The Canadian comedy Schitt’s Creek made history on Sunday by sweeping many of the Emmys’ premier categories, winning for Outstanding Comedy Series, Outstanding Director for a Comedy Series (Daniel Levy and Andrew Cividino), Outstanding Lead Actress (Catherine O’Hara), Outstanding Lead Actor (Eugene Levy), Outstanding Supporting Actress (Annie Murphy) and Outstanding Supporting Actor (Daniel Levy). However, it wasn’t always so successful: The show originally began with just the father-son duo of Daniel and Eugene Levy, and the first season received mixed reviews. Schitt’s Creek had never been nominated for an Emmy before 2019, in its fifth season, and did not win one of the awards until this year, when it won a whopping nine.
The show itself focuses on the Rose family, a group of millionaire socialites defrauded by a business partner in their multinational chain of video stores. The family is forced to move to the humble town of Schitt’s Creek, where they must adapt to a new way of living. We wondered what that might look like in real life, so we broke down the franchises that the Roses might try to invest in if given the chance.
Johnny Rose: Red Roof
Johnny, as the family patriarch, originally found huge success as the leader of a chain of video stores before being betrayed by his business partner. In Schitt’s Creek, however, he reinvents himself by assisting with the business operations of the local motel, even going so far as to rebrand the place as the Rosebud Motel and franchise it with a new business partner.
A Red Roof franchise doesn’t come cheap — the total initial investment costs a minimum of $160,500 — but compared to some of the competitors within its industry, it’s a bargain. Think about this: Red Roof finished third in our hotels and motels franchise rankings this year, and the two chains that finished ahead of it (Hampton by Hilton and Holiday Express) cost at least $7.7 million.
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Moira Rose: Drama Kids International
Where her husband was a great businessman, Moira was a terrific actor in her time — and if you don’t believe us, she won’t hesitate to tell you all about it. We considered a franchise like Drybar, because Moira is well-known for her expressive wigs, but we doubt you’d really be willing to trust her with your own hair.
Drama Kids International seems to be a better fit, as franchisees offer children ages 5 to 17 drama classes at schools, community centers and churches. Classes focus on developing skills like public speaking and articulation skills (Catherine O’Hara’s character is famous for her interesting and unplaceable accents), as well as self-confidence and self-esteem, which Moira certainly does not lack.
Related: Top Education Franchises From the Entrepreneur Franchise 500
David Rose: Auntie Anne’s
David actually starts his own boutique in the show, so a retail or fashion franchise might make sense for co-creator Daniel Levy’s character. However, the Rose son also provided us with this iconic quote:
Auntie Anne’s was ranked No. 400 on our Franchise 500 this year, due in part to its brand size and history. The Lancaster, Penn.-based company has been franchising since 1989, and the initial investment can cost anywhere between $199,475 and $385,100.
Alexis Rose: Fully Promoted
She might only be “A Little Bit Alexis,” but the youngest Rose is all-in when it comes to marketing and self-promotion. She helps Johnny and his business partner grow the Rosebud Motel and aids Moira in capitalizing on her years as an actress. She even consults on the website for Rose Apothecary, David’s store (by picking the template, which doesn’t really count, but still).
Fully Promoted franchisees provide offer branded products and marketing services to other businesses. The marketing franchise finished No. 488 on our Franchise 500, and each franchise costs between $71,934 and $240,867.