What standards and specifications will Bambu make available to the franchisee?
Bambu Franchise · 2025 FDDAnswer from 2025 FDD Document
nd the mandatory standards and specifications contained in the OOM and other FRC Materials, as the same may be modified from time to time by Bambu.
- 14.2 Standards and Specifications. Bambu will make available to Franchisee standards and specifications for the menu items, products and services offered at or through the Bambū shoppe and for the Franchised Location, equipment, menus, including ingredients and nutritional information, finishes, counter, POS System, loyalty rewards program equipment, logoed paper products, uniforms, insurance,
advertising materials, equipment, certain supplies and other items used in connection with the shoppe. Bambu reserves the right to change standards and specifications for products and services offered at or through the Bambū shoppe and for the Franchised Location, equipment, menus, food, paper products, employee attire, supplies, advertising material and other items used in connection with the shoppe, upon 10 days prior written notice to Franchisee. Franchisee shall, throughout the term of this Agreement, remain in compliance and strictly adhere to all of Bambu's current quality, compliance and operations standards and specifications for the Bambū shoppe as prescribed from time to time.
- 14.3 Inspections. Bambu shall have the right to visit, inspect and conduct operational facility reviews of the Franchised Location, including the inventory, products, equipment, materials, supplies or programs used or sold there, to ensure compliance with all standards and specifications set by Bambu. Bambu shall conduct such inspections and reviews during regular business hours and Franchisee may be present at such inspections. Bambu, however, reserves the right to conduct the inspections without prior notice to Franchisee.
- 14.4 Restrictions on Products and Programs. Franchisee is prohibited from offering or selling any products or programs not authorized by Bambu as being a part of the Bambū system. If Franchisee proposes to offer, conduct or utilize any products, materials, items, supplies or programs for use in connection with or sale through the Bambū shoppe which are not previously approved by Bambu as meeting its specifications, Franchisee shall first notify Bambu in writing requesting approval. Bambu may, in its sole discretion, for any reason whatsoever, elect to withhold such approval; however, in order to make such determination, Bambu may require submission of specifications, information, or samples of such products, programs, materials, forms, items or supplies. Franchisee shall pay the reasonable costs of investigation in determining whether such products, materials, items or supplies meet its specifications. Bambu will advise Franchisee within a reasonable time whether such products, programs, materials, forms, items or supplies meet its specifications.
- 14.5 Approved or Designated Suppliers. Franchisee shall purchase all products, equipment, materials, supplies and programs required for the operation of the Bambū shoppe from Bambu, from Bambu's designated affiliates, or from Suppliers designated or approved by Bambu. If there is no designated or approved Supplier for a particular product, piece of equipment, ingredient, food item, supply, material or program, Franchisee shall propose, for prior written approval by Bambu, such other suppliers who meet all of Bambu's specifications and standards as to quality, composition, finish, appearance and service, and who shall adequately demonstrate their capacity and ability to supply Franchisee's needs in the quantities, at the times, and with the reliability requisite to an efficient operation of the Bambū shoppe. Bambu reserves the right to derive revenue from Franchisee's purchases of food items, products or programs, whether the purchase is from Bambu, Bambu's affiliate or another designated or approved source and irrespective of whether a formal purchase or buying arrangement has been established. Franchisee must execute any agreement as may be reasonably required by a Supplier and establish the appropriate credit terms with it.
