AR Workshop

The vendor opportunity at AR Workshop

AR Workshop is a personal-services franchise with 115 total units, 114 of which are franchised. The brand posted an average unit volume of $127,875.56 in its 2024 FDD. Year-over-year unit growth declined by 7.3%, so the addressable base is contracting slightly. For software vendors, the immediate opportunity is 114 franchised locations operating under a single franchisor mandate for point-of-sale technology. No parent company is on file; the system appears independently owned, which can simplify procurement conversations.

Who controls software purchasing

The 2024 FDD lists Maggie Peeler as the registered agent for the franchisor. No additional C-suite or IT leadership is disclosed in Item 1, so the buying center is not fully mapped in public filings. Vendors should assume that software purchasing decisions are centralized at the franchisor’s North Carolina headquarters. Initial outreach should go to the corporate office, with the understanding that the registered agent is the only named contact on file.

Mandated and current tech stack

AR Workshop mandates Clover by Fiserv, Inc. as its point-of-sale system. This is the only technology system explicitly required in the FDD. No other operational, scheduling, or marketing platforms are listed as mandated or recommended. For vendors selling complementary or replacement tools—such as booking, CRM, inventory, or analytics—the absence of additional mandates means the stack is largely open, but any integration with Clover will be table stakes.

Procurement, renewals, and timing

Item 8 of the 2024 FDD does not provide a procurement signal, so the franchisor’s supplier-selection process is not publicly documented. Vendors will need to clarify whether AR Workshop uses designated suppliers, an approved-supplier list, or an open procurement model. On renewals, Item 17 shows that franchisees must be in good standing, exercise their option within a specified window, agree to the then-current Franchise Agreement, make required upgrades, secure a sufficient lease term, sign a release, and pay a $5,000 renewal fee. The renewal term is 5 years, and the franchisor reserves the right to change royalty rates and territory protections for renewing franchisees, provided those changes are no greater than what is imposed on similarly situated renewing franchises. The initial term is 10 years, so contract windows for system-wide technology changes may align with renewal cycles or new-unit openings.

How to read the AR Workshop FDD

The 2024 Franchise Disclosure Document is the single best source for vendor due diligence on AR Workshop. It contains the mandated POS vendor, unit counts, AUV, executive contacts, and the legal conditions under which franchisees renew—all of which shape software purchasing timelines. Review the embedded PDF below to confirm these details before building your pitch. For a ranked target list of franchise systems that match your software category, FranCloud can help you prioritize outreach based on real FDD data.