What specific article of the Beard Papas Franchise Agreement addresses conditions for approval of transfer?
Beard_Papas Franchise · 2025 FDDAnswer from 2025 FDD Document
t 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 Beard Papa's 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 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;
Source: Item 23 — RECEIPTS (FDD pages 58–275)
What This Means (2025 FDD)
According to Beard Papas's 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document, Article 14.C of the Franchise Agreement outlines the conditions for approval of a transfer.
Specifically, Article 14.C states that, assuming the franchisee, each owner, and spouse are in substantial compliance with the agreement and Beard Papas does not exercise its right of first refusal, Beard Papas will not unreasonably withhold approval of a transfer. The proposed transferee must have good moral character, sufficient business experience, aptitude, and financial resources to operate a Beard Papa's shop, and must meet Beard Papas's standards for franchisees. Additionally, the transferee cannot own or operate a competitive business.
To gain approval for a transfer, the franchisee must provide written notice to Beard Papas at least 30 days prior to the transfer and satisfy obligations outlined in Article 14.F. All accrued monetary obligations to Beard Papas and its affiliates must be satisfied, and the franchisee must not be in default or material breach of the agreement. The transferee must agree to be bound by the terms of the Franchise Agreement, and their owners and spouses must execute the Owner and Spouse Agreement and Guaranty. The franchisee must also pay Beard Papas a transfer fee of $15,000. Beard Papas's approval is contingent on the material terms and conditions of the transfer and a determination that the price and payment terms are not detrimental to the future operations of the franchise.