Does the Browns Chicken FDD state that a certified public accountant has audited the financial figures?
Browns_Chicken Franchise · 2025 FDDAnswer from 2025 FDD Document
| 25 | Projected Company Owned Stores Opening Through Dec. 31, 2025 | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Illinois | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Indiana | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Totals | 0 | 0 | 0 |
INDEPENDENT AUDITORS' REPORT
To Management Brown's Chicken, LLC Villa Park, Illinois
Opinion
We have audited the accompanying financial statements of Brown's Chicken, LLC which comprise the consolidated balance sheets as of December 31, 2024 and 2023, and the related consolidated statements of operations, changes in members' equity, and cash flows for the years then ended and the related notes to the financial statements.
In our opinion, the financial statements referred to above present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of Brown's Chicken, LLC as of December 31, 2024 and 2023, and the results of its operations and its cash flows for the years then ended in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.
Basis for Opinion
We conducted our audit in accordance with auditing standards generally accepted in the United States of America. Our responsibilities under those standards are further described in the Auditor's Responsibilities for the Audit of the Financial Statements section of our report. We are required to be independent of Brown's Chicken, LLC and to meet our other ethical responsibilities in accordance with the relevant ethical requirements relating to our audit. We believe that the audit evidence we have obtained is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for our audit opinion.
Responsibilities of Management for Financial Statements
Management is responsible for the preparation and fair presentation of these financial statements in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America, and for the design, implementation, and maintenance of internal control relevant to the preparation and fair presentation of financial statements that are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error.
In preparing the financial statements, management is required to evaluate whether there are conditions or events considered in the aggregate, that raise substantial doubt about Brown's Chicken, LLC's ability to continue as a going concern within one year after the date that the financial statements are available to be issued.
Those charged with governance are responsible for overseeing the Company's financial reporting process.
Auditor's Responsibilities for the Audit of the Financial Statements
Our objectives are to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements as a whole are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error, and to issue an auditor's report that includes our opinion. Reasonable assurance is a high level of assurance but is not absolute assurance and therefore is not guarantee that an audit conducted in accordance with generally accepted auditing standards will always detect a material misstatement when it exists. The risk of not detecting a material misstatement resulting from fraud is higher than for one resulting from error, as fraud may involve collusion, forgery, intentional omissions, misrepresentations, or the override of internal control. Misstatements are considered material if there is a substantial likelihood that, individually or in the aggregate, they would influence the judgement made by a reasonable user based on the financial statements.
In performing an audit in accordance with generally accepted accounting standards, we:
- Exercise professional judgment and maintain professional skepticism throughout the audit.
- Identify and assess the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements, whether due to fraud or error, and design and perform audit procedures responsive to those risks. Such procedures include examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements.
- Obtain an understanding of internal control relevant to the audit in order to design audit procedures that are appropriate in the circumstances, but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of Brown's Chicken, LLC's internal control. Accordingly, no such opinion is expressed.
- Evaluate the appropriateness of accounting policies used and the reasonableness of significant accounting estimates made by management, as well as evaluate the overall presentation of the financial statements.
- Conclude whether, in our judgment, there are conditions or events, considered in the aggregate, that raise substantial doubt about Brown's Chicken, LLC's ability to continue as a going concern for a reasonable period of time.
We are required to communicate with those charged with governance regarding, among other matters, the planned scope and timing of the audit, significant audit findings, and certain internal control related matters that we identified during the audit.
Catalano, Caboor & Company
Catalano, Caboor & Co.
Source: Item 21 — FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (FDD page 42)
What This Means (2025 FDD)
According to Browns Chicken's 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document, the financial statements have been audited by an independent auditor. The Independent Auditors' Report states that Catalano, Caboor & Co. have audited the consolidated balance sheets as of December 31, 2024 and 2023, and the related consolidated statements of operations, changes in members' equity, and cash flows for the years then ended, including the related notes to the financial statements. The auditor's opinion is that the financial statements present fairly the financial position of Browns Chicken, LLC as of December 31, 2024 and 2023, and the results of its operations and its cash flows for the years then ended in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.
The audit was conducted in accordance with auditing standards generally accepted in the United States of America, requiring the auditor to be independent of Browns Chicken, LLC and to meet ethical responsibilities. The auditor's responsibilities include obtaining reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error, and issuing an auditor's report that includes their opinion. However, reasonable assurance is not absolute, and there is a risk that material misstatements may not always be detected.
The report also details the responsibilities of Browns Chicken's management in preparing the financial statements, including ensuring they are free from material misstatement and evaluating the company's ability to continue as a going concern. The auditors are required to communicate with those charged with governance regarding the scope and timing of the audit, significant audit findings, and certain internal control related matters. The audit firm, Catalano, Caboor & Co., is located in Lombard, IL, and the report is dated March 31, 2024.