Is all politics local? Rob Branca thinks so. The longtime multi-unit Dunkin’ operator and IFA board member says effective advocacy in Washington boils down to putting a familiar face on franchise issues.
In a profile featured in Multi-Unit Franchising.com, Branca reflected on the 2025 IFA Advocacy Summit, where franchisees pushed for the American Franchise Act. The bipartisan bill would codify a permanent joint-employer standard after the rule changed four times in ten years. “Make the rule permanent, and we’ll follow it,” Branca said.
His most effective strategy: inviting lawmakers to visit locations and meet employees. With frequent Congressional turnover, new members and staff must continually learn franchising fundamentals. “They want to hear from the person in their district, the local taxpayer, the local employer,” Branca said. “It’s not Dunkin’; it’s Rob and his family business.”
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Your Thanksgiving Feast Will Cost Less This Year
Photo by Jonathan Knowles/Getty Images
Here’s something to be thankful for. Turkey prices are down 16% from last year, thanks to a record corn and soybean harvest that made feeding birds cheaper.
The American Farm Bureau Federation found the average cost of a Thanksgiving feast dropped about 5% this year, with turkey — typically the most expensive item on the table — leading the decline. Falling wheat prices also pushed down costs for stuffing, dinner rolls and pie crust.
But not every item on the table is coming in at a discount. Sweet potatoes are more expensive due to hurricane damage in North Carolina, and beef prices jumped nearly 15% this year.
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