CMG Companies Continue Their Global Domination Of The Franchising World

Franchising company, CMG Companies (CMG), has established itself as a key industry leader. With a portfolio that spans various restaurants, retail, hotels and sports teams, the Dallas-based firm has grand plans for further diversification. This involves new opportunities in automotive, wellness and niche retail sectors.

CMG, formerly known as Chalak Mitra Group, was created by six college friends that soon became best friends - the company name ‘Chalak Mitra’ aptly translates as ‘Wise Friends’.

After first becoming franchisees in 2001 when they signed up for Genghis Grill’s franchise program, in a matter of years they had grown to the extent that they could buy the entire Genghis Grill concept.

CMG quickly built-up its influence in the fast-food space, investing in brands such as KFC and Taco Bell, Little Caesars and Sonic. Starting with just one KFC and Taco Bell store, CMG now runs over 200 across the nation. Since opening that initial Genghis Grill store, CMG has diversified and repeated this process with a host of other renowned brands, including Hilton and Rent-A-Center as well.

In 2014, the six partners became involved with sports franchise investments. CMG helped the Caribbean Premier League’s Barbados Royals on their way to their second league championship in 2019. They are currently minority partners of the successful Indian Premier League cricket team, Rajasthan Royals as well along with being minority partners with the Dallas Sidekicks, a soccer indoor franchise with Major Arena Soccer League.

The business focuses on multi-unit franchising, and CMG has previously been named as a ‘Franchise Times Top 25 multi-unit franchise operator' and most recently in 2022, named by the International Franchise Association as a Franchisee of the Year honoree. The close-knit team of founders has also received recognition as 2012 EY Entrepreneur of the Year nominees and 2019 40 under 40 honorees.

While they greatly appreciate the acclamation they have received, the team of six best friends values the human side of their work far more than their numerous accolades. One of the six CMG Principals, Al Bhakta, underlines that “The most rewarding part of what we do at CMG is creating successful career paths for people and seeing them grow. We often talk about how we aim to ‘fill the boat’ and take as many people with us on this journey as we possibly can.”

This mentality is epitomized in CMG’s charity wing, Chalak Mitra Life, which funds a number of philanthropic activities and organizations worldwide. Their commitment to charitable work builds on one of CMG’s core values - “To respect everything, everyone, always.”

The franchising industry grows more profitable each year, and in 2022 alone the output of franchise businesses is forecast to increase by 4.9% to $826.6 billion. CMG has positioned itself as one of the biggest players in this market: they now operate in over thirty states, and have a workforce of over seven thousand.

Their drive was initially fuelled by seeing their parents face numerous challenges, after migrating from India to the US to offer their children more opportunities. Ron Parikh, another of the six Principals, recalls, “We knew that, at the end of the day, we all wanted to make something of ourselves. Our parents made a lot of sacrifices for us, and we knew the best way to repay them was to make the most of what they’d given us. We put together a strong vision for CMG and delivered on it.”

The vision that Ron speaks of revolves around the mantra of “One Team. Big Dreams!” CMG has been built on a foundation of strong friendship and entrepreneurial passion, and the six best friends continue to see their ambitions being fulfilled. With new projects on the horizon, their portfolio expansion shows no sign of slowing down.

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