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If the Dog Haus Area Developer is an entity, what obligation do the Owners have?

Dog_Haus Franchise · 2025 FDD

Answer from 2025 FDD Document

If the Proposed Buyer is a corporation, limited liability company or other business Entity, each person who at the time of the Assignment, or later, owns or acquires, either legally or beneficially, twenty percent (20%) or more of the equity or voting interests of the Proposed Buyer must execute a Guarantee in a form acceptable to Franchisor.

  • 11.2 Termination With Notice and Without Opportunity to Cure.

Area Developer shall be in Default under this Agreement, and Franchisor may, at its option, terminate this Agreement and all rights granted under this Agreement, without affording Area Developer any opportunity to cure the Default, effective immediately upon receipt of notice by Area Developer (i) if Area Developer or an Owner is convicted of a felony, a crime involving moral turpitude, or any other crime or offense that Franchisor believes is reasonably likely to have an adverse effect on the Dog Haus System, the Dog Haus Marks, the goodwill associated therewith, or Franchisor's interest therein; (ii) if Area Developer fails to comply with the Development Schedule; (iii) if any of the Franchise Agreements or any other agreement between Area Developer and Franchisor or its Affiliates are terminated due to a Default by Area Developer; (iv) if any purported assignment or transfer of any direct or indirect interest in this Agreement, in the Dog Haus Restaurants, or in all or substantially all of Area Developer's assets is made to any third party by Area Developer or an Owner without Franchisor's prior written consent; (v) if any transfer of the equity ownership interests of Area Developer or an Owner is made to any third party without Franchisor's prior written consent; (vi) if Area Developer or an Owner discloses or divulges the contents of Franchisor's Manuals, Dog Haus Trade Secrets or other Dog Haus Confidential Information provided to Area Developer by Franchisor; (vii) if an approved Assignment, as required by Section 9.5, is not effected within the time provided following death or incapacity of an Owner; (viii) if Area Developer or an Owner fails to comply with the covenants in Article 13 or fails to obtain execution of and deliver the covenants required under Section 13.7; (ix) if Area Developer or an Owner has made any material misrepresentations in connection with their application to Franchisor for the development rights granted by this Agreement; (x) if Area Developer or an Owner, after curing a Default pursuant to Section 11.3, commits the same, similar, or different Default, whether or not cured after notice; (xi) if any Owner fails or refuses to deliver to Franchisor, within ten (10) days after Franchisor's written request, a Guarantee in substantially the form attached to this Agreement as Exhibit C and current financial statements as may from time to time be requested by Franchisor; (xii) if Area Developer, an Owner or an Affiliate fails to comply with any or all of the terms of this Agreement, or any other agreement between Franchisor, or its Affiliates, and Area Developer or an Owner beyond the applicable cure period; (xiii) upon a Default of Area Developer's obligations under this Agreement or any other agreement between Area Developer and Franchisor, which by its nature is not capable of being cured by Area Developer; (xiv) if funding promised or otherwise represented to be made available to Area Developer or its Owners on the condition that Area Developer sign this Agreement is not made available to Area Developer or its Owners within ten (10) business days after Area Developer signs this Agreement; (xv) if, in Franchisor's Business Judgment, Franchisor has grounds to believe that Area Developer or any of its Owners, officers, directors, or key employees has engaged or attempted to engage, through one or more affirmative acts or a failure to act, in any fraudulent, dishonest, unethical, immoral, or similar conduct in connection with Area Developer's development of Dog Haus Restaurants, whether such conduct is directed at or reasonably expected to impact Area Developer's development of Dog Haus Restaurants, the System, the Franchisor or its Affiliates, suppliers, other area developers, or another third party; or (xvi) if, in Franchisor's Business Judgment, Franchisor has grounds to believe that Area Developer or any of its Owners, officers, or directors has engaged in any lewd or immoral conduct, whether or not in connection with Area Developer's development of Dog Haus Restaurants.

Area Developer shall require any supervisorial or managerial personnel who may have access to any Dog Haus Confidential Information of Franchisor to execute covenants that they will maintain the confidentiality of the Dog Haus Confidential Information they receive in connection with their association with Area Developer.

Such covenants shall be in a form satisfactory to Franchisor, including, without limitation, specific identification of Franchisor as a third-party beneficiary of such covenants with the independent right to enforce them.

Source: Item 23 — RECEIPTS (FDD pages 87–328)

What This Means (2025 FDD)

According to Dog Haus's 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document, if the Proposed Buyer of an Area Development Agreement is a corporation, limited liability company, or other business entity, each person who owns or acquires 20% or more of the equity or voting interests must execute a Guarantee in a form acceptable to Dog Haus. This guarantee ensures that individuals with significant ownership in the entity acquiring the Area Development rights are personally responsible for upholding the obligations under the agreement.

Additionally, Dog Haus outlines specific conditions under which the Area Development Agreement can be terminated without an opportunity to cure the default. One such condition arises if an Owner fails or refuses to deliver a Guarantee in the form attached to the Agreement as Exhibit C within ten days of Dog Haus's written request. This provision underscores the importance Dog Haus places on securing personal guarantees from the individuals behind the Area Developer entity.

Furthermore, the FDD states that Area Developer shall be in default if any transfer of the equity ownership interests of Area Developer or an Owner is made to any third party without Dog Haus's prior written consent. This requirement ensures that Dog Haus maintains control over who is involved in the Area Development and can assess the suitability of new owners. Dog Haus also requires Area Developers to ensure that any supervisorial or managerial personnel who may have access to any Dog Haus Confidential Information of Franchisor to execute covenants that they will maintain the confidentiality of the Dog Haus Confidential Information they receive in connection with their association with Area Developer. Such covenants shall be in a form satisfactory to Franchisor, including, without limitation, specific identification of Franchisor as a third-party beneficiary of such covenants with the independent right to enforce them.

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.