What is the required action for a Bang Cookies franchisee when proposing a transfer of equity or ownership interests?
Bang_Cookies Franchise · 2024 FDDAnswer from 2024 FDD Document
"Transfer" refers to and means and shall include, without limitation, the following, whether voluntary or involuntary, conditional or unconditional, and/or direct or indirect: (a) an assignment, sale, gift, transfer, pledge or sub-franchise; (b) the grant of a mortgage, charge, lien or security interest, including, without limitation, the grant of a collateral assignment; (c) a merger, consolidation, exchange of shares or other ownership interests, issuance of additional ownership interests or securities representing or potentially representing ownership interests, or redemption of ownership interests; (d) a sale or exchange of voting interests or securities convertible to voting interests, or an agreement granting the right to exercise or control the exercise of the voting rights of any holder of ownership interests or to control the operations or affairs of Franchisee; and/or (e) the legal and/or equitable transfer and/or sale of an Owners interests and/or voting rights in Franchisee.
"Transfer Fee" shall have the meaning defined in Article 14.C.(11) of this Agreement. The Transfer Fee is a fixed sum of $15,000.
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
(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;
(10) At the transferee's expense, the transferee, and the transferee's Managing Owner, Managers and/or any other applicable employees of transferee's Bang Cookies Shop must complete any training programs then in effect for franchisees of Bang Cookies Shops upon terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement or as Franchisor otherwise reasonably requires;
(11) Franchisee must pay a fixed sum of $15,000 to Franchisor (the "Transfer Fee");
(12) Franchisor's approval of the material terms and conditions of the Transfer, and Franchisor determines in Franchisor's Reasonable Business Judgment that the price and terms of payment are not so burdensome as to be detrimental to the future operations of the Franchised Business by the transferee;
(13) Transferee's employees, directors, officers, independent contractors, and agents who will have access to Confidential Information shall execute the Confidentiality Agreement attached hereto as Exhibit 2;
(14) Franchisee entering into an agreement with Franchisor agreeing to subordinate any obligations of transferee to make installment payments of the purchase price to Franchisee to the transferee's obligations to Franchisor, including, without limitation, transferee's obligations with respect to Royalty Fees and Advertising Contributions;
Source: Item 23 — RECEIPTS (FDD pages 56–245)
What This Means (2024 FDD)
According to Bang Cookies' 2024 Franchise Disclosure Document, a "transfer" includes, but isn't limited to, the sale, assignment, or transfer of ownership interests. It also encompasses mergers, consolidations, exchanges of shares, or the issuance of additional ownership interests. When a franchisee proposes such a transfer, they must first provide written notice to Bang Cookies at least 30 days before the intended transfer date. The franchisee must also fulfill specific obligations outlined in Article 14.F of the franchise agreement.
To gain approval for the transfer, the franchisee, along with each owner and spouse, must be in substantial compliance with the Franchise Agreement and any associated Ancillary Agreements. Bang Cookies will not unreasonably withhold approval unless it chooses to exercise its right of first refusal. The proposed transferee must demonstrate good moral character, sufficient business experience, aptitude, and financial resources to operate a Bang Cookies shop. They also cannot own or plan to operate a competing business.
Additional conditions for transfer approval include ensuring that all outstanding monetary and other obligations to Bang Cookies and its affiliates are satisfied. The franchisee, owners, and spouses must not be in default or in material breach of the Franchise Agreement. The transferee must agree to be bound by all terms and conditions of the Franchise Agreement, with each owner and their spouses personally executing the Franchise Owner and Spouse Agreement and Guaranty. A Transfer Fee of $15,000 must be paid to Bang Cookies. The franchisor must also approve the material terms and conditions of the transfer, including the price and payment terms, to ensure they are not detrimental to the business's future operations.
Furthermore, unless the franchisee has met specific requirements within the five years before the transfer, the transferee must upgrade the Bang Cookies shop to meet the franchisor's current standards. The transferee and their employees must complete any required training programs. All parties with access to confidential information must sign a Confidentiality Agreement. The franchisee must also agree to subordinate any payment obligations from the transferee to their obligations to Bang Cookies, such as royalty and advertising fees. Finally, the transfer must comply with all applicable laws, and the franchisor's approval does not constitute a warranty of the business's future success or profitability.