Does the Cicis Franchise Agreement allow me to operate at multiple locations?
Cicis Franchise · 2025 FDDAnswer from 2025 FDD Document
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Franchise Agreement
The Franchise Agreement gives you the right to operate your Cicis Restaurant at a single location that you select and we accept. You must select your site from within a geographic area that we call your Designated Area and that is described in the Franchise Agreement. As long as you are in compliance with the Franchise Agreement, we will not, during the term of your Franchise Agreement, operate or grant others the right to operate any other Restaurant within a specified geographic area described in the Franchise Agreement (the "Protected Area"). We determine the size of the Protected Area based on various market and economic factors, such as an evaluation of market demographics, the market penetration of similar businesses, the availability of appropriate sites, and the growth trends in the market. The Protected Area generally consists of a portion of a city, county or designated market area.
The Franchise Agreement does not permit you to relocate your Cicis Restaurant. If, at any time during the term of the Franchise Agreement, you request us to consider a relocation, we will do so, but we will not be required to apply any particular standards or guidelines to our consideration. Our decision on whether to grant your request will be made in our sole discretion. You have no right of first refusal or similar rights to acquire additional franchises or establish additional Restaurants.
Other Restaurants, food aggregators, and/or third-party delivery service providers may deliver to customers located in your Protected Area and vice-versa. You may not sell any products or services sold at your Cicis Restaurant through any alternate distribution channels, including, the Internet, catalogue sales, supermarkets, convenience stores, or grocery stores.
Source: Item 12 — TERRITORY (FDD pages 38–40)
What This Means (2025 FDD)
According to Cicis's 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document, the standard Franchise Agreement allows you to operate a Cicis restaurant at a single, approved location within a Designated Area. To operate multiple locations, you must enter into an Area Development Agreement.
The Franchise Agreement grants you the right to operate a Cicis Restaurant at a single location that you select and Cicis accepts. This location must be within a Designated Area specified in the Franchise Agreement. While you have a Protected Area where Cicis will not operate or franchise another full-service restaurant, the Franchise Agreement itself does not allow for operating multiple locations under a single agreement.
To gain the right to open and operate multiple Cicis restaurants, you must enter into an Area Development Agreement. This agreement grants you the right to develop, open, and operate multiple Restaurants within a defined geographic area known as the "Development Area." The size of this area depends on factors like the number of Cicis restaurants you commit to opening and market demographics. The specific locations you propose for new Cicis restaurants must be approved by Cicis, and each restaurant will have its own Protected Area as defined in its individual Franchise Agreement.
It's important to note that even with an Area Development Agreement, Cicis retains significant rights, including the ability to operate or franchise restaurants in "Special Venues" within your Development Area. These Special Venues include locations like airports, universities, and sports facilities. Furthermore, upon expiration or termination of the Area Development Agreement, Cicis has the right to develop and operate or franchise others to operate restaurants within the former Development Area, except within the Protected Areas of your existing franchises.