How are revenues related to the license used by Beauty Bungalows?
Beauty_Bungalows Franchise · 2025 FDDAnswer from 2025 FDD Document
The Company identifies those performance obligations, determines the contract price for each performance obligation, allocates the transaction price to each performance obligation and recognizes revenue when the Company has satisfied the performance obligation by transferring control of the good or service to the franchisee.
When a franchisee purchases a franchise, the Company grants the franchisee the rights to operate in a designated area and to use the proprietary methods, techniques, trade dress, trademarks, and logos ("the license"). The license is considered to be symbolic intellectual property. Revenues related to the license are continuing royalties based on a fixed percentage of gross sales of each location. These revenues will be used to continue the development of the Company's brand, the franchise system and provide ongoing support for the Company's franchisees over the term of the agreement. The royalties are billed monthly and are recognized as revenue when earned. For the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, there were no royalties earned.
Revenue from initial fees is allocated to the performance obligations in the franchise agreement that are distinct from the territory and license rights. These primarily include training services, opening support services, opening marketing assistance and franchisee acquisition and acceptance. The amount allocated to each identified performance obligation is determined using the expected cost plus a margin approach. Revenue from initial fees is recognized when the performance obligation is satisfied, and control of the goods or service has been transferred to the franchisee. Performance obligations that are normally satisfied by the opening of the franchised business to the public are determined to be earned during the period from the execution of the contract to the opening of the franchised business which is generally less than one year. Unearned initial fee revenues from franchisee acquisition and acceptance will be recorded as deferred nonrefundable revenue and recognized as revenue over the term of the contract which is currently 10 years from the date the franchisee opens the franchise business to the public. Incremental costs of obtaining a franchise agreement with a franchisee related to unsatisfied performance obligations will be recorded as a franchise acquisition asset and are recognized as cost of sales over the same term as the related performance obligation which is currently 10 years. Revenue from multi-unit development agreements is recognized over the term of the development agreement
Source: Item 21 — FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (FDD page 47)
What This Means (2025 FDD)
According to Beauty Bungalows' 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document, when a franchisee purchases a franchise, they are granted the rights to operate in a specific area and use Beauty Bungalows' proprietary methods, techniques, trade dress, trademarks, and logos, which is referred to as "the license". This license is considered symbolic intellectual property. The revenues related to this license are the continuing royalties that Beauty Bungalows collects, which are based on a fixed percentage of each location's gross sales. These royalty revenues are intended to support the ongoing development of the Beauty Bungalows brand and franchise system, as well as to provide continuous support to franchisees throughout the term of their agreement. The royalties are billed monthly and recognized as revenue when earned by Beauty Bungalows.
For a prospective Beauty Bungalows franchisee, this means that a portion of their gross sales will be paid to the franchisor as royalties. These royalties are essential for the franchisor to maintain and improve the brand, develop the franchise system, and provide support to the franchisees. The fact that royalties are billed monthly and recognized as revenue when earned suggests a consistent and ongoing financial obligation for the franchisee. However, the FDD states that for the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, there were no royalties earned, which could be due to the fact that no locations were opened at that point.
In addition to royalties, Beauty Bungalows also collects initial franchise fees. The revenue from these initial fees is allocated to performance obligations outlined in the franchise agreement that are distinct from the territory and license rights. These obligations include training services, opening support services, opening marketing assistance, and franchisee acquisition and acceptance. The amount allocated to each of these obligations is determined using the expected cost plus a margin approach. Revenue from initial fees is recognized when the performance obligation is satisfied and control of the goods or service has been transferred to the franchisee.
Performance obligations that are normally satisfied by the opening of the franchised business to the public are determined to be earned during the period from the execution of the contract to the opening of the franchised business, which is generally less than one year. Unearned initial fee revenues from franchisee acquisition and acceptance will be recorded as deferred nonrefundable revenue and recognized as revenue over the term of the contract, which is currently 10 years from the date the franchisee opens the franchise business to the public. Incremental costs of obtaining a franchise agreement with a franchisee related to unsatisfied performance obligations will be recorded as a franchise acquisition asset and are recognized as cost of sales over the same term as the related performance obligation, which is currently 10 years. Revenue from multi-unit development agreements is recognized over the term of the development agreement.