- 14.6 Request to Approve Supplier. In the event Franchisee desires to purchase or use inventory, products, equipment, supplies, materials, services or programs from suppliers other than those previously approved by Bambu, Franchisee shall, prior to purchasing from or otherwise utilizing any supplier give Bambu a written request to approve the supplier. In the event Bambu rejects Franchisee's requested new supplier, Bambu must, within 60 days of the receipt of Franchisee's request to approve the supplier notify Franchisee in writing of its rejection. Bambu may continue from time to time to inspect any suppliers' facilities and products to assure compliance with Bambu's standards and specifications. Permission for such inspection shall be a condition of the continued approval of such supplier. Bambu may in its sole discretion elect to withhold approval of the supplier for any reason it determines, including for purposes of protecting its trade secrets or on the basis of the terms offered to Bambu itself or its franchisees from the proposed supplier compared to any current designated or approved supplier. In order to make such
determination, Bambu may require that samples from a proposed new supplier be delivered to Bambu for testing prior to approval and use. Bambu may impose a charge equal to $150 per hour per each representative of Bambu involved in the testing and investigation of a proposed new supplier request, and Franchisee shall also be required to pay the reasonable costs incurred by Bambu in connection with the testing and investigation.
14.7 Shopping Service. Bambu reserves the right to use third party mystery shopping or similar information gathering services, which may be online, from time to time to evaluate the conduct of Franchisee's Bambū shoppe, including such things as inventory, customer service, cleanliness, merchandising and proper use of computers and registers. Bambu may use such shopping services to inspect Franchisee's Bambū shoppe at any time at Bambu's expense, without prior notification to Franchisee. Bambu may make the results of any such service evaluation available to Franchisee, in Bambu's sole discretion.
15. MARKS, TRADE NAMES AND PROPRIETARY INTERESTS
- 15.1 Marks. Franchisee acknowledges that Bambu has the sole right to own, license and control Franchisee's use of the "BAMBŪ® " service mark and other of the Marks, and that such Marks shall remain under the sole and exclusive ownership and control of Bambu. Franchisee acknowledges that it has not acquired any right, title or interest in such Marks except for the right to use such marks in the operation of its Bambū shoppe as it is governed by this Agreement. Except as permitted in the FRC Materials, Franchisee shall not use any of the Marks as part of an electronic mail address, or on any sites on the Internet and Franchisee shall not use or register any of the Marks as part of a domain name on the Internet.
- 15.2 No Use of Other Marks.
Source: Item 23 — Receipts (FDD pages 52–209)
What This Means (2025 FDD)
According to Bambu's 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document, Bambu will provide franchisees with standards and specifications for various aspects of the Bambū shoppe. These include menu items, products, services, the Franchised Location itself, equipment, menus (including ingredients and nutritional information), finishes, counter design, the POS System, loyalty rewards program equipment, logoed paper products, uniforms, insurance, and advertising materials. Bambu retains the right to modify these standards and specifications, providing franchisees with 10 days' prior written notice of any changes. Franchisees are obligated to adhere strictly to Bambu's current quality, compliance, and operational standards.
These standards extend to the purchase and use of equipment and inventory. Franchisees must acquire equipment and inventory that meet Bambu's specifications, and these items must be purchased from Bambu, its affiliates, or approved suppliers. Menu boards must also conform to Bambu's specifications regarding size, layout, and location within the store. Furthermore, franchisees are required to use a POS System that meets Bambu's standards and is sourced from a designated supplier. They must also maintain high-speed internet service that meets Bambu's standards to effectively operate the POS system and provide customer internet access.
Bambu also outlines the process for franchisees to propose alternative suppliers. If a franchisee wishes to purchase products from a supplier not already approved by Bambu, they must submit a written request for approval. Bambu has the discretion to withhold approval for any reason, and may require the franchisee to submit specifications, information, or samples for review. The franchisee is responsible for covering the costs associated with investigating whether the proposed products or suppliers meet Bambu's standards, potentially including an hourly charge of $150 per Bambu representative involved in the testing and investigation.
Compliance with these standards is monitored through inspections. Bambu has the right to inspect the Franchised Location, including inventory, products, and equipment, to ensure adherence to the set standards and specifications. While Bambu typically conducts these inspections during regular business hours with the franchisee present, they reserve the right to perform inspections without prior notice. Franchisees are also restricted from offering or selling any products or programs not authorized by Bambu as part of the Bambū system, ensuring consistency and quality control across all locations.