Is a Bonchon franchisee required to use a designated internet and phone service provider?
Bonchon Franchise · 2025 FDDAnswer from 2025 FDD Document
ssent to in connection with entering into the Franchise Agreement.
Web Sites
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.
You may not maintain a World Wide Web site or social media page; otherwise maintain a presence or advertise on the Internet, through social media or in any other mode of electronic commerce in connection with the franchised 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, social media or electronic commerce presence which in whole or in part incorporates the "Bonchon" name, any Bonchon logo, or any name or logo confusingly similar thereto.
Source: Item 23 — RECEIPTS (FDD pages 92–536)
What This Means (2025 FDD)
Based on the 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document, the Bonchon franchise agreement does not explicitly state that franchisees are required to use a designated internet and phone service provider. However, Bonchon retains significant control over the brand's online presence. Bonchon alone can establish, maintain, modify, or discontinue all internet, worldwide web, and electronic commerce activities related to the Bonchon system.
Bonchon may establish websites and provide a "click through" subpage for each franchisee's business. Franchisees must provide updated content for these subpages as specified in the manuals. Franchisees are prohibited from maintaining their own websites or mobile applications, advertising online in connection with their Bonchon business, or establishing links to any website Bonchon establishes.
Bonchon also emphasizes the importance of state-of-the-art digital, e-commerce, and other modern capabilities for the system, requiring franchisees to comply with hardware and software purchase and utilization requirements. While the FDD does not specify mandatory internet/phone providers, Bonchon's technology requirements and control over online activities suggest franchisees may need to adopt specific systems that could influence their choice of providers to ensure compatibility with Bonchon's overall technology infrastructure.