Does the Dog Haus franchise agreement define 'Franchise Information'?
Dog_Haus Franchise · 2025 FDDAnswer from 2025 FDD Document
se. Franchisor shall have the right, at its sole option, from time to
time, to (i) change, revise, or eliminate the design, content and functionality of the Website, (ii) make operational changes to the Website, (iii) change or modify the URL and/or domain name of the Website, (iv) substitute, modify, or rearrange the Website, at Franchisor's sole option, including in any manner that Franchisor considers necessary or desirable to comply with Applicable Laws, or respond to changes in market conditions or technology and respond to any other circumstances, (v) limit or restrict end-user access (in whole or in part) to the Website, and (vi) disable or terminate the Website without any liability to Franchisee.
11. CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION.
11.1 Dog Haus Confidential Information. Franchisee acknowledges and agrees that the Dog Haus System is comprised of confidential information that has been developed by Franchisor and its affiliate by the investment of time, skill, effort and money and is widely recognized by the public, is of substantial value, and is proprietary, confidential and constitutes trade secrets of Franchisor and its affiliates, and includes, without limitation, tangible and intangible information (whether or not in electronic form) relating to Franchisor's business operations, products and services, recipes, sources of materials and equipment, client management and other software, data, other content, formulations, patterns, compilations, programs, devices and processes, business relationships, contact information for industry professionals, designs, developmental or experimental work and services, improvements, discoveries, plans for research, potential new or supplemental products and services, websites, advertisements or ancillary products and services, marketing and selling methods and/or plans, business plans, budgets and unpublished financial statements, licenses, prices and costs, vendors, collaborators, current customer and prospective customer names and addresses, information regarding credit extensions to customers, customer service purchasing histories and prices charged to customers, customer lists and other customer data, information regarding the skills and compensation of employees of Franchisor and contractors of Franchisor, designs, drawings, specifications, source code, object code, documentation, diagrams, flowcharts, research, development, marketing techniques and materials, trademarks, trade secrets, sales/license techniques, inventions, copyrightable material, trademarkable material, databases, relationships between Franchisor and other companies, persons or entities, knowledge or know-how concerning the methods of operation of the Franchised Restaurant which may be communicated to Franchisee, or of which Franchisee may be apprised, by virtue of Franchisee's operation of the Franchised Restaurant under the terms of this Agreement, and any other information or material considered proprietary by Franchisor whether or not designated as confidential information by Franchisor, that
Source: Item 22 — CONTRACTS (FDD page 87)
What This Means (2025 FDD)
According to Dog Haus's 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document, the franchise agreement does not specifically define a term called "Franchise Information." However, the agreement does define "Dog Haus Confidential Information." This includes a wide array of tangible and intangible information related to Dog Haus's business operations, products, services, recipes, and more. It also encompasses business relationships, customer data, employee information, designs, and various other proprietary elements.
The Dog Haus franchise agreement emphasizes that this confidential information is of substantial value and constitutes trade secrets. It is not generally known to the public and derives independent economic value from its secrecy. Dog Haus takes reasonable measures to maintain this secrecy, and franchisees are obligated to protect it.
Prospective franchisees should understand that they will have access to sensitive and valuable information about the Dog Haus system. They will be legally bound to maintain the confidentiality of this information, both during the term of the franchise agreement and afterward. Failure to do so could result in legal action and financial penalties. Franchisees should also ensure that their employees who have access to this information also sign confidentiality agreements.