Is there an exception to the representation restriction for transferring All County owners?
All_County Franchise · 2025 FDDAnswer from 2025 FDD Document
- 20.4.10. Representation. You and your transferring owners have agreed that you and they will not directly or indirectly at any time or in any manner (except with respect to other ALL COUNTY® businesses you own and operate) identify or represent yourself or themselves or any business as a current or former ALL COUNTY® business, or as one of our licensees or franchisees, use any Marks, any colorable imitation thereof or other indicia of an ALL COUNTY® business in any manner or for any purpose or utilize for any purpose any trade name, trademark or service mark or other commercial symbol that suggests or indicates a connection or association with us.
Source: Item 23 — Receipts (FDD pages 43–157)
What This Means (2025 FDD)
According to All County's 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document, transferring owners are generally restricted from representing themselves or any business as a current or former All County business. They cannot use All County's marks or any similar symbols that suggest an association with All County. However, there is an exception to this restriction. This exception allows transferring owners to identify or represent themselves or their business as a current or former All County business if it pertains to other All County businesses they own and operate.
This means that if a franchisee owns multiple All County franchises and transfers ownership of one of them, the transferring owners can still represent themselves as being associated with All County, but only in the context of their other All County businesses. This exception allows franchisees to maintain their established business relationships and reputation within the All County network, even after transferring ownership of a specific franchise.
This exception is important for franchisees who own multiple All County locations and may want to sell one or more of their franchises while still remaining active in the All County system. It allows them to leverage their existing All County brand recognition and network to promote their other All County businesses without violating the transfer agreement. However, it is crucial that the representation is limited to the context of the other All County businesses they continue to own and operate.