Bruegger's: Litigation & Risk
Full-Service Restaurants · FDD Items 3, 4 & 5
Moderate: Review
1 case disclosed in FDD Items 3 and 4.
FDD Items 3 & 4
Litigation Metrics
- Cases disclosed
- 1
- Total from FDD Items 3 and 4
- Bankruptcy (Item 4)
- None
- Franchisor or officer bankruptcy
- Verdict score
- 55 / 100
- FranchiseVerdict composite · higher is better
- Rating
- B
- A / B / C / D / F verdict grade
7(a) FOIA data · FY2020–present
SBA Loan Performance
Aggregated from public SBA 7(a) loan disclosures. Charge-off rate is the share of loans that were charged off or settled for less than the full balance.
- Total 7(a) loans
- 17
- Government-backed loans issued
- Charge-off rate
- 13.3%
- vs 16% franchise average
- 5-yr charge-off rate
- N/A
- Defaults
- 2 loans
- Loans charged off or defaulted
- Total loan volume
- $5.7M
- Avg loan size
- $335K
- Participating lenders
- 11
FDD Items 5, 6 & 17: What You Give Up
Contract Risk Indicators
- Mandatory arbitration
- Required
- Disputes resolved outside court, limits your legal options
- Franchisor can compete
- Yes
- Franchisor can open competing locations in or near your territory
- Right of first refusal
- No
- Franchisor can match any purchase offer when you try to sell
- Governing law
- Colorado
- State whose law governs disputes. Relevant if you're not based there
Extracted from FDD Item 3
Litigation Detail
Colorado Bagel Company, LLC v. Bruegger's Franchise Corporation (D.Ct. Denver, CO, Case No. 2024CV33517) - franchisee sued after franchisor terminated at-will relationship post-lease-expiration; claims included breach of contract, breach of implied covenant, promissory estoppel; settled May 9, 2025 with mutual releases, franchise agreement extended, no successor rights.
Litigation data from FDD Items 3, 4, and 5. SBA data from public 7(a) FOIA records (FY2020–present). Not legal advice. Consult a franchise attorney before signing any franchise agreement.