How long does a Circle K licensee have to remove all proprietary marks from the premises after termination of the agreement?
Circle_K Franchise · 2025 FDDAnswer from 2025 FDD Document
- (d) Upon any termination of this Agreement, Licensee shall, at its sole cost and expense, (i) immediately discontinue the use of the Proprietary Marks, (ii) cease holding itself out to the public as a TMC licensee, and (iii) immediately remove from the Premises and surrender to TMC or TMC's designee, at Licensee's sole risk and expense, any and all items, signage and materials containing the Proprietary Marks.
If Licensee fails to remove all Proprietary Marks from the Premises within 10 days following any termination of this Agreement, then TMC or its designee may immediately enter and remove same at the sole cost and expense of Licensee and Licensee hereby agrees to reimburse TMC for any such cost or expense within 10 days after TMC makes demand for reimbursement.
Source: Item 23 — RECEIPTS (FDD pages 100–359)
What This Means (2025 FDD)
According to Circle K's 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document, a licensee must remove all proprietary marks from the premises within 10 days following the termination of the Branding Agreement. These proprietary marks include Circle K's trademarks, service marks, trade names, brand names, trade dress, logos, color patterns, color schemes, design schemes, insignia, images and other brand identifications. If the licensee fails to do so within this timeframe, Circle K or its designee has the right to enter the premises and remove the marks themselves, but at the licensee's expense.
This means that upon termination, a former Circle K licensee must act quickly to strip all Circle K branding from the location. This includes signage, materials, and any other items displaying the proprietary marks. The licensee is responsible for the costs associated with this removal.
The 10-day window is relatively short, so a franchisee should be prepared to handle this swiftly upon termination to avoid additional costs incurred by Circle K removing the marks. This clause protects Circle K's brand identity and ensures that terminated locations do not continue to represent the brand.