Live in atlanta at a chain restaurant. hey, jonathan. hey. the owner of this restaurant in a previous life was in the accounting industry. then he decided to try something new. we re finding out folks lime him are in good company. restaurant franchises have a taste for expansion despite the economic down turn. the trend is especially hot in atlanta. i believe it s a hot bed for franchising because it s not a pedestrian city, because it is a commuter city, people are in their cars, they re going home on the way to work, they understand established brands, which franchising is all about. established restaurant brands provide a less risky alternative to the high failure rate of new start-ups. they re appealing to those new to the industry. i m seeing a lot of the franchiseees are former cpa s, former attorneys, people who work for bigger companies that have been downsized. a lot of these people got good