Can a Bonchon franchisee establish their own website using the Bonchon name?
Bonchon Franchise · 2025 FDDAnswer from 2025 FDD Document
We alone may establish, maintain, modify or discontinue all internet, worldwide web and electronic commerce activities pertaining to the Bonchon System. We may establish one or more websites accessible through one or more uniform resource locators ("URL's") and, if we do, we will design and provide for the benefit of your franchised Bonchon Business a "click through" subpage at each of these websites for the promotion of your Business. If we establish one or more websites or other modes of electronic commerce and if we provide a "click through" subpage at each of these websites for the promotion of your Business, you must routinely provide us with updated copy, photographs and news stories about your franchised Bonchon Business suitable for posting on your Business' "click through" subpage, We will specify the content, frequency and procedure of these in our Manuals. Any websites or other modes of electric commerce that we establish or maintain may – in addition to advertising and promoting the products, programs or services available at Bonchon Businesses – also be devoted in part to offering Bonchon Business franchises for sale and be utilized by us to exploit the electronic commerce rights which we reserve (see Item 12). In addition to these activities, we may also establish an intranet through which downloads of operations and marketing materials, exchanges of franchisee email, Bonchon System discussion forums and systemwide communications (among other activities) can be effected. You may not establish or maintain your own website, mobile application, email distribution list or other internet-based presence which use or display our Proprietary Marks; otherwise maintain a presence or advertise on the internet or any
other mode of electronic commerce in connection with your franchised Bonchon Business; establish a link to any website we establish at or from any other website or page; or, at any time establish any other website, electronic commerce presence or URL which in whole or in part incorporates the "Bonchon" name or any confusingly similar name.
Source: Item 11 — FRANCHISOR'S ASSISTANCE, ADVERTISING, COMPUTER SYSTEMS AND TRAINING (FDD pages 45–60)
What This Means (2025 FDD)
According to Bonchon's 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document, franchisees are explicitly prohibited from establishing their own websites using the Bonchon name. Bonchon retains exclusive control over all internet and electronic commerce activities related to the Bonchon system. This includes the establishment, maintenance, modification, and discontinuation of any websites pertaining to the brand.
Bonchon may establish one or more websites and provide a "click through" subpage for each franchised business to promote their specific location. If Bonchon provides such a subpage, franchisees are required to routinely provide updated content, photographs, and news to Bonchon for posting. Bonchon specifies the content, frequency, and procedure for these updates in their manuals.
This policy ensures brand consistency and quality control across all online platforms. By centralizing website management, Bonchon aims to maintain a uniform brand image and customer experience. This restriction extends to social media pages and any other form of online presence. Franchisees are also prohibited from creating links to any Bonchon website from other sites or establishing any online presence that incorporates the Bonchon name or confusingly similar names.