At the beginning of this year, the magazine said, the number was 270, most operated by independent owners or small chains.

The fact that she would be a single, local, independent owner, I thought was a great advantage.

But the independent owners say they need more time.

It's well past time to liberate them and let an independent owner determine their future.

The cabbies and some workers at the center said the independent owners were less likely to offer bribes.

As of 6 May 2011 the pub has been sold to an independent owner.

It was also the world's largest independent owners of music intellectual property rights, with over 160,000 songs.

That makes it the largest independent owner of those pipelines in the United States.

An attempt in the 1980s to return to a franchise system ended when independent owners were unable to reach agreement.

The station's independent owners sold the station and it has changed hands many times since.