New Smart Franchising Podcast Episode #26 with Kathryn Chayka Now Live. Watch now.

Podcast

Engaging interviews with industry leaders and successful franchise owners.

Episode 29: SG Ellison on Scaling a 360+ Unit Restaurant Empire and Launching Taco Bell Cantina
No results found.

Featured Episode

Videos

Our video series with the latest in our thought leadership on all franchise-related topics.

The Halal Guys Franchise 2023 Recap
No results found.

Featured Video

Blog

Want to learn more about franchising? There’s no better collection of franchise resources.

Tech Entrepreneur Brings Innovative Skincare Franchise GLO30 to Atlanta Metro
No results found.

Featured Article

Contact Us

Your franchise journey starts here! We’ll walk you through our proven step-by-step process.

Photo grid of Fransmart leadership team portraits

Smart Franchising With Fransmart

Episode 30: Crunch Fitness and European Wax Center | Scaling Multiple Brands from 10 to 50+ Locations

Spotify
Apple Podcasts
YouTube Music
iHeart Podcasts
YouTube Playlist
Smart Franchising With Fransmart - Episode 1
Apr 28, 2025
Share this episode

How do you turn a small franchise into a massive empire?

In this episode, Dan Rowe chats with Neel Bhargava, co-founder of NB Group, who’s reshaping the world of franchise investment with his unique multi-unit, multi-brand approach. Neel’s journey took him from the world of consulting and private equity to becoming a powerhouse entrepreneur, scaling some of the most successful brands in the franchise space.

In this episode of Smart Franchising Podcast, Neel reveals:

  • How he invested in Crunch Fitness group that scaled from just 10 locations to over 65
  • The European Wax Center’s strategic growth and how it sparked huge expansion
  • Franchise investment: the pros and cons from a private equity perspective
  • Managing the complexities of team building, financial infrastructure, and making the right investments

We aim to make at least three and a half times our money on every investment… Payback period on that new build CapEx is critical to determining how much we like a multi-unit concept.”

 

Get Bonus Content and Extras

Subscribe to get special access to behind the scenes bonus content and extras. We will also notify you every time a new episode is released.

Smart Franchising With Fransmart Logo
Spotify
Apple Podcasts
YouTube Music
iHeart Podcasts
YouTube Playlist