What constitutes the Bang Cookies franchisee's obligation to develop and operate the franchised business at the designated location?
Bang_Cookies Franchise · 2024 FDDAnswer from 2024 FDD Document
ate a Bang Cookies Shop from a fixed Shop Location located within a specified territory. Relying on the representations made by Franchisee and/or Franchisee's Owners in any submitted application and during the application process and subject to the terms and conditions of this Agreement, Franchisee's request has been approved by Franchisor, subject to the following terms and conditions:
- (1) During the Term of this Agreement and subject to the rights of Franchisor including, but not limited to, the Reserved Rights, Franchisor grants to Franchisee and Franchisee accepts, the nonexclusive license, right and obligation to develop and operate, one Bang Cookies Shop in conformity with the System and this Agreement from a single fixed shop location, selected by Franchisee but requiring the approval of Franchisor ("Franchisee's Shop Location") and, as designated by Franchisor in Franchisor's discretion and Reasonable Business Judgment, within a Designated Territory;
- (2) Unless otherwise expressly authorized in Schedule 1 to this Agreement, Franchisee's Shop must be established as a Bakery Location;
- (3) If, as of the Effective Date, Franchisee has selected a proposed Shop Location that Franchisor approves as Franchisee's Shop Location, then Franchisee's Shop Location and Designated Territory, if any, shall be identified in Schedule 1 of this Agreement. To be effective, Schedule 1 must be completed and signed by Franchisor. Franchisee's execution of Schedule 1 with a specific
location for Franchisee's Shop Location shall constitute Franchisee's obligation to develop and operate the Franchised Business at the designated Franchisee Shop Location;
- (4) If, as of the Effective Date, Franchisee has not selected a proposed Shop Location, and/or has not obtained Franchisor's approval of the proposed Shop Location, and/or Schedule 1 to this Agreement is left incomplete or is not signed by Franchisor, Franchisee must locate, identify and secure a Shop Location for the Franchised Business in accordance with the terms of this Agreement, including the requirement that Franchisee must obtain Franchisor's approval of Franchisee's Shop Location. If, after the Effective Date, Franchisee proposes and Franchisor approves of Franchisee's proposed Shop Location, such approval must be in writing and must be evidenced by Franchisor's execution of Schedule 1 with a specific Shop Location designated and identified in Schedule 1. At the time of executing a completed Schedule 1 and, thereby, approving Franchisee's proposed Shop Location, Franchisor, in Franchisor's discretion and Reasonable Business Judgment, shall designate and determine Franchisee's Designated Territory;
- (5) If, as of the Effective Date or other appropriate periods after the Effective Date, Franchisee has not selected a proposed Shop Location that is approved by Franchisor but, Franchisee has identified an area in which Franchisee may look to secure a shop location for the Franchised Business, Franchisor, in Franchisor's discretion and Reasonable Business Judgment, may enter into the Site Selection Acknowledgment attached to this Agreement as Exhibit 3. If executed by Franchisor, within the Exhibit 3 Site Selection Acknowledgment, Franchisor shall designate a geographic area (the "Site Selection Area") within which Franchisor, during the Site Selection Period, shall not, on behalf of any third party, approve any new Shop Location. Franchisee agrees that the Site Selection Acknowledgment does not constitute Franchisor's approval of a proposed Shop Location, does not constitute Franchisor's designation of Franchisee's Designated Territory, does not afford Franchisee any territorial rights in or to the Site Selection Area, and does not extend and/or modify any obligation on the part of Franchisee to timely secure an approved Shop Location in accordance with the terms of this Agreement;
- (6) At all times, Franchisee's rights in and to the real property and the business premises of Franchisee's Shop Location shall be subordinate and subject to Franchisee's and Franchisee's landlord's agreement to and execution of the Shop Location Lease Agreement Rider attached to this Agreement as Exhibit 4, and Franchisee's agreement and execution of the Collateral Assignment of Lease attached to this Agreement as Exhibit 5;
- (7) Franchisee may only offer and sell the Approved Services and Products from Franchisee's Shop Location in accordance with the requirements set forth in the operations manual;
- (8) Franchisor, in Franchisor's Reasonable Business Judgment and for any reason or no reason at all, may prohibit Franchisee from soliciting customers located outside Franchisee's Designated Territory;
- (9) Except as otherwise provided in this Agreement including, but not limited to, the Reserved Rights, provided that, at all times Franchisee is and remains in compliance with all of the terms of this Agreement, during the Term of this Agreement, neither Franchisor nor any affiliate of Franchisor will establish or operate, or grant a franchise to any third party to establish or operate, a Shop using the Licensed Marks and System at a Shop Location that is located within Franchisee's Designated Territory, provided, that a Designated Territory has been designated and approved by Franchisor in accordance with the terms of this Agreement, but excluding Closed Markets. Franchisee may face competition from other Bang Cookies Shops and other System franchisees
with shop locations and/or designated territories, including Shops that are located within Closed Markets and/or located adjacent to and/or within a close proximity to Franchisee's Shop Location and/or Designated Territory.
Source: Item 23 — RECEIPTS (FDD pages 56–245)
What This Means (2024 FDD)
According to Bang Cookies's 2024 Franchise Disclosure Document, the franchisee's obligation to develop and operate the franchised business at the designated location is established upon the franchisee's execution of Schedule 1 with a specific location for the Franchisee's Shop Location. This schedule, which must be completed and signed by Bang Cookies, signifies the approval of the shop location. The franchisee is granted a nonexclusive license, right, and obligation to develop and operate one Bang Cookies Shop in conformity with the System and the Franchise Agreement from a single fixed shop location, which requires Bang Cookies's approval. Unless otherwise authorized in Schedule 1, the shop must be established as a Bakery Location.
If a proposed shop location is selected and approved by Bang Cookies as of the effective date, the location and any designated territory will be identified in Schedule 1 of the agreement. If a shop location has not been selected or approved by the effective date, the franchisee must locate and secure a shop location, obtaining Bang Cookies's approval. This approval must be in writing and evidenced by Bang Cookies's execution of Schedule 1 with a specific shop location designated and identified in the schedule. At the time of approving the shop location, Bang Cookies will designate the franchisee's designated territory.
The "Franchised Business" is defined as the Bang Cookies Shop that the franchisee is required to develop, maintain, and operate as part of the System and in accordance with the terms, conditions, and obligations set forth in the agreement and the operations manual. The "Franchisee's Shop Facility" must be located at a shop location approved by Bang Cookies. The "Franchisee's Shop Location" must be designated in accordance with Schedule 1 of the agreement and approved by Bang Cookies in its Reasonable Business Judgment.
This obligation is subject to the rights of Bang Cookies, including reserved rights, and is non-exclusive and subordinate to those rights. Franchisees may face competition from other Bang Cookies Shops and System franchisees, including those located within Closed Markets or in close proximity to the franchisee's shop location and/or designated territory. Franchisees agree that Bang Cookies is not obligated to disapprove of marketing mediums that reach outside of the franchisee's designated territory, and franchisees may face competition from other Bang Cookies Shops and System franchisees that market and promote their shops through various marketing activities and mediums.