When is the PAR Brink and CrunchTime Training Fee due for a Carls Jr. franchise?
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)
According to the 2025 Carls Jr. Franchise Disclosure Document, the Software Support Fee for PAR Brink and CrunchTime is due as incurred. This fee covers L/1 and L/2 Help Desk Support for PAR Brink & CrunchTime, which is currently $118 per Franchised Restaurant per fiscal period (4 week accounting period). Additionally, there is a $825 per Franchised Restaurant bi-annual fee (every 26 week accounting period) for back office support payable to CrunchTime.
Carls Jr. franchisees should note that these fees are applicable only if they choose to use the PAR Brink/CrunchTime service, as it is not a mandatory requirement. If a franchisee opts to use PAR Brink, they are also required to use CrunchTime for back office support. The $118 portion of the fee is paid to CKR, a Carls Jr. affiliate, and the amounts are subject to change, although annual increases are not expected to exceed 30% unless new technology components are added.
In addition to the support fees, there are optional BizIQ costs, which are billed annually by BizIQ and paid directly to them. These costs vary depending on the user level: Power User ($3,800), Analyst ($1,800), and Consumer ($600). Furthermore, if using Brink, a franchisee must also pay a Brink Hosting Fee of $6.50 per fiscal period (4 weeks), which is billed by Carls Jr. and paid to their affiliate, CKR. It is important for prospective franchisees to consider these technology costs when evaluating the overall investment and operational expenses associated with a Carls Jr. franchise.