Six food franchising businesses have been listed in the top 50 in BRW’s 2009 Fast Starters, four making a debut appearance.  

List newcomers food home delivery service Aussie Farmers Direct shot into third place while fellow first-timer Greek casual dining chain Souvlakihut took 16th slot; Pie Face and Dinky Di Pies moved from 34th position in the 2008 listing to number 18 this year; and Spanish-inspired chocolate café chain Chocolateria San Churro moved up to the 22nd slot from its 2008 listing at number 53.  

Salsa’s Fresh Mex Grill, in which the Boost Juice Investment group has a 53 percent stake, swung into 30th place for its first appearance while the coffee machine franchise Xpresso Delight emerged at the 50th position in the top 100.  

Of these six, Aussie Farmers Direct showed the greatest growth at 281.12 percent with Chocolateria San Churro showing growth of 2.9.88 percent.  

The BRW Fast Starters are ranked by 2007-8 revenue and must have shown a turnover of at least $500,000. Other requirements include that companies must have begun trading after June 30, 2004, have reported at least two financial years of revenue, and must have revenue figures verified by an external auditor or accountant if not a public company.