ATLANTA, GA--(Marketwired - Mar 18, 2015) - Restaurant franchises again dominate the yearly list of 100 Top Global Franchises by Franchise Direct. Representing 35 percent of the list, food franchises comprise the largest industry group in the annual ranking.

Food based franchises are particularly appealing for global entrepreneurs, as success is easily replicated after recipes are verified; however, franchises do have to make allowance for local tastes and cultures. Tourism is particularly helpful to the expansion of these franchises, as people tend to gravitate toward what they know when traveling.

McDonald's is in the #2 spot again this year, trailing global giant Subway (#1) for the fourth year in a row. McDonald's retention of the #2 spot may be surprising to some, given its October 2014 announcement of a 1% sales drop after an entire year without any sales growth to report. Industry analysts point to McDonald's lack of engagement with millennials to account for the lackluster sales in 2014. McDonald's plans to attack this problem by streamlining its menu and increasing restaurant speed and efficiency for a brighter 2015.

The top ten includes more American-based fast food offerings with KFC (#3), Burger King (#4), and Pizza Hut (#7). Traditional sit-down American restaurant chains Applebee's (#88) and Johnny Rockets (#97) also made the top 100. Canadian franchises Pita Pit (#81), Yogen Fruz (#53), and Tim Horton's (#22) represented the country well.

Familiar American favorites such as Dunkin' Donuts (#14), Domino's (#17), and Taco Bell (#19), scored within the top 20 percent of all industries on the list.

Franchise Direct is known for using objective methodology to evaluate thousands of global franchises. Criteria considered for ranking includes commercial factors such as revenue, growth, and stability, as well as social and environmental policies. Franchise Direct's first list debuted in 2009 and has been a useful resource for entrepreneurs considering entering the franchising industry.

To view this year's ranking of food industry franchises and read the accompanying report, please visit the Top 100 Global Franchises page.

About Franchise Direct:
Franchise Direct is the world's leading franchise portal, operating 13 platforms across 5 continents. Franchise Direct provides the only credible, research-based ranking of global franchises to reach their goal of providing reliable information for entrepreneurs and investors.