Can the Bang Cookies Franchisee transfer their obligations, rights or interest in the ownership interests in Franchisee's Shop Location and Franchisee's Shop Facility without Franchisor consent?
Bang_Cookies Franchise · 2024 FDDAnswer from 2024 FDD Document
Agreement and/or the Ancillary Agreements, and/or any or all of Franchisor's rights and obligations set forth in this Agreement and/or the Ancillary Agreements, to a person, an entity, Corporate Entity, or other third party, this Agreement and the Ancillary Agreements, shall survive, remain in full force and effect, and inure to the benefit of the purchaser, transferee, conveyee, and/or assignee of this Agreement and/or the Ancillary Agreements.
14.B. FRANCHISEE MAY NOT TRANSFER WITHOUT FRANCHISOR APPROVAL
Franchisee agrees, and Franchisee represents and warrants that Franchisee's Owners understand and agree, that the rights and duties set forth in this Agreement are personal to Franchisee and each Owner. Therefore, Franchisee agrees that:
- (1) No ownership interest of any Owner in Franchisee may be Transferred without the prior written consent of Franchisor;
- (2) No obligations, rights or interest of Franchisee in (a) this Agreement, (b) the lease or ownership interests in Franchisee's Shop Location and Franchisee's Shop Facility, (c) the Franchised Business, or (d) all or substantially all of the assets of the Franchised Business may be Transferred without the prior written consent of Franchisor. This restriction shall not prohibit Franchisee from granting a mortgage, charge, lien, or security interest in the assets of the Franchised Business or this Agreement for the exclusive purpose of securing financing for the initial development (occurring prior to the Actual Business Commencement Date) of the Franchised Business;
- (3) Without limitation to the foregoing, any Transfer by Franchisee respecting and/or relating to this Agreement and/or the Franchised Business and/or assets associated with the Franchised Business will require the prior written consent of Franchisor where such Transfer occurs by virtue of: (a) divorce or legal dissolution of marriage; (b) insolvency; (c) dissolution of a Corporate Entity;
- (d) last will and testament; (e) intestate succession; or (f) declaration of, or transfer in trust;
- (4) Any purported Transfer without the written consent of Franchisor, or otherwise in violation of this Agreement including, but not limited to this Article 14.B. shall constitute a breach of this Agreement and shall convey to the transferee no rights or interests in this Agreement; and
- (5) In the event of a Transfer of this Agreement that is approved by Franchisor, Franchisee shall not be relieved of Franchisee's obligations under this Agreement whether said obligations accrued and/or arose prior to and/or after the date of Transfer.
14.C. CONDITIONS FOR APPROVAL OF TRANSFER
Provided Franchisee and each Owner and Spouse, respectively, are in substantial compliance with this Agreement and the Ancillary Agreements, and Franchisor does not elect to exercise Franchisor's right of first refusal as set forth in Article 14.F. below, Franchisor shall not unreasonably withhold its approval of a Transfer by Franchisee or an Owner. The proposed transferee (including such assignee's owner(s) and spouse(s) if the proposed transferee is a Corporate Entity) must be of good moral character, have sufficient business experience, aptitude and financial resources to own and operate a Bang Cookies Shop, and otherwise meet Franchisor's then applicable standards for franchisees as determined by Franchisor in its sole, but reasonable discretion.
Source: Item 23 — RECEIPTS (FDD pages 56–245)
What This Means (2024 FDD)
According to Bang Cookies's 2024 Franchise Disclosure Document, a franchisee cannot transfer their obligations, rights, or interests in their shop location and facility without prior written consent from Bang Cookies. This restriction extends to the franchise agreement itself, the franchised business, and substantially all of the assets of the franchised business. However, a franchisee is permitted to grant a mortgage, charge, lien, or security interest in the assets or the agreement to secure financing for the initial development of the franchised business before its commencement.
Any transfer without Bang Cookies's written consent is considered a breach of the agreement and will not grant any rights or interests to the transferee. Even if a transfer is approved, the franchisee remains responsible for all obligations under the agreement, whether they arose before or after the transfer date. This means that even after selling the franchise, the original franchisee could still be liable for certain debts or breaches of contract.
In the event of a transfer, Bang Cookies requires a fixed transfer fee of $15,000. The transferee may also need to upgrade the Bang Cookies shop facility to meet the franchisor's current standards, at their own expense, unless the franchisee has met specific requirements within the five years before the transfer. The transferee and their employees must also complete any training programs in effect for franchisees. These conditions ensure that any new operator meets Bang Cookies's standards and is adequately trained to maintain the brand's quality and reputation.