Summary

What happens when franchising keeps using playbooks written for a completely different generation?

In this episode of Franchise Today, Stan Friedman welcomes Joe Malmuth, Chief Development Officer at Batteries Plus, for a fascinating conversation about AI, franchise development, generational change, and why the future of franchising belongs to brands willing to rethink it all.

Joe’s path into franchising was anything but traditional. Before entering franchising, he worked as a firefighter, musician, and airplane parts salesperson Then, after discovering his entrepreneurial streak, he ultimately found his way into franchising and has never looked back.

Since then, he has helped scale major franchise brands, including Stanton Optical, where he helped grow the system from 12 franchisees to more than 100 locations.

Today at Batteries Plus, Joe is focused on modernizing franchise development while challenging outdated assumptions through his philosophy of “Franchise Rebellion.”

In this episode, Joe and Stan discuss:

• Why traditional franchise playbooks may no longer work
• How AI is transforming franchise development and candidate outreach
• Why younger franchise investors think differently
• The growing importance of differentiation in crowded markets
• And why the speed of AI adoption is being dramatically underestimated

Joe also explains why the future of franchising will belong to brands that combine strong fundamentals with adaptability, innovation, and clear positioning.

This is part one of a two-part conversation exploring where franchising is headed next.