Does the Checkers Development Agreement grant franchisees the right to use any of the Checkers Marks?

According to Checkers's 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document, the Development Agreement does not grant franchisees the right to use any of the Checkers Marks. The right to use the Marks is derived solely from the franchise agreements that franchisees enter into with Checkers. Franchisees are not allowed to use any Mark as part of a corporate or legal business name or in any other manner not explicitly authorized in writing by Checkers.

This means that while a franchisee might sign a Development Agreement to open multiple Checkers locations, the actual right to use the Checkers trademarks and branding only comes into effect once they sign individual franchise agreements for each specific location. The Development Agreement simply sets the stage for future franchise agreements; it doesn't grant immediate trademark usage rights.

This distinction is important for prospective franchisees to understand. Signing a Development Agreement commits them to developing a certain number of Checkers restaurants, but it doesn't allow them to start using the Checkers brand or trademarks until the individual franchise agreements are in place. This protects Checkers's brand identity and ensures that franchisees meet all requirements before representing the brand.