Will a Checkers franchisee receive an exclusive territory under the Franchise Agreement?

nchise Agreement does not provide you with any options, rights of first refusal or similar rights to acquire additional franchises.

You will not receive an exclusive territory. You may face competition from other franchisees, from outlets that we own, or from other channels of distribution or competitive brands we control. However, you may receive a limited protected area, as follows: we will not operate (directly or through an affiliate), or grant to a third party the right to operate, any Checkers Restaurant or Rally's Restaurant located within the particular geographic area identified in Exhibit B attached to the Franchise Agreement (the "Protected Area"). The Protected Area, as defined by us, will be the lesser of: (i) a one (1) mile radius from the center of the Premises if your Franchised Restaurant is located in a suburban or rural area or (ii) an area immediately surrounding the Premises that encompasses a population of 20,000 residents if your Franchised Restaurant is located in an urban area. We do not provide a Protected Area to franchisees that operate Restaurants from Non-Traditional Sites.

Except for the rights we expressly grant you under the Franchise Agreement, we and all of our affiliates (and our respective successors and assigns, by purchase, merger, consolidation or otherwise) retain all of our rights and discretion with respect to the Marks, the System, Restaurants anywhere in the world, and the right to engage in any business whatsoever (without compensation to you), including the rights to:

(a) establish and operate, and grant to others the right to operate,

Restaurants at locations outside the Protected Area, on terms and conditions we deem appropriate;

• (b) establish and operate, and grant to others the right to operate, Restaurants, or other restaurants using any part or all of the System and/or Marks, that are located at or operated from Non-Traditional Sites within or outside the Protected Area;
• (c) sell any products or services under the Marks or under any other trademarks, service marks or trade dress, through alternative channels of distribution, wherever located or operating (including the internet or similar electronic media and supermarkets);
• (d) establish and operate, and grant to others the right to operate, restaurants identified by trademarks, service marks or trade dress, other than the Marks (including the Checkers or Rally's, as is applicable, name and mark), under terms and conditions we deem appropriate and wherever such restaurants are located;
• (e) acquire the assets or ownership interests of one or more businesses providing products and services similar or dissimilar to those provided at Restaurants, and to franchise, license or create similar arrangements with respect to these businesses once acquired, and which businesses we may (at our sole discretion, and without obligation) convert, or allow to be converted, to operations as Checkers Restaurants or Rally's Restaurants using any of the Marks and/or the System, wherever these businesses (or the franchisees or licensees of these businesses) are located or operating (including in the Protected Area, if applicable); and
• (f) to be acquired (whether through acquisition of assets, ownership interests or otherwise, regardless of the form of transaction), by a business providing products and services similar to those provided at Restaurants, or by another business, even if such business operates, franchises and/or licenses Competitive Businesses in the Protected Area.

Source: Item 12 — TERRITORY (FDD pages 57–61)