What criteria must the Benihana General Manager satisfy?
Benihana Franchise · 2024 FDDAnswer from 2024 FDD Document
The General Manager must satisfy our educational and business criteria as provided to you in the Manual or other written instructions and must be individually acceptable to us. In addition, the General Manager must be responsible for the supervision and management of the BENIHANA Restaurant and must devote full time and best efforts to this activity. The General Manager also must satisfy our applicable training requirements. If you are a legal entity, the General Manager may, but is not required to, have an ownership interest in you. If you no longer employ the General Manager, you must promptly designate another person as General Manager, and that person must meet all criteria for a General Manager and be acceptable and approved by us.
Source: Item 15 — OBLIGATION TO PARTICIPATE IN THE ACTUAL OPERATION OF THE FRANCHISE BUSINESS (FDD pages 57–58)
What This Means (2024 FDD)
According to Benihana's 2024 Franchise Disclosure Document, the General Manager must meet specific criteria related to education, business acumen, training, and suitability to Benihana. The General Manager must satisfy Benihana's educational and business criteria, as detailed in the manual or other written instructions, and must be individually acceptable to Benihana.
In addition to meeting the educational and business criteria, the General Manager must fulfill Benihana's applicable training requirements. This ensures that the General Manager is well-versed in the Benihana system and standards. The General Manager is responsible for the supervision and management of the Benihana Restaurant, dedicating their full time and best efforts to this role.
If a franchisee's General Manager leaves their position, the franchisee must promptly designate a replacement who meets all the criteria for a General Manager and is acceptable and approved by Benihana. This ensures continuity in the restaurant's management and adherence to Benihana's standards. Furthermore, Benihana requires franchisees to obtain covenants not to compete from their General Manager and other personnel who receive training or have access to confidential information, protecting Benihana's interests and trade secrets.