Is a Churchs Chicken franchisee required to use hyperlinks to Cajun's website?
Churchs_Chicken Franchise · 2025 FDDAnswer from 2025 FDD Document
Cajun deems appropriate, including, among other things, that Franchisee obtain Cajun's prior approval of: (1) any and all Internet domain names and home page addresses related to the Franchised Restaurant; (2) the proposed form and content (including any visible and non-visible content such as meta-tags) of any web site related to the Franchised Restaurant; (3) Franchisee's use of any hyperlinks or other links; (4) Franchisee's use of any materials (including text, video clips, photographs, images and sound bites) in which any third party has an ownership interest; and (5) any proposed modification of Franchisee's web site. Cajun may designate the form and content of Franchisee's web site and/or require that Cajun, or a third party designated by Cajun, host any such web site, using one or more web sites that Cajun owns and/or controls. In addition, Cajun may require Franchisee to establish hyperlinks to Cajun's web site or another web site designated by Cajun. Cajun may charge Franchisee a fee for developing, reviewing and approving Franchisee's web site and/or for hosting the web site.
Source: Item 23 — RECEIPT (FDD pages 68–406)
What This Means (2025 FDD)
According to Churchs Chicken's 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document, Cajun, which appears to be the franchisor, has the authority to require franchisees to establish hyperlinks to Cajun's website or another website designated by Cajun. This means that as a Churchs Chicken franchisee, you might be obligated to include links to the corporate website on your restaurant's website, if Cajun deems it necessary.
Furthermore, the FDD states that Cajun may designate the form and content of the franchisee's website and/or require that Cajun, or a third party designated by Cajun, host any such website, using one or more websites that Cajun owns and/or controls. This gives Cajun significant control over the franchisee's online presence, including the website's appearance and functionality.
In addition to potentially mandating hyperlinks, Cajun also requires prior approval of various aspects of any website related to the franchised restaurant. This includes domain names, home page addresses, the website's content (both visible and non-visible, such as meta-tags), the use of any hyperlinks or other links, and the use of any third-party materials. Cajun may also charge a fee for developing, reviewing, and approving the franchisee's website or for hosting it.