What is Bens Soft Pretzels' definition of a 'Company-Owned Operating Store'?

According to Bens Soft Pretzels's 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document, a 'Company-Owned Operating Store' is defined as a store owned either by Bens Soft Pretzels itself or by any of its affiliates, where these affiliates are related to Bens Soft Pretzels through common ownership. This definition is important for prospective franchisees to understand because the financial performance of company-owned stores may be presented separately from that of franchisee-owned stores in Item 19 of the FDD, which discloses financial performance representations.

Understanding the distinction between company-owned and franchisee-owned stores is crucial when evaluating the financial data presented. Company-owned stores may benefit from factors not available to franchisees, such as direct access to company resources, potentially influencing their performance. Therefore, a franchisee should consider these differences when assessing the potential financial performance of their own franchise.

The FDD also defines 'Franchisee-Owned Operating Store' as a store operated under a franchise agreement that is not a Company-Owned store. This distinction helps clarify the different operational and financial structures within the Bens Soft Pretzels franchise system, allowing potential franchisees to better understand the data presented and its relevance to their potential investment.