In the Burger King Franchise Agreement (Individual/Owner-Operator) Addendum, what agreement do the parties make regarding electronic signatures?
Burger_King Franchise · 2025 FDDAnswer from 2025 FDD Document
By entering into this Addendum, Franchisee expressly consents to transact business with BKC electronically and that, consistent with the Uniform Electronic Transactions Act, and all other applicable state and federal laws, this Addendum may be executed by electronic signatures. The parties to this Addendum agree that the parties' electronic signatures are intended to authenticate this writing and to have the same force and effect as the use of manual signatures and an electronically signed version of this Addendum shall constitute an original for all purposes.
This Addendum is hereby executed by the parties effective on the date indicated above.
Source: Item 20 — OUTLETS AND FRANCHISEE INFORMATION (FDD pages 109–124)
What This Means (2025 FDD)
According to Burger King's 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document, the Franchise Agreement (Individual/Owner-Operator) Addendum includes a provision regarding electronic signatures. By entering into the Addendum, the franchisee expressly consents to conduct business with Burger King Company (BKC) electronically. This consent is made in accordance with the Uniform Electronic Transactions Act and all other applicable state and federal laws.
The agreement specifies that the Addendum may be executed using electronic signatures. Both parties agree that these electronic signatures are intended to authenticate the document. Furthermore, they acknowledge that the electronic signatures have the same legal force and effect as manual signatures.
In practical terms, this means that a franchisee and Burger King can sign the Franchise Agreement Addendum electronically, and the electronically signed version will be considered an original document for all legal purposes. This facilitates a more efficient and streamlined process for executing the agreement, as it eliminates the need for physical signatures and paper documents. This is a fairly standard practice in modern franchising, as it speeds up the process and reduces administrative overhead.