What must a Chicken Guy franchisee do if there is a change in ownership interests?
Chicken_Guy Franchise · 2025 FDDAnswer from 2025 FDD Document
9.D., each individual shall continue to be jointly and severally bound by, and personally liable for the timely and complete performance and a breach of, each and every provision of this Agreement.
- B. Governing Documents. If Franchisee is a corporation, copies of Franchisee's Articles of Incorporation, bylaws, other governing documents and any amendments, including the resolution of the Board of Directors authorizing entry into and performance of this Agreement, and all shareholder agreements, including buy/sell agreements, have been furnished to Chicken Guy. If Franchisee is a limited liability company, copies of Franchisee's Articles of Organization, Management Agreement, other governing documents and any amendments, including the resolution of the Managers authorizing entry into and performance of this Agreement, and all agreements, including buy/sell agreements, among the members have been furnished to Chicken Guy. If Franchisee is a partnership, copies of Franchisee's written partnership agreement, other governing documents and any amendments, as well as all agreements, including buy/sell agreements, among the partners have been furnished to Chicken Guy, in addition to evidence of consent or approval of the entry into and performance of this Agreement by the requisite number or percentage of partners, if that approval or consent is required by Franchisee's written partnership agreement. When any of these governing documents are modified or changed, Franchisee promptly shall provide copies to Chicken Guy.
C. Ownership Interests.
- (1) If Franchisee is a corporation, a limited liability company or a partnership, all interests in Franchisee are owned as set forth in the attached Data Sheet. In addition, if Franchisee is a corporation, Franchisee shall maintain a current list of all owners of record and all beneficial owners of any class of voting securities of the corporation (and the number of shares owned by each). If Franchisee is a limited liability company, Franchisee shall maintain a current list of all members (and the percentage membership interest of each member). If Franchisee is a partnership, Franchisee shall maintain a current list of all owners of an interest in the partnership (and the percentage ownership of each owner). Franchisee shall comply with Section 19 prior to any change in ownership interests and shall execute addenda to the attached Data Sheet as changes occur in order to ensure the information contained in the attached Data Sheet is true, accurate and complete at all times.
- (2) The requirements of this Section 17.C. shall apply only to Franchisee's Continuity Group (defined in Section 17.E.) if, as of the date of the first franchise-related agreement between Franchisee and Chicken Guy or one of its affiliates, Franchisee was a publicly-held entity (i.e., an entity that has a class of securities traded on a recognized securities exchange or quoted on the inter-dealer quotation sheets known as the "pink sheets"). If Franchisee becomes a publicly-held entity after that date, it shall thereafter be required to execute addenda to the attached Data Sheet only with respect to changes in ownership interests of members of the Continuity Group.
- D. Restrictive Legend. If Franchisee is a corporation, Franchisee shall maintain stop-transfer instructions against the transfer on its records of any voting securities, and each stock certificate of the corporation shall have conspicuously endorsed upon its face the following statement: "Any assignment or transfer of this stock is subject to the restrictions imposed on assignment by the Chicken Guy! Restaurant Franchise Agreement(s) to which the corporation is a party." If Franchisee is a publicly-held corporation these requirements shall apply only to the stock owned by Franchisee's Continuity Group. If Franchisee is a limited liability company, each membership or management certificate or other evidence of interest in Franchisee shall have conspicuously endorsed upon its face the following statement: "Any assignment or transfer of an interest in this limited liability company is subject to the restrictions imposed on assignment by the Chicken Guy! Restaurant Franchise Agreement(s) to which the limited liability company is a party." If Franchisee is a partnership, its written partnership agreement shall provide that ownership of an interest in the partnership is held subject to, and that further assignment or transfer is subject to, all restrictions imposed on assignment by this Agreement.
- E. Continuity Group. If Franchisee is a corporation, a limited liability company or a partnership, the attached Data Sheet lists those persons whom Chicken Guy and Franchisee have designated as Franchisee's "Continuity Group." In the event of any change in the Continuity Group or in the ownership interests of any member of the Continuity Group, Franchisee shall execute addenda to the attached Data Sheet to reflect the change. If Franchisee is a corporation, the Continuity Group shall at all times own at least 51% of the voting securities of Franchisee; if Franchisee is a limited liability company, the Continuity Group shall at all times own at least 51% of the membership interests in Franchisee; and if Franchisee is a partnership, the Continuity Group shall at all times have at least a 51% interest in the operating profits and losses and at least a 51% ownership interest in Franchisee.
**F.
Source: Item 22 — CONTRACTS (FDD page 50)
What This Means (2025 FDD)
According to Chicken Guy's 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document, a franchisee must adhere to specific requirements regarding changes in ownership interests. The franchisee must comply with Section 19 of the franchise agreement before any change in ownership occurs and must execute addenda to the attached Data Sheet to ensure the information remains accurate and complete. This applies whether the franchisee is a corporation, limited liability company, or partnership. These entities must maintain current lists of all owners, beneficial owners, members, or partners, respectively, along with their ownership percentages.
For publicly-held entities as of the date of the first franchise-related agreement, these requirements apply only to the Continuity Group, which is a designated group of individuals. If the franchisee becomes a publicly-held entity after that date, they only need to update the Data Sheet for changes in the Continuity Group's ownership. The Continuity Group must maintain at least 51% ownership of the voting securities if the franchisee is a corporation, at least 51% of the membership interests if a limited liability company, or at least a 51% interest in the operating profits and losses and a 51% ownership interest if a partnership.
Furthermore, if the franchisee is a corporation, they must maintain stop-transfer instructions against the transfer of any voting securities and ensure that each stock certificate has a restrictive legend indicating that any transfer is subject to the restrictions imposed by the Chicken Guy Restaurant Franchise Agreement. Similar restrictions apply to limited liability companies and partnerships, requiring corresponding endorsements on membership certificates or written partnership agreements. In the event of any change in the Continuity Group or their ownership interests, the franchisee must execute addenda to the Data Sheet to reflect these changes.
Chicken Guy also retains a right of first refusal. If any party holding an interest in the franchise receives a bona fide offer from a third party or desires to undertake any transfer requiring Chicken Guy's approval, they must notify Chicken Guy in writing. Chicken Guy then has the option to purchase the interest on the same financial terms offered by the third party, excluding any finder's or broker's fees. This ensures that Chicken Guy has control over who becomes a franchisee and maintains the integrity of the brand.