After termination of the Southern Steer franchise agreement, what must the franchisee immediately cease?
Southern_Steer Franchise · 2025 FDDAnswer from 2025 FDD Document
21.1. Required Actions. After any termination, expiration, Transfer or cancellation of this Agreement for any reason whatsoever, Franchisee, its Owners, Operating Principal, Guarantor(s) agree:
- (a) Immediately cease operating the Southern Steer Business;
- (b) within five business days after termination, expiration, Transfer or cancellation of this Agreement pay all outstanding Fees to the Franchisor, its Affiliates and any Approved Suppliers and Designated Suppliers;
- (c) immediately return to the Franchisor the Brand Manual, menus, advertising materials and all other printed materials pertaining to the Southern Steer Business, Confidential Information, Trade Secrets, Marks and the System including but not limited to, letterhead, signs, stationery, training materials, forms and invoices and all copies thereof;
- (d) immediately notify all callers requesting information about Franchisee's former Southern Steer Business that such inquiries should be made to another phone number as specified by Franchisor;
- (e) immediately take such action as is necessary to remove all references to Franchisee's Southern Steer Business, System, Confidential Information, Trade Secrets, URLs that contain the Marks or any portion thereof or confusingly similar thereto or other Franchisor's or its Affiliates proprietary information from all telephone listings, listing agencies, websites, social media, email service providers, Internet, answering services, and any other organizations where Franchisee has used the above items;
(f) immediately cease all marketing or advertising which includes any of the Marks and cease using any and all items or materials which bear or include any of the Marks;
(g) immediately cancel all fictitious or assumed names or equivalent registrations relating to Franchisee's Southern Steer Business;
Source: Item 22 — ITEM. 22 CONTRACTS (FDD pages 61–168)
What This Means (2025 FDD)
According to the 2025 Southern Steer Franchise Disclosure Document, after the termination, expiration, transfer, or cancellation of the franchise agreement, the franchisee must immediately cease operating the Southern Steer business. This means the franchisee can no longer conduct any business activities under the Southern Steer brand or system.
In addition to ceasing operations, the franchisee must also immediately return to Southern Steer the Brand Manual, menus, advertising materials, and all other printed materials pertaining to the Southern Steer business. This includes confidential information, trade secrets, marks, and the system, such as letterheads, signs, stationery, training materials, forms, and invoices, including all copies of these items. The franchisee must also immediately notify all callers requesting information about the former Southern Steer business that such inquiries should be directed to another phone number specified by Southern Steer.
Furthermore, the franchisee is required to immediately remove all references to the former Southern Steer business from all telephone listings, listing agencies, websites, social media, email service providers, the Internet, answering services, and any other organizations where the franchisee has used these items. The franchisee must also immediately cease all marketing or advertising that includes any of the marks and stop using any items or materials that bear or include any of the marks. Finally, the franchisee must immediately cancel all fictitious or assumed names or equivalent registrations relating to the Southern Steer business.
These obligations are typical in franchise agreements to protect the brand's integrity and prevent confusion in the marketplace after a franchise relationship ends. Franchisees should be aware of these post-termination requirements and plan accordingly to ensure a smooth transition and avoid potential legal issues.