What costs are specifically excluded from the required local and regional advertising expenditures for a Bojangles franchise?
Bojangles Franchise · 2025 FDDAnswer from 2025 FDD Document
ic image of the Bojangles System. You must spend at least 3% of the Gross Sales of your Restaurant on local and regional media advertising, in addition to any other advertising contribution required as discussed below. You must demonstrate on a quarterly basis, to our reasonable satisfaction, that you have made such expenditures. This advertising shall include radio, television, magazine, newspaper, billboard campaigns, digital and social media, search engine listings, print, direct mail and other forms of advertising media and public relations activities but shall not include the costs of advertising production, production of other marketing materials, cost of food promotion, point of purchase materials, telephone book advertising, stationery, or Restaurant indoor or outdoor site location signs. We may offer periodically to provide, upon your request and at your expense, approved local advertising and promotional plans and materials. We may require that some or all of this spending requirement be made by participation with us or other franchisees in advertising cooperative organizations or programs or by direct payments made to us as a contribution to our media spending outside of any cooperative organization or program. You must pay us $153 each month for each Restaurant that you operate, for payment to our approved digital channel vendors that power our mobile application and website, collect customer data, and customize customer advertising materials and local advertising programs for your restaurant trading area, including digital exclusives. This amount may change from time to time based on the fees charged by our vendors and the number of participating Restaurants in the Bojangles System. This amount qualifies towards the 3% of Gross Sales you are required to spend for Local Marketing.
Source: Item 11 — FRANCHISOR'S ASSISTANCE, ADVERTISING, COMPUTER SYSTEMS AND TRAINING (FDD pages 37–49)
What This Means (2025 FDD)
According to Bojangles's 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document, franchisees must spend at least 3% of their restaurant's gross sales on local and regional advertising. However, certain costs are specifically excluded from counting towards this 3% requirement. These excluded costs include advertising production, production of other marketing materials, the cost of food promotions, point-of-purchase materials, telephone book advertising, stationery, and restaurant indoor or outdoor site location signs.
Bojangles may offer franchisees approved local advertising and promotional plans and materials at the franchisee's expense. Bojangles may also require franchisees to participate in advertising cooperatives or programs, or make direct payments to Bojangles for media spending outside of these organizations. Additionally, franchisees must pay $153 monthly for each restaurant to cover digital channel vendors who manage the mobile application, website, customer data collection, and customized advertising. This $153 monthly payment does count toward the 3% local marketing expenditure requirement.
If a Bojangles franchisee fails to meet the required advertising expenditures or reporting, Bojangles has the right to collect the payment directly from the franchisee's account and spend it at their discretion on behalf of the Bojangles system. Any unspent funds can be carried over to the next fiscal year. Franchisees who operated before May 1, 1989, may have different contractual obligations and reduced local and regional advertising requirements.
This level of detail is typical for franchise agreements, as franchisors need to ensure brand consistency and control over marketing efforts while also allowing for local adaptation. Prospective Bojangles franchisees should carefully consider these advertising requirements and exclusions when evaluating the overall cost of operating a franchise.