What does the franchisor's approval of a Bang Cookies transfer indicate regarding franchisee criteria?
Bang_Cookies Franchise · 2024 FDDAnswer from 2024 FDD Document
(15) Franchisee and transferee acknowledge and agree that Franchisor's approval of the Transfer indicates only that the transferee meets, or Franchisor waived, the criteria established by Franchisor for franchisees as of the time of such transfer, and Franchisor's approval thereof does not constitute a warranty or guaranty by Franchisor, express or implied, of the suitability of the terms of sale, successful operation, or profitability of the Franchised Business;
(16) Franchisee and transferee acknowledge and agree that Franchisor's approval of the Transfer at issue does not constitute Franchisor's approval of future or other Transfers or the waiver of the requirement that Franchisor must approve such future or other Transfers in accordance with this Agreement;
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. Furthermore, the proposed transferee and the proposed transferee's owners and spouses may not own or operate, or intend to own or operate, a Competitive Business. Franchisee agrees that Franchisor may condition approval of a Transfer upon Franchisee's satisfaction (either before, or contemporaneously with, the effective date of the Transfer) of the following:
- (1) Franchisee must provide written notice to Franchisor of the proposed Transfer of this Agreement at least 30 days prior to the Transfer, and Franchisee must have also satisfied the obligations set forth in Article 14.F. below;
- (2) All accrued monetary obligations of Franchisee and all other outstanding obligations to Franchisor and/or Franchisor's affiliates under this Agreement and the Ancillary Agreements must be satisfied in a timely manner, and Franchisee must satisfy all trade, supplier, and vendor accounts
and other debts, of whatever nature or kind, in a timely manner;
(3) Franchisee, each Owner, and each Spouse must not be in default or material breach of this Agreement or the Ancillary Agreements;
(4) The transferee shall be bound by all terms and conditions of this Agreement, and each owner of the transferee and their respective spouses shall personally execute the Franchise Owner and Spouse Agreement and Guaranty in the form attached to this Agreement as Exhibit 1.
(8) Unless Franchisee has met the requirements of Article 3.E. within the five year period immediately preceding the Transfer, the transferee, at its expense, must improve, modify, refurbish, renovate, remodel, and/or otherwise upgrade Franchisee's Bang Cookies Shop Facility to conform to the then current standards and specifications of Franchisor, and the transferee must complete such improvements, modifications, refurbishments, renovations, remodeling, and/or upgrading within the time period Franchisor reasonably specifies;
Source: Item 23 — RECEIPTS (FDD pages 56–245)
What This Means (2024 FDD)
According to Bang Cookies's 2024 Franchise Disclosure Document, the franchisor's approval of a transfer indicates that the transferee meets the criteria established for franchisees at the time of the transfer or that Bang Cookies has waived those criteria. This approval does not constitute a warranty or guarantee of the suitability of the sale terms, successful operation, or profitability of the franchised business. The approval is specific to that transfer and does not imply approval of future transfers or a waiver of the requirement for franchisor approval for subsequent transfers.
To be approved for a transfer, the proposed transferee must be of good moral character, possess sufficient business experience, aptitude, and financial resources to operate a Bang Cookies shop, and meet the franchisor's standards for franchisees. The transferee, including their owners and spouses, cannot own or operate a competitive business. The franchisee must provide written notice to Bang Cookies at least 30 days before the proposed transfer and fulfill obligations outlined in Article 14.F.
Furthermore, all accrued monetary obligations and outstanding debts to Bang Cookies and its affiliates must be satisfied. The franchisee, each owner, and each spouse must not be in default or material breach of the Franchise Agreement or Ancillary Agreements. The transferee must agree to be bound by all terms and conditions of the Franchise Agreement, and their owners and spouses must execute the Franchise Owner and Spouse Agreement and Guaranty. Unless specific requirements have been met within the five years before the transfer, the transferee must also upgrade the Bang Cookies shop to meet the franchisor's current standards.