When the fast food industry began booming in the 1950s, it did so via a new business model known as the franchise. This model allowed independent operators to license trademarks from a business like McDonald’s or Dunkin Donuts, and it soon spread across the country, with huge consequences for ho...
Source: [Bloomberg Markets](https://www.bloomberg.com/news/audio/2026-07-24/odd-lots-how-franchising-led-to-the-gig-economy-podcast)