What section of the Illinois Franchise Disclosure Act is referenced in the Churchs Chicken addendum regarding jurisdiction or venue?
Churchs_Chicken Franchise · 2025 FDDAnswer from 2025 FDD Document
| This | Addendum to the Church's Texas Chicken Franchise Agreement dated |
|---|---|
| ("Franchise limited liability | Agreement") between CAJUN GLOBAL LLC, d/b/a Church's Texas Chicken a Delaware company ("Cajun"), and , a formed in |
| Agreement. | ("Franchisee") is entered into simultaneously with the execution of the Franchise |
| 1. Franchise Franchisee was the Franchised located, in the | The provisions of this Addendum form an integral part of, and are incorporated into the Agreement. This Addendum is being executed because: (A) the offer or sale of a franchise to made in the State of Illinois; Franchisee is a resident of the State of Illinois; and/or (B) (C) Restaurant will be located and/or operated, and/or all or part of the Protected Area will be State of Illinois. |
| 2. | The |
| following | |
| sentence | |
| is | |
| added | |
| at | |
| the | |
| end | |
| of | |
| Section | |
| 27.A. | |
| of | |
| the | |
| Franchise | |
| Agreement: | |
| Notwithstanding | |
| the | |
| foregoing, | |
| Illinois | |
| law | |
| shall | |
| govern | |
| this | |
| Agreement. | |
| 3. | The |
| following | |
| sentence | |
| is | |
| added | |
| to | |
| the | |
| end | |
| of | |
| Section | |
| 27.B. | |
| of | |
| the | |
| Franchise | |
| Agreement: | |
| Section | |
| 4 | |
| of | |
| the | |
| Illinois | |
| Franchise | |
| Disclosure | |
| Act | |
| provides | |
| that | |
| any | |
| provision | |
| in | |
| a | |
| franchise | |
| agreement | |
| which | |
| designates | |
| jurisdiction | |
| or | |
| venue | |
| in | |
| a | |
| forum | |
| outside | |
| of | |
| Illinois | |
| is | |
| void | |
| with | |
| respect | |
| to | |
| any | |
| cause | |
| of | |
| action | |
| which | |
| otherwise | |
| is | |
| enforceable | |
| in | |
| Illinois. |
Source: Item 22 — CONTRACTS (FDD pages 67–68)
What This Means (2025 FDD)
According to the 2025 Churchs Chicken Franchise Disclosure Document, the addendum for Illinois franchisees references Section 4 of the Illinois Franchise Disclosure Act regarding jurisdiction or venue. This section stipulates that any provision in the franchise agreement that designates jurisdiction or venue in a forum outside of Illinois is void with respect to any cause of action that is otherwise enforceable in Illinois.
In practical terms, this means that if an Illinois Churchs Chicken franchisee has a legal dispute with Cajun Global LLC that is enforceable under Illinois law, the franchisee cannot be forced to litigate the dispute in a court outside of Illinois. This provision protects the franchisee's right to have their case heard in their home state.
This type of clause is common in franchise agreements to ensure compliance with state franchise laws, which often aim to protect franchisees within their jurisdiction. Prospective Churchs Chicken franchisees in Illinois should be aware of this protection, as it can significantly impact their ability to pursue legal claims against the franchisor.