factual

What damages is the Circle K franchisee responsible for paying?

Circle_K Franchise · 2025 FDD

Answer from 2025 FDD Document

nchisor may simultaneously constitute a default by Franchisee under this Agreement notwithstanding that at such time Franchisee may be fully and promptly performing its obligations hereunder.

  • 14.7 Rights and Obligations upon Expiration or Termination. Upon expiration or termination of this Agreement for any reason, Franchisee will:
  • (A) within five (5) days, pay all Royalty Fees, Promotional Fees, and any other amounts owed to Franchisor, suppliers, or vendors, including the outstanding principal amounts and accrued interest on any notes or evidences of indebtedness of Franchisee payable to Franchisor or any Affiliates. The payment to Franchisor of all amounts owing will be accelerated on all debt obligations which had been the subject of payment schedules even if payment was then being made promptly according to the agreed schedule. Franchisee hereby grants to Franchisor a lien and security interest against any and all personal property, equipment, and fixtures owned by Franchisee and used in connection with the Store as security for the payment of such obligations;
  • (B) immediately pay, as fair and reasonable liquidated damages ("Liquidated Damages"), an amount equal to (i) the lesser of (x) 48 or (y) the remaining number of months under the Term, multiplied by (ii) the average monthly Royalty Fee payments (calculated in accordance with Section 5.2) payable by Franchisee hereunder for the 12 months preceding the termination (during which time the Franchisee was in Good Standing under this Agreement), or for a shorter period commencing with the Effective Date of this Agreement if this Agreement is terminated in the first 12 months of the Term. If the Store has never been opened and therefore has no history of Royalty Fee payments, the Liquidated Damages will be calculated based on the average monthly Gross Sales of all Circle K franchisees located in the state where the Franchised

Location is located for the 12-month period immediately preceding the termination. If there are no Circle K franchisees located in such state, the calculation will be based on the average monthly Gross Sales of all Circle K franchisees located in the United States. Notwithstanding the foregoing, in any and all cases, the average monthly Royalty Fee payment amount used in the Liquidated Damages calculation shall be no less than $1,000 since that is the minimum required monthly Royalty Fee. Franchisor and Franchisee acknowledge and agree that the termination of this Agreement will result in Franchisor incurring damages based on lost revenues from Royalty Fees and other amounts payable by Franchisee if the Franchised Location is no longer a Circle K Store, and that it will be difficult to calculate with certainty the amount of damages Franchisor will incur. The provisions of this Section 14.7(B) do not apply if the Agreement expires at the end of its initial Term or is terminated due to (i) Franchisee's (or if Franchisee is an entity, Principal Equity Holder's) death; (ii) Franchisee's (or if Franchisee is an entity, Principal Equity Holder's) incapacity for at least 90 consecutive days, in either case which event results in Franchisee's (or if Franchisee is an entity, Principal Equity Holder's) inability to personally operate the Store; (iii) condemnation or other taking, in whole or in part, of the Franchised Location due to eminent domain; (iv) destruction of all or a substantial part of the Franchised Location through no fault of Franchisee; (v) Franchisee's failure to secure the necessary permits for the construction of the Store or (vi) a determination made by Franchisor in good faith and in the normal course of business to withdraw from marketing in the geographical area in which the Store is located. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if a court determines that the payment under this Section 14.7(B) is unenforceable, then Franchisor may pursue all other available remedies, including consequential damages to the extent proved;

Exhibit F - Franchise Agreement (C) immediately discontinue all use of the Marks and the Business System. Franchisee will cease displaying and using, and will return to Franchisor, all copies of the Business Systems Manuals, other Confidential Information, all signs, stationery, letterheads, forms, printed matter, electronically stored data, advertising, and other materials required to be returned in accordance with this Agreement, and will cease using the Marks and any name, logo, slogans, or symbols or other designations that may mislead or confuse the public or suggest association between Franchisee and Franchisor or the Business System, except only to the extent that the Marks appear as labels or identification of products, inventory or other Business Assets that are being purchased by Franchisor under Section 16.1. Franchisee will not thereafter operate, advertise, or do business under any name or in any manner in violation of this Section 14.7. Franchisee will promptly make reasonable modifications to the exterior and interior of the Franchised Location to eliminate Franchisee's former identification as a franchisee of Franchisor, including, but not limited to, removing all signs that contain the Marks; provided, however that Franchisor may waive (partially or entirely) this requirement if Franchisor is exercising its rights under Section 14.7(D). Subject to Section 14.7(D), if Franchisee fails to debrand the interior or exterior of the Franchised Location to Franchisor's satisfaction, Franchisor may hire a third party to complete the debrand of the Franchised Location and Franchisor will charge Franchisee for all costs associated with the debranding process. Franchisee will promptly execute and file an assignment of its fictitious business name and any other similar filings and take such additional actions as may be necessary to abandon use of any fictitious business name and any social media account containing or using any of the Marks. At Franchisor's request, Franchisee will assign to Franchisor or its nominee all telephone numbers and listings, including social media accounts, used in the operation of the Store.

Source: Item 22 — CONTRACTS (FDD page 100)

What This Means (2025 FDD)

According to Circle K's 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document, a franchisee may be responsible for several types of payments upon termination or expiration of the franchise agreement. These include all outstanding Royalty Fees, Promotional Fees, and any other amounts owed to Circle K, its suppliers, or vendors, including principal and accrued interest on any debts. All outstanding debt obligations to Circle K will be immediately due, even if the franchisee was previously on a payment schedule. To secure these payments, Circle K retains a lien and security interest on the franchisee's personal property, equipment, and fixtures used in connection with the store.

In addition to outstanding fees and debts, a Circle K franchisee may also be liable for liquidated damages upon termination. These damages are calculated as the lesser of 48 months or the remaining number of months in the franchise term, multiplied by the average monthly Royalty Fee payments from the preceding 12 months. If the store has not yet opened and has no royalty fee payment history, the liquidated damages will be based on the average monthly Gross Sales of all Circle K franchisees in the same state. If there are no Circle K franchisees in that state, the calculation will use the average monthly Gross Sales of all Circle K franchisees in the United States. However, the minimum average monthly Royalty Fee used in this calculation will be no less than $1,000.

The FDD outlines some exceptions where liquidated damages may not apply, such as in the event of the franchisee's death or incapacity, condemnation of the franchised location, destruction of the location through no fault of the franchisee, failure to secure necessary permits, or Circle K's decision to withdraw from marketing in the area. However, if a court deems the liquidated damages provision unenforceable, Circle K may pursue other remedies, including consequential damages. Furthermore, if Circle K exercises its Right of First Refusal and the franchisee refuses to sign the Circle K Business Franchise Agreement, the franchisee will be required to pay liquidated damages as well as the unamortized portion of any funding provided by Circle K.

Prospective Circle K franchisees should carefully consider these potential financial obligations and ensure they understand the circumstances under which they may be required to pay these amounts. It is advisable to consult with a financial advisor and legal counsel to fully assess the financial risks associated with the franchise agreement.

Disclaimer: This information is extracted from the 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document and is provided for research purposes only. It does not constitute legal or financial advice. Consult with a franchise attorney before making any investment decisions.