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D69/100FDD 2023
Maple Bear — Litigation & Risk
Education - Children's Programs · FDD Items 3, 4 & 5
Lower Risk
No litigation cases disclosed in FDD Items 3 and 4.
Source: FDD Items 3–5
FDD Items 3 & 4
Litigation Metrics
Cases disclosed
0
Total from FDD Items 3 and 4
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
—
Franchisor or officer bankruptcy
Overall risk score
69 / 100
FranchiseVerdict composite
Rating
CAUTION
STRONG / MODERATE / CAUTION / AVOID
7(a) FOIA data · FY2020–present
SBA Loan Performance
Aggregated from public SBA 7(a) loan disclosures. Default rate is the share of loans that were charged off or settled for less than the full balance.
Total 7(a) loans
6
Government-backed loans issued
Default rate
0.0%
vs <3% typical · system-wide
5-yr default rate
—
Defaults
0 loans
Loans charged off or defaulted
FDD Items 5, 6 & 17 — what you give up
Contract Risk Indicators
Mandatory arbitration
Required
Disputes resolved outside court — limits your legal options
Jury trial waiver
Waived
You give up the right to a jury trial
Non-compete
2 yrs
Post-termination restriction on similar businesses
Franchisor can compete
Yes
Franchisor can open competing locations in or near your territory
Right of first refusal
Yes
Franchisor can match any purchase offer when you try to sell
Governing law
Delaware
State whose law governs disputes — relevant if you're not based there
What drove the 69/100 rating
Risk Score Breakdown
- 01MEDOnly 3 units in system indicates extremely limited scale and unproven business model replicability
- 02MINORNo average revenue or net income disclosure (Item 19) prevents ROI validation and obscures unit economics
- 03MINORWide investment range ($690K-$2.27M) suggests inconsistent buildout costs or lack of standardization
- 04MINORMinimal franchisee base (3 units) makes territory protection claim difficult to enforce and territory disputes more likely
- 05MINOR10-year term is unusually long without demonstrated profitability track record to justify commitment length
- 06MEDEarly-stage system with only 3 franchisees creates high business model risk and limited peer support network
Severity inferred from FDD text — not a regulatory or legal classification
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.