Following termination or expiration of the Zoomin Groomin franchise agreement, what is the geographic scope of the non-solicitation restriction?

According to the 2025 Zoomin Groomin FDD, the non-solicitation restriction following the expiration or termination of the franchise agreement extends to the franchisee's territory and within 25 miles of the boundaries of that territory. This restriction lasts for a period of two years. During this time, the franchisee is prohibited from directly or indirectly soliciting the patronage of any customer who was served by their prior franchised business during the last 24 months of their operation, or for the entire duration they were a franchisee if it was less than 24 months. The purpose of this restriction is to prevent the franchisee from offering pet grooming or related products and services to those customers for a fee or charge.

This means that after leaving the Zoomin Groomin system, a former franchisee cannot actively try to win back customers they served as a franchisee within their original territory or a 25-mile radius of it. This is a fairly standard non-solicitation clause in franchising, designed to protect the brand's customer base and prevent unfair competition from former franchisees who might leverage the goodwill and relationships they built while operating under the Zoomin Groomin name.

For a prospective franchisee, this clause highlights the importance of understanding the geographic boundaries of their territory and the potential limitations on their business activities after the franchise agreement ends. It is crucial to build a sustainable business within the Zoomin Groomin system, as the non-solicitation agreement restricts the ability to directly target former customers in the immediate area for a defined period after leaving the franchise.