Is a Bb.Q Chicken franchisee required to use Bb.Q Chicken's proprietary recipes?

We may develop for use in the System certain products which are prepared from confidential proprietary recipes and other proprietary products which bear the Marks. Because of the importance of quality and uniformity of production and the significance of those products in the System, it is to your and our benefit that we closely control the production and distribution of those products. Therefore, you will use only our proprietary recipes and other proprietary products and will purchase those items solely from us or from a source designated by us for all of your inventory of those products. Currently we are not an approved supplier of any products or services to our franchisees.

You must obtain all food and beverage items, ingredients, supplies, materials, fixtures, furnishings, equipment (including point-of-sale system and communication systems), and other products used or offered for sale at the Franchised Business solely from suppliers who demonstrate, to our continuing reasonable satisfaction, the ability to meet our then-current standards or in accordance with our standards and specifications.

To make sure that the highest degree of quality and service is maintained, you must operate the Franchised Business in strict conformity with the methods, standards and specifications that we prescribe in the Manual or otherwise in writing. You must maintain in sufficient supply and use and sell at all times only those food and beverage items, ingredients, products, materials, supplies and paper goods that meet our standards and specifications. All menu items must be prepared in accordance with the recipes and procedures specified in the Manual or other written materials. You must not deviate from these standards and specifications by the use or offer of non-conforming items, or differing amounts of any items, without obtaining our written consent first. We can, and expect to, modify our standards and specifications as we deem necessary. We will provide you notice in the Manual or otherwise in writing (such as via email) of any changes in our standards and/or specifications.

If it is discovered that you are not using designated or approved suppliers for your purchases of products used in the operation of your Franchised Business, or if you are not using designated or approved products, we will have the right to terminate your Franchise Agreement upon notice to you.

Source: Item 8 — RESTRICTIONS ON SOURCES OF PRODUCTS AND SERVICES (FDD pages 27–31)