Applying the concept of franchising to social enterprise development and poverty reduction in the developing world has attracted numerous experiments in various sectors and countries over the last 15 years. Social franchising has the potential to reduce risk and improve incomes for small-scale entrepreneurs in low-income markets and provide beneficial goods and services. However, the single biggest challenge social franchises face is achieving financial self-sustainability and scale. This study partnered with the Kenyan social franchise Farm Shop and the University of Nairobi to understand the key challenges and constraints for social franchises as they seek to break-even and achieve scale.