What is the one-time PAR Brink and CrunchTime Training Fee for a Carls Jr. franchisee?
Carls_Jr Franchise · 2025 FDDAnswer from 2025 FDD Document
| Type of Fee (1) | Amount | Due Date | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Software Support Fee (PAR Brink and CrunchTime) | Currently, $118 per Franchised Restaurant per fiscal period (4 week accounting period) (for L/1 and L/2 Help Desk Support for PAR Brink & CrunchTime); in addition, $825 per Franchised Restaurant bi annually (every 26 week accounting period) for back office support fee payable to CrunchTime. Additionally, there is an optional BizIQ cost, per user: Power User $3,800, Analyst $1,800, and Consumer $600. If you use Brink, you must also pay the Brink Hosting Fee of $6.50 per fiscal period (4 | As incurred | $118 of this amount is paid to our affiliate, CKR, and the amount or related fees are subject to change, although we do not anticipate any annual increase to exceed 30% unless new technology components are added. Applicable only if you choose to use the PAR Brink/CrunchTime service (described in Item 11). You are not required to use this software. If you use PAR Brink you are also required to use CrunchTime for back office support and pay to Crunchtime $825 per Franchised Restaurant bi annually (every 26 week accounting period) for back office support fee. PAR Brink and CrunchTime require the payment of additional license fees as explained in Item 11. The breakdown of this support fee is: RTSC Help Desk – Cognizant - $55 RTSC Help Desk – Network/Telco $25 RTSC Help Desk – Kaseya/Ninja - $14 Black Hills InfoSec (BHIS) - $13 RTSC Help Desk – Service Now - $8 Sentinel 1 - $3 The BizIQ cost is billed annually by BizIQ and paid directly to BizIQ. The CrunchTime and Brink Hosting Fees are billed by us and paid to our affiliate, CKR, to reimburse CKR for these hosting fees billed to CKR by CrunchTime and Brink. |
Source: Item 6 — Other Fees (FDD pages 28–35)
What This Means (2025 FDD)
Based on the 2025 Carls Jr. Franchise Disclosure Document, there is no mention of a one-time training fee for PAR Brink and CrunchTime software. However, if a franchisee chooses to use the PAR Brink/CrunchTime service, they will incur ongoing Software Support Fees.
The Software Support Fee for PAR Brink and CrunchTime is currently $118 per Franchised Restaurant per fiscal period (4 week accounting period) for L/1 and L/2 Help Desk Support. Additionally, there is a $825 per Franchised Restaurant bi-annually (every 26 week accounting period) for a back-office support fee payable to CrunchTime. The $118 is paid to CKR, a Carls Jr. affiliate, and these fees are subject to change, with anticipated annual increases not exceeding 30% unless new technology components are added.
In addition to the Software Support Fee, if a franchisee uses Brink, they must also pay a Brink Hosting Fee of $6.50 per fiscal period (4 weeks). The FDD also mentions that PAR Brink and CrunchTime require the payment of additional license fees, as explained in Item 11. A franchisee is not required to use this software. Because the FDD does not list a one-time training fee, a prospective franchisee should contact Carls Jr. directly to inquire about any potential initial training costs associated with the PAR Brink and CrunchTime software.