What constitutes a default of the Cicis Franchise Agreement that would negate 'Good Standing'?
Cicis Franchise · 2025 FDDAnswer from 2025 FDD Document
s a Cicis Restaurant by you, your affiliate, or a third party unaffiliated with you and was permanently closed or has been temporarily closed for an extensive period. The franchise agreement that previously governed the owner's operation of the Restaurant has been terminated. You and we have entered into the Franchise Agreement to govern your ownership and operation of the previously closed Restaurant from and after the Effective Date.
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- Reopening of the Restaurant. You agree that you will, at your expense, take the actions described on Attachment A hereto to remodel and refresh the Restaurant (the "Refresh Obligations") prior to reopening the Restaurant, and you will complete the Refresh Obligations and reopen the Restaurant for regular business in accordance with the Franchise Agreement by no later than the Reopening Deadline shown on Attachment A.
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- Reduction of Initial Franchise Fee. Provided you and your affiliates remain in good standing, we agree that the Initial Franchise Fee due under the Franchise Agreement shall be reduced to $5,000. We reserve the right to revoke the foregoing reduction at any time you cease to be in good standing, in which case, you will pay us the balance of the full Initial Franchise Fee which, absent the foregoing reduction, is required under the Franchise Agreement. "Good Standing" means that you and your affiliates, as applicable, are in compliance with all material obligations under the Franchise Agreement and all other agreements between us and you or them. You agree that we will have sole discretion to determine whether particular obligations are "material" for purposes of determining good standing, and our decision will be final.
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- Modification of Royalty Fees. Notwithstanding anything in the Franchise Agreement to the contrary, you and we agree as follows:
Provided you and your affiliates are in good standing, for Net Sales generated through the 1st anniversary of the Effective Date of this Agreement, the Royalty Fee will be calculated at 3% of those Net Sales; and for Net Sales generated from the day following the 1st anniversary of the Effective Date of this Agreement through the 2nd anniversary of the Effective Date of this Agreement, the Royalty Fee will be calculated at 4% of those Net Sales. If, at any time prior to the 2nd anniversary of the Effective Date of this Agreement, you cease to be in good standing, the foregoing Royalty Fee reductions will automatically, and without any further notice, be null and void, and the Royalty Fee will thereafter be calculated as described in the Franchise Agreement without regard to this paragraph.
- Right to Close Restaurant. You and we agree that you will have a one-time right to permanently close the Restaurant if, for the period beginning on the date the Restaurant reopens for regular business and ending on the day that is 1.5 years after that date (the "Assessment Period"), the Restaurant's EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization), considering only those expenses that are normal restaurant-level operating expenses, is a negative number. To exercise the right to close, you must provide us, no sooner than the end of the Assessment Period and no later than 30 days after the end of the Assessment Period, (a) a profit and loss statement for the Assessment Period, which may be internally prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, showing the negative EBITDA, and (b) written notice of your intention to close and the date on which you intend to do so. On or prior to the closure, you and we will execute a written mutual termination of the Franchise Agreement, which will include a general release of any and all claims you and your related parties might have against us and our related parties, standard confidentiality and non-disparagement provisions, and your
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and your owners' agreement to comply with the obligations under the Franchise Agreement that are triggered by or that survive the termination of the agreement.
- General Release.
Source: Item 23 — RECEIPTS (FDD pages 65–263)
What This Means (2025 FDD)
According to Cicis's 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document, 'Good Standing' is defined differently depending on the context of the agreement. For a Restaurant that was formerly operated as a Cicis restaurant, 'Good Standing' means that the franchisee and their affiliates are in compliance with all material obligations under the Franchise Agreement and all other agreements between Cicis and the franchisee or their affiliates. Cicis retains sole discretion to determine whether particular obligations are 'material' for purposes of determining good standing, and their decision is final.
For agreements related to Development, 'Good Standing' means that the franchisee and their affiliates are in compliance with all material obligations under the Development Agreement (including the Development Schedule), all Franchise Agreements between Cicis and the franchisee or them, whether or not executed pursuant to the Development Agreement, and all other agreements between Cicis and the franchisee or their affiliates. Again, Cicis has the sole discretion to determine whether particular obligations are 'material' for purposes of determining good standing, and their decision will be final.
In the context of termination rights and general releases, 'Good Standing' means that the franchisee, their owners, and their affiliates are not in default of the Franchise Agreement or any other agreement with Cicis or its affiliates. It also requires that the franchisee, their owners, and their affiliates have substantially and timely complied with all of the terms and conditions of all such agreements, including the timely satisfaction of all monetary obligations owed to Cicis or its affiliates. A failure to comply with obligations under the agreement can lead to a loss of benefits such as reduced fees or royalty rates, and Cicis may modify or terminate territorial rights if a franchisee is in default.