After the expiration or termination of a Zoomin Groomin franchise agreement, for how long are franchisees prohibited from soliciting customers?

According to the 2025 Zoomin Groomin Franchise Disclosure Document, a franchisee is restricted from soliciting customers for a period of two years after the expiration or termination of their Franchise Agreement. This restriction applies within the franchisee's territory or within 25 miles of its boundaries.

Specifically, the franchisee cannot directly or indirectly solicit the patronage of any customer who was served by their prior franchised business during the last 24 months of operation, or for the entire duration they were a franchisee if it was less than 24 months. This prohibition is in place to prevent a former franchisee from leveraging their established customer base to immediately compete with Zoomin Groomin after leaving the system.

The restriction is limited to soliciting customers for the purpose of offering pet grooming or related pet products and services for a fee or charge. This means a former franchisee could potentially engage in other business activities, but they cannot actively target Zoomin Groomin's customers to offer competing services. This non-solicitation clause aims to protect Zoomin Groomin's customer relationships and the goodwill associated with the brand.

This type of non-solicitation agreement is common in franchising to protect the brand and the remaining franchisees from unfair competition by former franchisees who have benefited from the franchisor's training, systems, and brand recognition. Prospective Zoomin Groomin franchisees should carefully consider the implications of this restriction, especially if they plan to remain in the pet grooming industry after leaving the Zoomin Groomin system.