Are prior written agreements terminated by the Southern Steer Multi-Unit Development Agreement?
Southern_Steer Franchise · 2025 FDDAnswer from 2025 FDD Document
Termination of this Agreement as a result of the Multi-Unit Developer's failure to meet the Development Schedule will not affect the individual Franchise Agreements for the Southern Steer Businesses opened and operating in the Development Territory pursuant to this Agreement which were signed by the parties prior to termination of this Agreement; however, upon termination of this Agreement, all rights to open and operate additional Southern Steer Businesses in the Development Territory and all other rights granted to the Multi-Unit Developer under this Agreement will immediately revert to the Franchisor, without affecting those obligations of the Multi-Unit Developer that continue beyond the termination of this Agreement.
- Obligations Upon Termination or Expiration.
If this Agreement is terminated by the Franchisor in accordance with this Section 8, the rights and duties of the Franchisor and the Multi-Unit Developer will be as follows:
(a) the Multi-Unit Developer will have no rights to open additional Southern Steer Businesses within the Development Territory;
(b) the Multi-Unit Developer and Controlled Entity (if any) will continue to pay all required Fees and to operate its Southern Steer Business opened in the Development Territory pursuant to the terms of the applicable Franchise Agreements signed by the Multi-Unit Developer or Controlled Entity (if any) prior to the date of the termination of this Agreement, and will in all other respects continue to comply with such Franchise Agreements;
(c) the Franchisor will have the absolute right to develop Southern Steer Businesses in the Development Territory or to contract with other persons for the development of additional Southern Steer Businesses in the Development Territory;
(d) the Multi-Unit Developer will have no right to obtain a refund of any monies it paid to the Franchisor pursuant to this Agreement or the Franchise Agreements;
(e) the indemnities and covenants contained in this Agreement will continue in full force and effect subsequent to and notwithstanding the expiration or termination of this Agreement; and
Source: Item 5 — and 7 of the FDD, Section 3.1 of the Franchise Agreement and Section 4.1 of the Multi-Unit Development Agreement are hereby amended to state that payment of the initial franchise fee and development fee will be deferred until We have satisfied Our pre-opening obligations, and You have commenced business operations. (FDD pages 168–290)
What This Means (2025 FDD)
Based on the 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document, the Southern Steer Multi-Unit Development Agreement does not terminate the individual Franchise Agreements for Southern Steer Businesses that were signed prior to the termination of the Multi-Unit Development Agreement. However, upon termination of the Multi-Unit Development Agreement, all rights to open and operate additional Southern Steer Businesses in the Development Territory revert to Southern Steer. This means that while existing franchise agreements remain in effect, the multi-unit developer loses the ability to expand further within the designated territory.
If the Multi-Unit Development Agreement is terminated by Southern Steer, the multi-unit developer has no rights to open additional Southern Steer Businesses within the Development Territory. The developer must continue to pay all required fees and operate existing Southern Steer Businesses according to the terms of the applicable Franchise Agreements signed before the termination date. Southern Steer retains the right to develop additional Southern Steer Businesses in the Development Territory or contract with others to do so.
Termination of the Multi-Unit Development Agreement does not entitle the multi-unit developer to a refund of any monies paid to Southern Steer under the Multi-Unit Development Agreement or the Franchise Agreements. The indemnities and covenants contained within the Multi-Unit Development Agreement remain in effect even after termination or expiration. This ensures that certain obligations, such as those related to legal compliance and financial responsibilities, continue to bind the multi-unit developer even after the agreement ends.