January 2026

This case study is part of the International Franchise Association’s ongoing effort to spotlight how franchise brands are re-engineering value, improving customer experience, and strengthening franchisee performance by thoughtfully rethinking traditional processes and embracing innovation.

We interviewed Robin Gagnon, CEO and Co-Founder of We Sell Restaurants, about leading her brand’s re-engineering strategy to improve the sales experience while adding efficiency for franchisees.

What was the opportunity your value re-engineering strategy addressed?

For We Sell Restaurants, the opportunity centered on a challenge that many franchise brands face—but few tackle holistically: friction in the customer journey.

Prospective buyers coming to the brand’s website encountered multiple barriers before they could meaningfully engage with listings. The registration process was lengthy, requiring repeated data entry and acknowledgements before buyers could even explore opportunities. At the same time, the presentation of listings was inconsistent and often limited in its ability to tell a compelling story about the business being offered for sale.

Equally important, franchisees were being asked to perform tasks that were not aligned with their core strengths. Writing polished marketing copy, creating professional media, and optimizing digital listings required time, confidence, and technical skill—yet these activities were critical to attracting and engaging qualified buyers.

The opportunity was not simply to add new technology, but to rethink the entire buyer journey: removing unnecessary steps, improving engagement, and creating a system that increased value for buyers while simplifying the work required of franchisees.

“What we were really trying to do is reduce friction in the buyer journey.”
— Robin Gagnon, CEO, We Sell Restaurants

What did your brand do — what was the project or initiative?

We Sell Restaurants approached this challenge through an integrated strategy, combining technology, artificial intelligence, media, and user-experience design into a single, cohesive initiative.

The first major step was implementing single sign-on (SSO) across the platform. Instead of requiring buyers to complete traditional registration forms, buyers could now access listings instantly using existing credentials such as Google, Apple, Facebook, or Instagram. This eliminated a major point of friction and allowed buyers to move more naturally through the discovery process.

Next, the brand reimagined how listings were presented. Rather than relying on static images and text-heavy descriptions, We Sell Restaurants made video and rich media central to the user interface. To support franchisees, the brand introduced AI-generated listing scripts written in the company’s voice. Franchisees could simply follow the script, record a video on their phone, and upload it with ease.

Behind the scenes, the platform automatically distributed those videos to YouTube, optimized descriptions for search, and integrated the content back into listings—dramatically expanding reach and consistency without adding complexity for franchisees.

Finally, AI was deployed to generate listing descriptions themselves, removing one of the most time-consuming and least-enjoyed tasks from the franchisee workflow while ensuring consistency, clarity, and brand alignment.

 

How were franchisees and the franchisor involved?

Franchisees were deeply involved throughout the process.

Rather than designing solutions in isolation, We Sell Restaurants piloted each element—single sign-on, new workflows, video scripting, and AI-generated content—directly with franchisees. Their feedback helped identify buyer pain points, refine user flows, and determine which changes delivered the greatest impact.

Because the brand maintains its own internal development team, it was able to move quickly while still prioritizing franchisee input. Franchisees helped shape tools that reflected real-world selling behavior, not theoretical marketing models.

Critically, the strategy focused on removing work that did not add value for franchisees. Franchisees did not need to become copywriters, videographers, or digital marketers. Instead, they were equipped with tools that allowed them to tell authentic stories about restaurants—why they were being sold, what made them unique, and what opportunities they offered—without adding burden or complexity.

 

What were the results?

The results were both immediate and measurable.

Within the first two months of launching single sign-on, We Sell Restaurants saw an 89% increase in buyer movement through the journey, demonstrating how powerful friction reduction can be. Listings that included video experienced longer engagement times and higher inquiry rates, while franchisees significantly reduced the time required to create and publish high-quality listings.

The expanded use of video also strengthened the brand’s digital presence. Automatic distribution and optimization improved YouTube engagement and search visibility, extending the reach of listings beyond the core platform.

Most importantly, the buyer experience became more human and more compelling. Buyers were no longer just reviewing listings—they were hearing stories. They understood why a restaurant was for sale and could connect emotionally with the opportunity. At the same time, franchisees were able to focus on what they do best: advising clients, building relationships, and closing transactions.

 

This case study is part of the International Franchise Association’s ongoing series highlighting how franchise leaders are re-engineering value by reducing friction, integrating technology thoughtfully, and empowering franchisees to deliver better experiences for customers and buyers alike.

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