Can an Aw franchisee use any Mark with other modifying symbols?
Aw Franchise · 2025 FDDAnswer from 2025 FDD Document
- 7.2 Limitations On Your Use of Marks. You agree to use the Marks as the sole identification of your Papa Ray's Pizza Restaurant, except that you must display at your Papa Ray's Pizza Restaurant, in a form we prescribe, notices identifying yourself as the independent owner of your Papa Ray's Pizza Restaurant pursuant to a Franchise Agreement with us. You may not use or register any Mark as part of any corporate or trade name or with any prefix, suffix or other modifying words, terms, designs or symbols (other than logos and additional trademarks and service marks licensed to you under this Agreement), or in any modified form. You may not apply to register or register any Mark in any forum.
Source: Item 22 — CONTRACTS (FDD pages 39–40)
What This Means (2025 FDD)
According to Aw's 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document, franchisees are restricted in how they use Aw's marks. Specifically, a franchisee must use the marks as the sole identification of their Papa Ray's Pizza Restaurant, with the exception of displaying notices identifying themselves as the independent owner of the restaurant, in a form prescribed by Aw.
The FDD explicitly prohibits franchisees from using or registering any mark as part of a corporate or trade name, or with any prefix, suffix, or other modifying words, terms, designs, or symbols. The only exceptions to this are logos and additional trademarks and service marks licensed to the franchisee under the Franchise Agreement. Furthermore, franchisees cannot apply to register or register any mark in any forum.
This means that an Aw franchisee's use of the marks is tightly controlled to maintain brand consistency and prevent any unauthorized representation of the brand. Any deviation from the prescribed use of the marks is not allowed without express written authorization from Aw.