Renowned franchise development specialist Chris Conner has identified the Caribbean region as a formidable opportunity for substantial business growth through franchising. The U.S.-based president of Franchise Marketing Systems, who has facilitated the successful expansion of major brands including Jimmy John’s, European Wax Centre, and Marco’s Pizza, recently attended the Caribbean Franchise Summit 2026 in Saint Lucia.
Conner emphasized that the summit revealed exceptional talent and business acumen consistent with his observations throughout the region. “What I have seen consistently is a level of talent and extremely bright business minds excited about growth and positioning their businesses for scale,” Conner stated in discussions with St. Lucia Times.
The franchise expert advocates for viewing the Caribbean not as fragmented island territories but as a unified economic force with collective potential. He highlighted the region’s substantial market size of over 44 million people and noted that the franchise sector remains largely undeveloped, presenting significant untapped opportunities.
Conner pointed to the region’s abundant innovation, creativity, and entrepreneurial spirit as key factors driving its potential. “Anyone considering opportunities for growth needs to be looking at the Caribbean as one of those markets to pay attention to,” he asserted, characterizing the region as offering one of the world’s most significant development opportunities through franchising models.