Flynn Group

The Group was founded in 1999 by Greg Flynn. In August 2013, Flynn acquired Gateway Bells, a Taco Bell franchisee in the Midwest, primarily in Missouri and Illinois (mostly in St. Louis). In 2018, the Group reported yearly sales of 2.3 billion. The Group historically avoided hamburger franchises, preferring niches with more differentiation between competitors. Also in 2018, Flynn acquired 368 Arby's franchises from U.S. Beef. In 2021, the Group acquired 937 Pizza Hut franchises during the bankruptcy of NPC International. The Group began buying Wendy's franchises in 2021. As of 2024, it operated approximately 5% of Wendy's in the United States with a total of around 300 stores. It is also the master franchisee for Wendy's in New Zealand and Australia. The New Zealand franchisee Wendco (NZ) Ltd. was acquired in 2023 from the Lendich family. In 2024, they claimed to be the largest operator of franchises in the world. They were also the largest Applebees operator in the world with more than 450 restaurants. Annual sales were approximately $4.5 billion. In 2024, the Group reportedly explored the sale of a majority stake in the company. In March 2024, in response to claims that the Group had inserted a loophole into California law which would allow Panera franchises to charge lower wages than other restaurants, Gregg Flynn said that all of the Group's restaurants in California would pay $20 dollars an hour or better. In August 2024, Flynn acquired 83 Wendy's units in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Then in November of the same year, the Group bought 32 Wendy's franchises in Indianapolis. == Operations ==

The Group is headquartered in San Francisco. A support office is located in Independence, Ohio. == Investors ==

Company managers, the Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan, and private equity group Main Post Partners each own roughly a third of the company. == Animal welfare concerns ==

Flynn Group, as a major franchise operator of Panera Bread locations in the United States, has been indirectly associated with concerns regarding animal welfare practices in Panera Bread’s supply chain. As a franchisee, Flynn Group implements sourcing and operational standards established at the corporate level by Panera Bread. Panera Bread has faced scrutiny over its animal welfare and ingredient sourcing policies. According to Reuters, internal company documents indicated that the company had adjusted certain sourcing standards, including permitting limited antibiotic use in pork and turkey production and allowing certain animal byproducts in feed for cattle and chicken. Animal welfare organizations have raised concerns about conditions within industrial supply chains linked to large restaurant operators, including the use of confinement systems such as gestation crates for pig, mutilations without pain relief, and practices associated with intensive farming. Advocacy groups have called on Panera Bread and its franchisees, including Flynn Group, to adopt stronger animal welfare commitments, respect Five Freedoms for animals in their supply chain, and improve transparency. == Sources ==