factual

Can Bang Cookies transfer its contractual obligations to a third party?

Bang_Cookies Franchise · 2024 FDD

Answer from 2024 FDD Document

  • (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. 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. Each owner of the transferee shall also be required to execute such further agreements designated by Franchisor whereby the proposed transferee assumes each and every obligation and responsibility of Franchisee as set forth in this Agreement;
  • (5) All obligations of Franchisee under this Agreement and the Ancillary Agreements shall be assumed by the transferee, each individual owner of transferee, and their respective spouses in a manner satisfactory to Franchisor;
  • (6) Franchisee, each Owner, and each Spouse must execute the General Release attached to this Agreement as Exhibit 8 releasing Franchisor, Franchisor's affiliates and Franchisor's past and present officers, directors, shareholders, members, partners, agents, representatives, independent contractors, servants and employees, of any and all claims against Franchisor for matters arising on, or before, the effective date of the Transfer;
  • (7) If the proposed Transfer includes or entails the Transfer of this Agreement, substantially all of the assets of the Franchised Business, a controlling interest in Franchisee, or is one of a series of Transfers which in the aggregate Transfers substantially all of the assets of the Franchised Business or a controlling interest in Franchisee, then, at the election of Franchisor and upon notice from Franchisor to Franchisee, the transferee may be required to execute (and/or, upon Franchisee's request, shall cause all interested parties to execute) for a term ending on the expiration date of the original Term of this Agreement, the then current standard form Franchise Agreement offered to new franchisees of Bang Cookies Shops and any other agreements as Franchisor requires. Such agreements shall supersede this Agreement and its associated agreement in all respects, and the terms of Franchisor's then current agreements may differ from the terms in this Agreement, provided that such agreements shall provide for the same Royalty Fee, Advertising Contributions, and all other financial or monetary obligations established in this Agreement;
  • (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;
  • (9) Franchisee, each Owner, and each Spouse shall remain liable for all obligations to Franchisor set forth in this Agreement;
  • (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;

Source: Item 23 — RECEIPTS (FDD pages 56–245)

What This Means (2024 FDD)

According to Bang Cookies' 2024 Franchise Disclosure Document, franchisees may be able to transfer their rights and obligations under the Franchise Agreement, but this is subject to several conditions and the franchisor's approval. Bang Cookies will not unreasonably withhold approval of a transfer if the franchisee is in substantial compliance with the agreement and related ancillary agreements, and if Bang Cookies does not exercise its right of first refusal. The proposed transferee must also meet Bang Cookies' standards for franchisees, including demonstrating good moral character, sufficient business experience, aptitude, and financial resources. Additionally, the transferee cannot own or operate a competitive business.

To initiate a transfer, the franchisee must provide written notice to Bang Cookies at least 30 days prior to the proposed transfer and satisfy certain obligations. All outstanding monetary and other obligations 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 the terms and conditions of the Franchise Agreement, and each owner of the transferee, along with their spouses, must execute the Franchise Owner and Spouse Agreement and Guaranty.

Additional requirements include the transferee completing any required training programs, and upgrading the Bang Cookies shop facility to meet current standards if the franchisee hasn't met upgrade requirements within the past five years. The franchisee must pay a $15,000 transfer fee to Bang Cookies. Furthermore, the franchisee, each owner, and each spouse must execute a General Release, releasing Bang Cookies from any claims arising on or before the transfer date. Bang Cookies must also approve the material terms and conditions of the transfer, ensuring that the price and payment terms are not detrimental to the franchised business's future operations. These stipulations ensure that any transfer maintains the standards and financial stability of the Bang Cookies franchise system.

Disclaimer: This information is extracted from the 2024 Franchise Disclosure Document and is provided for research purposes only. It does not constitute legal or financial advice. Consult with a franchise attorney before making any investment decisions.