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A34/100FDD 2024

Signal — Litigation & Risk

Other · FDD Items 3, 4 & 5

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Moderate — Review

5 cases disclosed in FDD Items 3 and 4.

Source: FDD Items 3–5

FDD Items 3 & 4

Litigation Metrics

Cases disclosed
5
Total from FDD Items 3 and 4
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
—
Franchisor or officer bankruptcy
Overall risk score
34 / 100
FranchiseVerdict composite
Rating
STRONG
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
24
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
Not required
You retain the right to sue in court
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
Nebraska
State whose law governs disputes — relevant if you're not based there

What drove the 34/100 rating

Risk Score Breakdown

  1. 01MEDNo Item 19 (average net income) disclosed — inability to validate actual profitability against $126,950–$5.1M investment range
  2. 02HIGHMultiple litigation categories including independent contractor misclassification suit and regulatory settlement — suggests operational/compliance risks
  3. 03MINORRegulatory settlement regarding agency licensing in Indiana — indicates potential compliance gaps in core business operations
  4. 04MEDHigh franchise fee ($120,000) relative to disclosed average revenue ($1.37M) without net income transparency creates ROI opacity
  5. 05MINOR10% YoY unit growth is modest for a 1,059-unit system — slower than healthy franchise systems; growth trajectory unclear

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.