Does Aw grant franchises in reliance upon the character of the franchisee?
Aw Franchise · 2025 FDDAnswer from 2025 FDD Document
ssessing compliance with the System, and/or measuring customer satisfaction in Papa Ray's Pizza Restaurants.
14. OWNERSHIP; ASSIGNMENT
- 14.1 Assignment by the Company. This Agreement and the Franchise are fully assignable by us and will inure to the benefit of any assignee or other legal successor to the interest of the Company herein.
- 14.2 By Franchisee With Approval. You understand and acknowledge that the rights and duties created by this Agreement are personal to you and we have granted the franchise in reliance upon the individual or collective character, skill, aptitude, attitude, business ability and financial capacity of you (and your Owners). Therefore, except as otherwise provided in Paragraph 14.5 below, neither the franchise, your Papa Ray's Pizza Restaurant or a substantial portion of the assets of your Papa Ray's Pizza Restaurant (or any interest therein) nor any part or all of the ownership of an entity that is the Franchisee may be voluntarily, involuntarily, directly or indirectly, assigned, sold, subdivided, subfranchised or otherwise transferred by you or your Owners (including, without limitation, by merger or consolidation, by issuance of additional securities representing an ownership interest in the Franchisee, or in the event of the death of the Franchisee or an Owner of the Franchisee, by will, declaration of or transfer in trust or the laws of intestate succession) without our prior written
approval. Further, neither your Papa Ray's Pizza Restaurant nor a substantial portion of its assets may be transferred without a concurrent transfer of this Agreement and the franchise rights granted hereunder to the same transferee. Any such assignment or transfer without our prior written approval will constitute a breach of this Agreement and will convey no rights to or interests in the franchise, the franchisee entity, your Papa Ray's Pizza Restaurant or its assets.
- 14.3 Conditions for Approval of Assignment. If you (and your Owners) are in compliance with this Agreement, we will not unreasonably withhold our approval of an assignment, provided that the proposed assignee is, in our opinion, of good moral character and has sufficient business experience, aptitude and financial resources to own and operate a Pap Ray's Restaurant, does not have any conflicting interests unacceptable to us, and otherwise meets our then applicable standards for franchisees. In addition the following conditions must be met prior to, or concurrently with, the effective date of the assignment:
- (a) all obligations of you and your Owners incurred in connection with this Agreement have been assumed by the assignee and, as applicable, its owners;
- (b) you have paid such royalty fees, marketing fund contributions, amounts for purchases and any other amounts owed to us or our affiliates which are then due and unpaid;
- (c) the assignee completes the initial training program required of new franchisees to our satisfaction;
- (d) if required, the lessor of the Premises has consented to your assignment or sublease of the Premises to the proposed assignee;
- (e) the assignee (and, if an entity, its direct or indirect owners) have, at our option, executed and agreed to be bound by either: (a) the form of franchise agreement, owner guarantees and such other ancillary agreements as are then customarily used by us in the grant of franchises for a Papa Ray's Pizza Restaurant, which may provide for royalty fees, marketing fund contributions and other fees and terms and conditions that differ from those contained in this Agreement; or (b) an assignment and assumption agreement satisfactory to us whereby the assignee assumes your obligations under this Agreement;
- (f) You or the assignee must have paid us a transfer fee of Nine Thousand Dollars ($9,000.00). In the event the assignee is an existing franchisee that we have approved for an additional franchise, the transfer fee shall be Five Thousand Dollars ($5,000.00);
Source: Item 22 — CONTRACTS (FDD pages 39–40)
What This Means (2025 FDD)
According to Aw's 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document, Aw does grant franchises in reliance on the character of the franchisee. Specifically, Aw acknowledges that the rights and duties within the franchise agreement are personal to the franchisee, and the franchise is granted based on the individual or collective character, skill, aptitude, attitude, business ability, and financial capacity of the franchisee and their owners.
This reliance on the franchisee's personal attributes has implications for the transfer of the franchise. The FDD states that franchisees cannot assign, sell, or transfer the franchise, the Papa Ray's Pizza Restaurant, or any substantial portion of its assets without Aw's prior written approval. This restriction extends to changes in ownership of the franchisee entity, including transfers through mergers, consolidations, or inheritance. Any unauthorized transfer constitutes a breach of the franchise agreement.
If a franchisee wishes to assign their franchise, Aw states that it will not unreasonably withhold approval, provided that the proposed assignee is of good moral character and has sufficient business experience, aptitude, and financial resources to operate a Papa Ray's Restaurant. The assignee must also not have any conflicting interests unacceptable to Aw and must meet Aw's then-applicable standards for franchisees. Additionally, the assignee must assume all obligations of the franchisee, pay any outstanding amounts owed to Aw, complete the initial training program, and, if required, obtain the lessor's consent for assignment or sublease of the premises. The assignee may also be required to execute Aw's current franchise agreement or an assignment and assumption agreement. A transfer fee of $9,000 is required, though this fee is reduced to $5,000 if the assignee is an existing franchisee approved for an additional franchise.