Sport Clips, FAT Brands Raise Funds for Veterans and Hunger Relief
Last year Sport Clips Haircuts’ Help A Hero Scholarship Campaign raised $1.22 million in support of military service members and veterans pursuing higher education, a franchise news release said.
The FAT Brands Foundation has raised more than $15,000 for Feeding America, which provides meals to people experiencing food insecurity, according to QSR Magazine. FAT Brands is an umbrella franchisor whose portfolio includes Fatburger, Johnny Rockets and Round Table Pizza.
