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Click on a link above to see the restaurants that opened in that time period
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Franchising started during the Civil War, when the Singer Sewing Machine Co. figured out a way to grow its retail operation without spending its own capital. Singer sold 'franchises' to local operators who then built and maintained their own stores while selling the manufacturer's products. In the early 1900s car manufacturers adopted the same system and sold franchised dealerships all over the country. They were followed by the oil companies, who franchised gas stations to fuel the cars.
In 1924, two entrepreneurs named Allen and White gave all those new
drivers a destination—a franchised chain of A&W Root Beer drive-in
restaurants.
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