A49/100FDD 2026
The Baked Bear — Litigation & Risk
Food & Beverage - Ice Cream & Desserts · 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
49 / 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
5
Government-backed loans issued
Default rate
0.0%
vs <3% typical · system-wide
5-yr default rate
0.0%
Defaults
0 loans
Loans charged off or defaulted
Total loan volume
$1.4M
Avg loan size
$276K
Participating lenders
3
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
California
State whose law governs disputes — relevant if you're not based there
What drove the 49/100 rating
Risk Score Breakdown
- 01MEDNet income not disclosed in FDD Item 19 — impossible to validate ROI or profitability claims
- 02MINORWide investment range ($279K-$870K) suggests inconsistent unit economics or hidden costs
- 03MINORModest unit growth of 13.8% YoY with only 34 locations indicates slow system expansion and potential market saturation
- 04MED6% royalty on $742K average revenue = $44.6K annually — combined with undisclosed operating costs, actual net margins are opaque
- 05MINOR5-year term is shorter than industry standard (typically 10 years), creating renewal uncertainty and higher re-franchising risk
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.