Binghamton HOTS

The vendor opportunity at Binghamton HOTS

Binghamton HOTS is a quick-service restaurant brand headquartered in New York with a single company-owned unit and no franchised locations disclosed in its 2023 FDD. The brand reports an average unit volume of $414,194 and charges a 5.0% royalty on a 10-year initial term. For software vendors, the addressable market is exactly 1 unit, making this a highly concentrated sales target. There is no parent company on file, and the brand appears independently owned. The operator footprint maps 2 operators across 2 located units in Hawaii and Indiana, though the total unit count remains 1, suggesting possible historical or planned activity not yet reflected in franchised openings.

Who controls software purchasing

The FDD does not list specific HQ executives, so the exact buying center is not publicly known. However, given the single-unit, company-owned structure and the fact that the franchisor mandates specific technology systems, purchasing authority clearly resides at the headquarters level. Vendors should prepare to engage the owner or general manager directly, as there is no multi-unit franchisee layer to navigate. The absence of a disclosed parent company reinforces that decisions are made locally by the controlling entity.

Mandated and current tech stack

Binghamton HOTS mandates two systems from Toast, Inc.: Toast POS and the broader Toast platform. These are the only named technology vendors in the FDD, and both are listed as mandated rather than merely recommended. This means any software vendor pitching an alternative point-of-sale or operational system faces a high barrier to displacement. Complementary tools that integrate with Toast—such as labor scheduling, inventory management, or guest engagement platforms—may find a warmer reception, provided they can demonstrate clear additive value without disrupting the mandated core.

Procurement, renewals, and timing

Item 8 of the FDD does not include a procurement extract, so the formal supply-chain model—whether designated supplier, approved supplier, or open—is not disclosed. In practice, the tech mandates suggest a closed or heavily controlled procurement environment. Renewal terms under Item 17 require franchisees to provide notice, be in compliance, be current on payments, potentially remodel, sign a new agreement and general release, and pay a renewal fee. The franchisor may also revise territory boundaries for urban settings. Renewal fees will not exceed those charged to similarly situated renewing franchisees, but the new contract may contain materially different terms. With only 1 unit and no disclosed year-over-year growth, software contract windows are likely irregular and driven by HQ operational reviews or Toast contract cycles rather than a predictable franchisee renewal calendar.

How to read the Binghamton HOTS FDD

The 2023 Binghamton HOTS Franchise Disclosure Document is embedded below for full review. Key sections for software vendors include Item 11, which details the mandated Toast systems, and Item 17, which outlines renewal conditions and potential contract changes. Item 1 does not list executives, so vendor research will need to rely on direct outreach to identify the current decision-maker. Use the FDD to confirm the unit count, ownership structure, and any updates to the tech stack that may have occurred since the filing year. For a ranked target list of franchise brands matched to your software category, FranCloud can help you prioritize opportunities based on tech mandates, unit growth, and decision-maker accessibility.