On Thursday, Tina Patel, co-principal and chief financial officer of Promise Hotels, testified before Congress on behalf of the American Hotel & Lodging Association, telling members of Congress how the franchise model helps small business owners grow locally while operating under nationally trusted brands.
During the U.S. House Committee on Small Business hearing, titled “Local Ownership, National Brands: How Franchising is a Pathway to Entrepreneurship,” Patel said that hotel franchising remains one of the most accessible pathways to entrepreneurship, giving owners the ability to build their businesses with the support of well-known brands that provide marketing, standards, training, and loyalty programs that drive demand.
“Franchising works because it is a true partnership, and because small business owners stay in the driver’s seat,” Patel said. “Our team, our guests, and our community benefit when franchisees have the clarity and stability to focus on running great hotels.”
Patel, a first-generation American and hotelier from Eastern Oklahoma, is an executive at Promise Hotels, a family-owned company based in Tulsa that owns and operates seven hotels across the greater Tulsa area, representing 713 rooms and employing more than 165 associates. At the hearing, she urged Congress to advance the bipartisan American Franchise Act (H.R. 5267) to establish a permanent, common-sense joint employer definition and provide long-term certainty for franchisees planning for hiring, financing, and future growth.
“I’m so grateful to Tina Patel for her sharing her American dream story with Congress today and underscoring how the hotel franchising model has helped her and her husband create an incredibly successful small business," Rosanna Maietta, American Hotel & Lodging Association president & CEO, said in a statement. "Franchising is a vital pathway to the American Dream for so many hard-working hoteliers. We encourage Congress to pass the bipartisan American Franchise Act, which will safeguard the hotel franchise business model that supports nearly 3 million jobs nationwide and creates economic opportunity in every community across this country.”
The hearing brought together franchise owners from across the small business economy, including Angie Katsaneva, salon franchise owner and Bravo reality television star Clement Troutman, Tropical Smooth Cafe franchisee, and Rico Macaraeg, CEO of StriveWell.Co.
The hearing underscored what franchising looks like in real life, whether it is a hotel in Tulsa or a salon with a national following. According to the statement, AHLA will continue working with Congress to protect the franchise model and ensure small business owners have the certainty they need to grow with confidence.