When transferring a Mrcool franchise, must the transferee agree to be bound by all terms of the Franchise Agreement?
Mrcool Franchise · 2025 FDDAnswer from 2025 FDD Document
| i. | Franchisee's obligations on termination/non-renewal | 6, 17 | You must: pay all sums that you owe to us under the Franchise Agreement and all other agreements with us; cease owning and operating the Franchised Business; cease representing yourself as a franchisee of ours; permanently cease using and/or accessing the System, the Licensed Marks, our confidential information, the operations manual, the Business Management System, the Business Management System Data, and the System Supplies; return the operations manual and all confidential information to us in the original form provided to you and document the destruction of all electronic files related to same; completely de-identify the location and/or facility associated with the Franchised Business; as requested by us, transfer to us all data, telephone listings, digital media, accounts, web listings and websites associated with the Franchised Business; and abide by the post-termination non-competition covenants and restrictions. | |----|--------------------------------------------------------|-------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | j. | Assignment of the contract by franchisor | 14.A. | No restriction on our right to assign. | | k. | "Transfer" by franchisee definition | 14.B. | A transfer means and includes, whether voluntary or involuntary, conditional or unconditional, direct or indirect: (a) an assignment, sale, gift, transfer, pledge or sub franchise; (b) the grant of a mortgage, charge, lien or security interest, including, without limitation, the grant of a collateral assignment; (c) a merger, consolidation, exchange of shares or other ownership interests, issuance of additional ownership interests or securities representing or potentially representing ownership interests, or redemption of ownership interests; and (d) a sale or exchange of voting interests or securities convertible to voting interests, or an agreement granting the right to exercise or control the exercise of the voting rights of any holder of ownership interests or to control the operations or affairs of Franchisee. | | l. | Franchisor's approval of transfer by franchisee | 14.B. | Transfers require our prior written consent, which may be granted or withheld in our discretion. |
| m. | Conditions for franchisor's approval of transfer | 14.C. | For approval of your transfer, you must provide us with 30 days prior written notice of the proposed transfer; you and your Owners must not have defaulted in your obligations under the Franchise Agreement and all other agreements with us; you and your Owners must be in compliance with your obligations under the Franchise Agreement and all other agreements with us; the transferee must agree to be bound by all of the terms and provisions of the Franchise Agreement; the transferee's owners and their spouses must personally guarantee all of the terms and provisions of the Franchise Agreement; you and your Owners and their spouses must sign a general release in favor of us; the transfer must provide for the assignment and/or ownership of the approved location for the Franchised Business, and the transferees continued use and occupancy of such location throughout the term of the Franchise Agreement; the assets of the Franchised Business must be transferred to the transferee; the transferee and the transferee's owners and managers, at the transferee's expense must complete our training programs; we waive our right of first refusal; and we approve of the transfer and transferee in writing and subject to our discretion; you pay the Transfer Fee (subject to applicable state laws). |
Source: Item 17 — RENEWAL, TERMINATION, TRANSFER AND DISPUTE RESOLUTION (FDD pages 43–50)
What This Means (2025 FDD)
According to Mrcool's 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document, a key condition for the franchisor's approval of a franchise transfer is that the transferee must agree to be bound by all the terms and provisions of the Franchise Agreement. This requirement ensures that the new franchisee is fully committed to upholding the standards, obligations, and responsibilities outlined in the original agreement.
In practical terms, this means that anyone looking to buy an existing Mrcool franchise must be willing to step into the shoes of the previous franchisee and adhere to all the stipulations of the Franchise Agreement. This includes, but is not limited to, operational guidelines, payment schedules, marketing protocols, and any other requirements specified in the agreement. Additionally, the transferee's owners and their spouses must personally guarantee all the terms and provisions of the Franchise Agreement.
This provision protects Mrcool by ensuring consistency and adherence to brand standards across all franchise locations, even when ownership changes. For a prospective franchisee, it underscores the importance of thoroughly reviewing and understanding the Franchise Agreement before committing to the transfer. It also highlights the need for the transferee to be financially and legally prepared to assume all obligations under the agreement, as well as complete Mrcool's training programs at the transferee's expense.