What must a Bambu franchisee do with written and electronic copies of the FRC Materials upon termination of the franchise agreement?
Bambu Franchise · 2025 FDDAnswer from 2025 FDD Document
Franchisee shall use the Marks and Bambū system only as specified in the FRC Materials. The FRC Materials are the sole property of Bambu and shall be used by Franchisee only during the term of this Agreement and in strict accordance with the terms and conditions hereof. Franchisee shall not duplicate the FRC Materials nor disclose its contents to persons other than Franchisee's employees or officers who have signed and submitted to Bambu a confidentiality and noncompetition agreement in a form approved by Bambu. Franchisee shall return any written portions of the FRC Materials to Bambu and permanently delete any and all electronic copies of the same upon the expiration, termination or assignment of this Agreement.
Source: Item 23 — Receipts (FDD pages 52–209)
What This Means (2025 FDD)
According to Bambu's 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document, upon the expiration, termination, or assignment of the Franchise Agreement, a franchisee is required to return any written portions of the FRC (Franchise Resource Center) Materials to Bambu. Additionally, the franchisee must permanently delete any and all electronic copies of the FRC Materials.
This requirement ensures that the confidential and proprietary information contained within the FRC Materials remains exclusively with Bambu after the franchise agreement ends. The FRC Materials include the Owner Operations Manual, policy releases, and other written or electronic materials covering standards, specifications, and operating procedures.
This obligation is standard in franchising to protect the brand's intellectual property and operational methods. By requiring the return of written materials and deletion of electronic copies, Bambu aims to prevent former franchisees from using its confidential information to compete or operate a similar business. Franchisees should ensure they understand this obligation and have a system in place to comply with it upon termination or expiration of their agreement.