What entities compose a DMA membership within a Bojangles Expense Sharing Agreement?
Bojangles Franchise · 2025 FDDAnswer from 2025 FDD Document
Each Expense Sharing Agreement establishes a DMA membership composed of (1) franchisees owning a Restaurant(s) within a particular DMA, (2) each franchisee that is a franchisee upon the date of execution of the Expense Sharing Agreement and who may have elected to become a member of a particular DMA under specific provisions in the Expense Sharing Agreement allowing that election, and (3) us and our affiliates as to each DMA in which we own a Restaurant. A DMA is a geographical area designated as a television Designated Market Area by the Nielsen Ratings Company. (For purposes of radio advertising, this geographical area is designated as a radio area of dominant influence or ADI by Nielsen Audio.) An "Eligible DMA" is a DMA with two or more members.
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, a Designated Market Area (DMA) membership within an Expense Sharing Agreement consists of three types of entities. First, it includes franchisees who own a Bojangles restaurant within that specific DMA. Second, it encompasses franchisees who, upon the execution of the Expense Sharing Agreement, elected to become members of that particular DMA, as permitted by the agreement's provisions. Finally, the membership includes Bojangles itself, along with its affiliates, for each DMA in which they own a restaurant.
A DMA, as defined in the FDD, is a geographical area designated as a television Designated Market Area by the Nielsen Ratings Company. For radio advertising purposes, this area is referred to as an Area of Dominant Influence (ADI) by Nielsen Audio. An "Eligible DMA" is one that has two or more members participating in the Expense Sharing Agreement.
For a prospective Bojangles franchisee, understanding the DMA membership is crucial because it dictates who participates in cooperative advertising efforts and how decisions are made regarding advertising strategies and expenditures within that market. The inclusion of Bojangles and its affiliates in the DMA membership means that the company has a direct say in advertising matters, which could align the advertising efforts with the overall corporate strategy. Franchisees should carefully review the Expense Sharing Agreement to understand their rights and obligations within the DMA, including voting rights and contribution requirements.