What is the 'Post-Term Restricted Period' for a Bigfoot Forestry franchisee?
Bigfoot_Forestry Franchise · 2025 FDDAnswer from 2025 FDD Document
- (b) Unfair Competition. You may not engage in any Prohibited Activities at any time: (i) that you are (or your spouse is) an Owner; or (ii) during the Restricted Period. Notwithstanding the foregoing, you may have an interest in a Competing Business during the Restricted Period as long as the Competing Business does not provide competitive services at job sites located in the Restricted Territory. If you engage in any Prohibited Activity during the Restricted Period (other than having an interest in a
Competing Business permitted by this Section) your Restricted Period will be extended by the period of time during which you engaged in the Prohibited Activity. Any such extension of time will not constitute a waiver of your breach or impair any of our rights or remedies relating to your breach. For purposes of clarity, you remain bound by any non-competition covenants in other Definitive Agreements that remain in effect for a period of time that extends beyond the expiration of the Restricted Period under this Agreement, and the expiration of the Restricted Period under this Agreement does not in any way diminish your obligation to comply with such other covenants.
Source: Item 23 — RECEIPT (FDD pages 42–162)
What This Means (2025 FDD)
According to Bigfoot Forestry's 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document, the franchisee is restricted from certain competitive activities during the Restricted Period. The franchisee may not engage in any Prohibited Activities at any time that they (or their spouse) are an Owner, or during the Restricted Period.
The document defines 'Prohibited Activities' as owning, operating, or having an interest in a Competing Business (with a minor exception for owning less than 5% of a publicly-traded company), disparaging the franchisor, diverting business, or inducing others to transfer their business away from Bigfoot Forestry. However, a franchisee may have an interest in a Competing Business during the Restricted Period as long as the Competing Business does not provide competitive services at job sites located in the Restricted Territory.
The agreement also states that if a franchisee engages in any Prohibited Activity during the Restricted Period, other than having a permitted interest in a Competing Business, the Restricted Period will be extended by the period of time during which they engaged in the Prohibited Activity. The franchisee remains bound by any non-competition covenants in other Definitive Agreements that remain in effect for a period of time that extends beyond the expiration of the Restricted Period under this Agreement.