Does the provided text describe the franchise offerings of Carls Jr.?
Carls_Jr Franchise · 2025 FDDAnswer from 2025 FDD Document
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CJR is offering, in connection with this disclosure document, the opportunity to become a franchisee and operate a Carl's Jr. Restaurant at either a Travel Center Location or a Gas and Convenience Location (as defined below). The franchise described in this disclosure document is for all franchisees who desire to operate a Carl's Jr. Restaurant at a Travel Center Location or a Gas and Convenience Location.
In addition to offering franchises for the operation of Carl's Jr. Restaurants from Travel Center Locations and Gas and Convenience Locations, CJR offers franchises to operate Carl's Jr. Restaurants at traditional locations and nontraditional locations under one or more separate disclosure documents. That offer will be on terms and conditions different from those described in this disclosure document. Nontraditional locations include, but are not limited to, airports, train stations, bus stations, stadiums, arenas, convention centers, military facilities, schools, colleges, universities, hospitals, recreational theme parks, business or industrial foodservice venues, venues in which foodservice is or may be provided by a master concessionaire or contract foodservice provider, Indian reservations, casinos or any similar captive market location.
Carl's Jr. Restaurants are quick service restaurants offering a limited menu of breakfast, lunch and dinner products and featuring charbroiled 100% Black Angus Thickburger sandwiches, Hand-Breaded Chicken Tenders, Made from Scratch Biscuits, and other related quick serve menu items.
The Franchise. If you are approved as a franchisee, you can buy a franchise to develop and operate one Carl's Jr. Restaurant at a Travel Center Location or Gas and Convenience Location (each, a "Franchised Restaurant") under a Franchise Agreement (the current form is attached as Exhibit D), or if you and the area in which you are interested meet certain qualifications, you can buy the rights to develop multiple (at a minimum, three) Carl's Jr. Restaurants at Travel Center Locations or Gas and Convenience Locations under a Development Agreement (the current form is attached as Exhibit C).
A Travel Center is a facility located off an interstate or limited highway exit that focuses on services to the trucking industry, including fuel, showers, restrooms, convenience items, food and truck parking & services. A Gas and Convenience Center Location is a facility primarily focused on non-commercial fuel service and convenience items including freshly made foods. The Franchised Restaurant may be a newly developed restaurant or the conversion of an existing quick service restaurant brand (at times referred to as a "Conversion Restaurant").
If you are not currently a franchisee, prior to your entering into any other agreement with us, we may require you to execute a Preliminary Agreement (the current form of which is attached as Exhibit E) under which you must agree to keep confidential the information provided by CJR to you during Discovery Day (described below). During Discovery Day, you must attend a 2-day meeting at CJR's offices and at a CKR Restaurant during which you will meet with, and be evaluated by, various CJR personnel. In addition, those individuals who will have a 10% or greater interest in the franchisee entity may be required to complete, as we deem necessary and to our satisfaction, an operations overview, which lasts approximately 10 business days ("10-Day Operations Overview").
Your receipt of this disclosure document does not mean that you will be approved as a franchisee or that you may develop or open a Franchised Restaurant. Before you may develop and open a Franchised Restaurant, CJR must approve you as a franchisee (or, if you already are a franchisee, approve you for expansion), CJR must accept the location of your proposed Franchised Restaurant, you must attend and successfully complete CJR's franchise management training program ("FMTP") and CJR and you must sign the Franchise Agreement. Among other things, you should not acquire any interest in a site for a Franchised Restaurant until, at the earliest, you are approved by CJR as a franchisee (or, if you already are a franchisee, approved for expansion) and CJR accepts the site for your Franchised Restaurant.
Development Incentive Program. Franchisees who sign a Development Agreement or Franchise Agreement for one or more Carl's Jr. Restaurant(s) to be located at a Travel Center Location or Gas and Convenience Location may qualify for our Carl's Jr. Restaurant Travel Center Development Incentive Program (the "CJR 2025 Travel Center Development Incentive Program") or our Standard Development Incentive Program (the "2025 Development Incentive Program").
To be eligible for the CJR 2025 Travel Center Development Incentive Program, the following requirements must be satisfied: (i) the Travel Center Location or Gas and Convenience Location must be located within ½ mile of an interstate or limited access highway and must include a combination of high rise pylon sign, billboard or other highway sign (the "Travel Center Program"), (ii) the Travel Center Location or Gas and Convenience Location must be opened pursuant to a Development Agreement dated no later than May 24, 2026, that includes the development of at least three (3) newly-constructed Carl's Jr. Restaurant(s), (iii) franchisee must open the Franchise Restaurants from a Travel Center Location or Gas and Convenience Location by the date(s) outlined in the corresponding Development Agreement, (iv) franchisee may not be in default of its obligations under its existing franchise agreements or related agreements with CJR or its affiliates, (v) franchisee must be approved for growth by CJR and its affiliates, (vi) franchisee must satisfy CJR's then-current financial and operational requirements for new restaurant development, and (vii) franchisee and the Carl's Jr. Restaurant(s) otherwise meet the requirements of the CJR 2025 Travel Center Development Incentive Program.
Source: Item 1 — THE FRANCHISOR, AND ANY PARENTS, PREDECESSORS, AND AFFILIATES (FDD pages 8–20)
What This Means (2025 FDD)
According to the 2025 FDD, Carls Jr. offers franchises for quick-service restaurants featuring a limited menu of breakfast, lunch, and dinner items. These restaurants emphasize charbroiled 100% Black Angus Thickburger sandwiches, Hand-Breaded Chicken Tenders, and Made from Scratch Biscuits. The franchise opportunity is specifically for Travel Center Locations or Gas and Convenience Locations.
Carls Jr. also offers the possibility of developing multiple restaurants (minimum of three) at Travel Center or Gas and Convenience Locations under a Development Agreement, provided certain qualifications are met. A Travel Center is defined as a facility located off an interstate or limited highway exit catering to the trucking industry, while a Gas and Convenience Center Location focuses on non-commercial fuel service and convenience items, including freshly made foods. New franchisees may be required to sign a Preliminary Agreement to maintain confidentiality and attend a 2-day Discovery Day at Carls Jr.'s offices for evaluation.
The 2025 FDD also mentions a Development Incentive Program. Franchisees who meet the requirements for the 2025 Development Incentive Program may receive a reduction in the initial franchise fee, royalty, and APO fee for the first three years of the franchise term. To qualify, franchisees must sign a Franchise Agreement for a newly-constructed Carls Jr. Restaurant by May 24, 2026, or a Development Agreement by the same date, and open the restaurant by the date outlined in the agreement. They must also be approved for growth, meet financial and operational requirements, and not be in default of any existing agreements with Carls Jr. or its affiliates.