Does the exclusive choice of jurisdiction and venue provision in the Monicals Pizza franchise agreement restrict the ability of the parties to confirm or enforce judgments or arbitration awards in any appropriate jurisdiction?

According to Monicals Pizza's 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document, the franchise agreement specifies that any legal action must be brought in the appropriate state or federal court located in or serving Champaign County, Illinois. However, the agreement explicitly states that this exclusive choice of jurisdiction and venue does not restrict the parties' ability to confirm or enforce judgments or arbitration awards in any appropriate jurisdiction.

This means that while initial legal proceedings must occur in Champaign County, Illinois, Monicals Pizza or the franchisee can still take steps to enforce any resulting judgments or arbitration awards in other jurisdictions where the other party has assets or conducts business. This is a common provision in franchise agreements, as it allows the franchisor to centralize legal proceedings while still maintaining the ability to enforce judgments across different locations.

For a prospective Monicals Pizza franchisee, this clause offers a degree of protection. While they may need to travel to Illinois for initial court proceedings, they are not limited in their ability to collect on a judgment if Monicals Pizza has assets outside of Illinois. This ensures that a franchisee can pursue the franchisor for damages or other remedies, even if the franchisor's business operations extend beyond the specified jurisdiction.