What evidence of compliance must a former Browns Chicken franchisee provide after termination or expiration?
Browns_Chicken Franchise · 2025 FDDAnswer from 2025 FDD Document
Franchisee agrees that after the termination or expiration of the Franchise he will: (1) not directly or indirectly at any time or in any manner identify himself or any business as a current or former BROWN'S Store, or as a franchisee or licensee of or as otherwise associated with Brown, or use any Mark or any colorable imitation thereof in any manner or for any purpose, or utilize for any purpose any trade name, trademark or service mark or other commercial symbol that suggests or indicates a connection or association with Brown; (2) remove all signs containing any Mark and return to Brown or destroy all menus and other forms and materials containing any Mark or otherwise identifying or relating to a BROWN'S Store; (3) remove all Marks affixed to uniforms and/or, at Brown's direction, cease to use such uniforms; (4) take such action as may be required to cancel all fictitious or assumed names or equivalent registrations relating to his use of any Mark; (5) change the telephone number of the Store and instruct all telephone directory publishers to modify all telephone directory listings of the Store associated with any Marks when the directories are next published, or, at Brown's option, assign the telephone number to Brown or its designee; and (6) furnish to Brown, within thirty (30) days after the effective date of termination or expiration, evidence satisfactory to Brown of Franchisee's compliance with the foregoing obligations.
Source: Item 22 — Contracts (FDD page 43)
What This Means (2025 FDD)
According to the 2025 Browns Chicken Franchise Disclosure Document, a franchisee must furnish evidence of compliance to Browns Chicken within 30 days after the effective date of termination or expiration of the franchise agreement. This evidence must be satisfactory to Browns Chicken and demonstrate that the franchisee has met specific obligations related to the brand's identity and intellectual property.
Specifically, the franchisee must prove they are no longer identifying themselves or their business as a current or former Browns Chicken store or affiliate. This includes refraining from using any Browns Chicken marks or imitations thereof. The franchisee must also show they have removed all signs containing any Browns Chicken marks and have returned or destroyed all menus and other materials that contain the marks or otherwise identify or relate to a Browns Chicken store. Additionally, they must remove all Browns Chicken marks from uniforms or cease using the uniforms altogether, as directed by Browns Chicken.
Furthermore, the franchisee needs to provide evidence that they have taken the necessary steps to cancel all fictitious or assumed names or equivalent registrations related to their use of any Browns Chicken mark. They must also demonstrate that they have changed the store's telephone number and instructed directory publishers to modify listings to remove any association with Browns Chicken, or, alternatively, that they have assigned the telephone number to Browns Chicken or its designee. These measures ensure a clean break between the franchisee and the Browns Chicken brand, protecting the brand's identity and preventing potential customer confusion.