Who must a Carls Jr. franchisee contract with to monitor and maintain their network equipment?

According to the 2025 Carls Jr. Franchise Disclosure Document, franchisees are required to contract with a CKR approved managed service provider to monitor and maintain their network equipment. Currently, the approved providers are limited to AT&T and One Source Communications.

This requirement ensures that all Carls Jr. locations maintain a consistent and reliable network infrastructure, which is crucial for operations such as point-of-sale systems, online ordering, and other technology-dependent services. By mandating specific providers, Carls Jr. aims to standardize network management and security across all franchise locations.

For a prospective franchisee, this means they will need to factor in the costs associated with these services from either AT&T or One Source Communications. It also means they will not have the flexibility to choose their own provider unless they can persuade Carls Jr. to add additional options to their approved list. It would be prudent for a potential franchisee to inquire about the typical costs and service levels provided by these approved vendors to fully understand the ongoing operational expenses.