7shifts
Mandatoryuse a point-of-sale system and computer system as follows: • The TOAST POS System (although we may approve of another POS system which meets our requirements and is compatible); • 7Shifts/7 Punches em
HQ-led decisions
Al's Hot Chicken
Quick service restaurantSoftware purchasing at Al's Hot Chicken is controlled at the corporate level by a small leadership team, including CEO Abdal Almasri and VP of Operations Mohamed-Nazim Gomri. The brand mandates Toast POS, 7Shifts/7 Punches, and Optisign across its two company-owned locations, with QuickBooks also in use. The addressable market is currently just 2 units, with no franchised locations disclosed in the 2022 FDD.
Live signals
Total units
2
0 franchised
Unit growth YoY
0%
vs prior filing
AUV
—
Item 19, 2022
Royalty
5%
of gross sales
Ad fund
2%
national + local
Initial fee
$30K
per unit
Investment range
$193K–$459K
all-in, Item 7
Procurement
Approved supplier
from the filing
Non-compete
2 years
from the filing
Item 19
No claims
unaudited
Mandated & recommended tech
The systems vendors compete with
3 of these are mandated in the franchise agreement. Each is named in Item 11 of the filing, the incumbents a challenger must displace or integrate with.
QuickBooks
Mandatoryhifts/7 Punches employee scheduling software; • At least 3 digital menu boards from Optisign; • A personal computer with associated peripherals, internet and email capability, and QuickBooks and Micro
Toast
Mandatoryunt of money for you to spend on marketing. Point of Sale and Computer Systems We recommend you buy (or lease) and use a point-of-sale system and computer system as follows: • The TOAST POS System (al
Altametrics
Hot Chicken in Los Angeles, California, since 10/2020. Since 2/2021, Mr. Gomri has held the position of Enterprise Business Development Consultant and International Relations with Altametrics in Los A
Sysco
verage, and other inventory purchases must meet our specifications and be purchased only from approved suppliers. You may be required to use a distributor that we approve, such as Sysco. E. Delivery S
Who buys here
The buyer at this brand
The decision-maker a vendor sells to at this scale, and the gaps they’re paid to close, derived from our data by segment and unit count, not a guess.
The franchisee/operator personally, or a small franchisor still owner-run. Wears every hat.
OwnerCEOPresidentPrincipal
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The vendor opportunity at Al's Hot Chicken
Al's Hot Chicken is a quick-service restaurant concept headquartered in California. According to its 2022 Franchise Disclosure Document, the system consists of just 2 total units, both company-owned. No franchised locations are reported, and no year-over-year unit growth percentage is available. For a software vendor, the immediate addressable market is limited to these two locations. However, the brand’s mandated technology stack and centralized decision-making create a clear, if narrow, path for pitching.
The royalty rate is 5.0% of gross sales, and the initial franchise term is 10 years. Average unit volume is not disclosed in the FDD. While the system is small, the presence of mandated third-party software signals a leadership team that values operational consistency—a potential opening for vendors who can demonstrate integration or efficiency gains alongside the existing stack.
Who controls software purchasing
Software purchasing decisions at Al's Hot Chicken are made at the headquarters level. The FDD lists two executives in Item 1: Abdal Almasri, CEO, and Mohamed-Nazim Gomri, Vice President of Operations. With no franchisee layer and only two company-owned stores, these individuals likely hold direct authority over all technology procurement. Any vendor outreach should target this duo, focusing on operational pain points and compatibility with the mandated systems already in place.
There is no parent company on file; the brand appears to be independently owned. This independence means there is no larger corporate entity to navigate, but also no multi-brand leverage for a vendor pitch. The decision-making unit is compact and likely moves quickly once a need is identified.
Mandated and current tech stack
The 2022 FDD mandates three specific technology systems. Toast POS System by Toast, Inc. is the required point-of-sale platform. For labor scheduling and timekeeping, 7Shifts/7 Punches is mandated. Optisign is mandated for digital signage. Additionally, QuickBooks by Intuit Inc. is listed as a system in use, though it is not explicitly marked as mandated in the available data.
This stack covers core restaurant operations: POS, workforce management, and back-office accounting. Vendors offering complementary solutions—such as inventory management, catering, or customer engagement platforms—should position their products as seamless integrations with Toast and 7Shifts. The fact that these systems are mandated, not merely recommended, indicates that the leadership team is willing to enforce technology standards, which can simplify adoption if you gain HQ approval.
Procurement, renewals, and timing
The FDD does not include an Item 8 procurement signal, meaning the brand’s supplier approval process—whether designated, approved, or open—is not publicly disclosed. In practice, this likely means any software purchase requires direct negotiation and approval from the CEO or VP of Operations.
On the renewal side, Item 17 provides some insight. Franchisees may obtain a successor agreement for an additional term, but they may be asked to sign a contract with materially different terms than the original. Renewal conditions include giving advance notice, being in compliance with all obligations, renovating to then-current standards, and signing the then-current form of franchise agreement along with a general release. This suggests that if Al's Hot Chicken begins franchising, contract renewal windows could become opportunities to introduce new technology requirements. For now, with no franchised units, the only contract cycle to monitor is any internal refresh of the company-owned locations’ systems.
How to read the Al's Hot Chicken FDD
The full FDD is embedded below for your review. It was filed with state franchise regulators in 2022 and contains the legal and operational disclosures that govern the franchise system. Key sections for software vendors include Item 1 (executives), Item 11 (franchisor’s assistance, including mandated technology), and Item 17 (renewal and termination). Because the system is small and privately held, the FDD is the most authoritative source of information on purchasing authority and tech mandates. Always verify the latest filing, as updates may reflect new franchising activity or changes to the required technology stack.
For a ranked target list of franchise systems matched to your software category, FranCloud can help you prioritize outreach based on tech mandates, unit counts, and decision-maker access.
Questions vendors ask
Al's Hot Chicken, answered from the filing
The CEO, Abdal Almasri, and VP of Operations, Mohamed-Nazim Gomri, are the key decision-makers listed in the FDD. With only two units, purchasing authority is highly centralized.
The 2022 FDD mandates Toast POS by Toast, Inc., 7Shifts/7 Punches for scheduling, and Optisign for digital signage. QuickBooks by Intuit Inc. is also used but not listed as mandated.
The FDD reports 2 total units, both company-owned. No franchised units are disclosed, making this a very small, centrally controlled operation.
The FDD does not include an Item 8 procurement extract, so the designated vs. approved supplier model is not publicly disclosed. Assume direct HQ approval is required for any software purchase.
With a 10-year initial term and no franchised renewals on file, windows are unpredictable. A successor agreement may have materially different terms, so monitor any expansion or franchising activity closely.
The FDD was filed with state franchise regulators in 2022. You can view the embedded PDF viewer below to review the full document and verify all tech mandates and executive contacts directly.
Source
Read the filing itself
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FDD alert
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Operator footprint
Who runs the locations
1 operators run 1 mapped locations. 0 of them are multi-unit. Aggregate counts from the filing; no names.
Operators by units owned
Single-unit1
Top states by locations
| CA | 1 |
|---|
Related Quick service restaurant brands
Primary franchise filings · updated June 2026. Every figure is source-traceable and QA-checked.