Will Churchs Chicken share its standards and specifications with prospective suppliers, and are there any exceptions?
Churchs_Chicken Franchise · 2025 FDDAnswer from 2025 FDD Document
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- We will establish uniform criteria for approving suppliers and will make reasonable efforts to share our standards and specifications with your prospective suppliers on your written request. We may choose not to make available to prospective suppliers the standards and specifications for any food formula or equipment design that we deem to be confidential. (Franchise Agreement, Section 10.C)
Source: Item 11 — FRANCHISOR'S ASSISTANCE, ADVERTISING, COMPUTER SYSTEMS AND TRAINING (FDD pages 35–43)
What This Means (2025 FDD)
According to Churchs Chicken's 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document, Churchs Chicken will make reasonable efforts to share its standards and specifications with prospective suppliers if a franchisee makes a written request. However, Churchs Chicken may choose not to share standards and specifications for any food formula or equipment design it deems confidential.
This means that while Churchs Chicken is generally willing to work with a franchisee's preferred suppliers, they retain control over key proprietary elements of their system. A prospective franchisee should not assume they can use any supplier they choose.
This policy is fairly common in franchising, as franchisors need to protect their brand standards and trade secrets. Franchisees benefit from the franchisor's quality control, but they may have limited flexibility in sourcing supplies. A prospective franchisee should discuss supplier approval and any restrictions with Churchs Chicken before signing an agreement.