Winning brands at the UFRAD Franchise Awards 2026

Brands from Türkiye’s franchise sector received awards across a range of categories at the Brand Summit and Franchise Awards, held on 10 September to mark UFRAD’s 35th anniversary. Komagene stood out for its network reach, Bursa Kebap Evi won two awards, and Çiğköftem was recognised for its overseas franchise outlets. Awards were also presented to brands selected by public vote.

Network reach and brand group scale recognised separately

According to Mall Report’s report dated 11 September 2026, the event organised by the UFRAD Franchising Association assessed franchise network reach, growth, campaigns and creative business ideas in separate categories. The awards therefore recognised not only outlet numbers, but also how brands grow and the business models they develop.

Komagene received the Most Widespread Franchise Brand award. An event review published by The Kuvvet on 12 September stated that the brand had reached more than 4,000 franchise outlets. This figure was cited as a measure of Komagene’s reach; it does not represent the overall size of Türkiye’s franchise sector.

The Largest Franchise Brand Group award went to TAB Gıda. Recognising Komagene and TAB Gıda in separate categories reflects the distinction between an individual brand’s franchise network and the scale of a multi-brand group. The sources did not provide a separate franchise outlet count for TAB Gıda in connection with this award.

It is therefore important to interpret the awards by category. The network reach award and the brand group award do not measure the same thing, so treating the results as a single ranking of all brands by size would not provide a valid comparison.

Bursa Kebap Evi and Çiğköftem’s international networks

Bursa Kebap Evi won the Fastest-Growing Franchise Brand Rooted in Local Heritage and Most Successful Franchise Campaign awards. While Mall Report listed the brand as a winner in both categories, The Kuvvet’s event review supplied the supporting figures.

According to that review, Bursa Kebap Evi had reached 170 franchise outlets across 13 countries. More than 500 brand promotion activities were also cited in connection with its campaign award. The brand was thus recognised both for the development of its franchise network and for its promotional work.

Çiğköftem, which received the Global Franchise Brand award, was reported to have more than 165 overseas franchise outlets. The scope of these figures differs: Bursa Kebap Evi’s network was described alongside the number of countries in which it operates, whereas Çiğköftem’s figure specifically covered outlets abroad.

These figures offer concrete information about the two brands’ international operations. However, because their scope differs, they do not establish a direct ranking. Nor do the sources provide comparable data on how many new outlets each network added over the same period. The award categories should therefore be considered separately from the reported size of each existing network.

Women entrepreneurs and creative models also recognised

The awards programme also included categories highlighting other aspects of the franchise sector. b-fit received the Franchise Brand Most Supportive of Positive Action award for the strong presence of women entrepreneurs in its franchise system. The Kuvvet’s review highlighted this feature but did not give a figure for the number or proportion of women entrepreneurs.

Yutomat won the Most Creative Franchise Business Idea award. The same review drew attention to the brand’s AI-supported model. However, the available source material contained no details about the required investment, the model’s technical scope or the number of franchise outlets.

Mall Report’s list also included an Award of Appreciation, presented to TURYAP founder Azmi Zeki Sarıbay. Alongside categories recognising brands’ current activities, the programme therefore included a tribute to a founder.

These three categories show that the awards were not limited to network reach and international growth. Women’s participation in franchising, a technology-supported business idea and a founder’s contribution were also recognised.

Public votes across eight business sectors

The organisers also announced the brands selected by public vote. According to Mall Report, the winners were Atasay in retail, Korkmaz in services, Airby in technology and software, and BİL Eğitim Kurumları in education and consultancy.

The other public-vote winners were RE/MAX in property, Coffy in coffee and desserts, Popeyes in quick-service food and drink, and Carwax in automotive maintenance and servicing. These results brought together brands from a variety of franchise sectors at the same event.

The public-vote results should be considered separately from the other awards. The report explicitly states that these categories were decided by public vote, but does not disclose vote counts, participation levels or the distribution of votes between brands. The results therefore cannot be used to compare market share or investment returns.

Practical takeaway: For prospective franchisees considering Türkiye, the awards list can be a starting point for research. Before making an investment decision, however, verify the basis of each award category, the scope of the reported network figures and the brand’s current franchise terms separately.