Franchising in Bologna: 20 brands and over €1.8 billion in turnover

Bologna leads the franchise sector in Emilia-Romagna: the 20 brands based in the area generate more than €1.8 billion in turnover and employ 9,798 people. The figures come from the Assofranchising Italia 2026 Report, which covers performance in 2025. To interpret them correctly, however, one distinction is essential: the figures describe networks with registered offices in the area, not just outlets located around Bologna.

Bologna accounts for more than half of regional turnover

The overview published by BolognaToday on 5 November highlights the regional capital’s importance as a base for franchise brands in Emilia-Romagna. Bologna is home to 20 of the region’s 56 brands: more than a third of the total. These networks comprise 2,424 outlets and employ almost 10,000 people.

Their turnover exceeds €1.8 billion, representing more than half of the revenue attributed to networks based in Emilia-Romagna. Bologna’s leading position therefore reflects both the number of brands based there and the economic scale of their operations.

These measures should be considered together, but not conflated: the number of brands indicates their presence in the area, the outlet count describes the reach of their networks, while turnover and staffing figures show their economic and employment scale. None of these indicators, on its own, describes the entry requirements for a new franchisee or the performance of an individual outlet.

What the figures cover: registered offices, not just local outlets

The Assofranchising Italia 2026 Report – Structures, Trends and Scenarios was produced by Patrigest together with TEHA Group and provides a snapshot of 2025. The year in the report’s title is therefore not the year covered by its figures.

The geographical basis is equally important. The 2,424 outlets attributed to Bologna belong to networks with registered offices in the area. This does not mean that 2,424 outlets are physically located in the province. The same principle applies to the networks’ turnover and employment figures.

This clarification changes how the findings should be understood: Bologna emerges as an important base for franchise brands, rather than an area in which all their commercial activity is necessarily concentrated. Treating these figures as a measure of local demand alone would confuse two different things.

For prospective franchisees, the report therefore offers a picture of the scale of the networks associated with the area. Assessing opportunities in a particular city, however, requires information about outlet locations, the brand’s coverage and the characteristics of the target area.

Emilia-Romagna accounts for over 9% of Italian franchise turnover

Across the region, the 56 brands based in Emilia-Romagna have a combined total of 5,501 outlets. Turnover is close to €3.6 billion, accounting for more than 9% of the €39 billion recorded across Italy.

The networks also account for a significant share of outlets: those belonging to brands based in the region represent around 9% of the 62,449 outlets recorded nationally. They employ more than 24,200 people, equivalent to 7.4% of the 327,200 people working in Italy’s franchise sector.

The region’s share of employment differs from its share of turnover. This comparison shows its relative weight across the various indicators, but does not explain the gap or establish that individual businesses are more profitable. That would require more detailed information about the networks and their operating models.

How to use these figures when choosing a network

Bologna’s figures offer a concrete starting point for understanding the regional franchise sector: 20 brands, a combined network of more than 2,000 outlets and over half of Emilia-Romagna’s franchise turnover. They are not, however, a ranking of the opportunities available to prospective franchisees.

Anyone comparing franchise opportunities can use this snapshot to guide their questions. Where do the outlets actually operate? Which territories are still available? Do the figures presented by the brand cover the entire network, or outlets comparable to the one you would like to open?

Practical guidance: before assessing an investment, always distinguish between the network’s registered office, the locations of its outlets and the performance of an individual outlet. This is essential to turning a regional statistic into useful information for your decision.