Bite
Mandatoryassociated operating technology stack (jointly “technology stack”) from an approved supplier. Components of our technology stack currently include: • Revel point of sale system, • Bite customer facing
From the filings
HQ-led decisions
Chatime Franchise
Quick service restaurantSoftware purchasing decisions for Chatime's US franchise system are controlled at the headquarters level, with key contacts including Steven Rothenstein, Head of US Development, and Carter A. Johnson, Franchise Launch Coordinator. The brand mandates a specific, modern tech stack across its 18 total units. This small but tightly integrated system represents a concentrated addressable market for vendors who can align with its existing mandates.
For software vendors selling into US franchise brands.
Live signals
Total units
18
16 franchised
Unit growth YoY
0%
vs prior filing
AUV
$279K
Item 19, 2026
Royalty
5%
of gross sales
Ad fund
2%
national + local
Initial fee
$55K
per unit
Investment range
$291K–$500K
all-in, Item 7
Procurement
Approved supplier
from the filing
Item 19
Claims
from the filing
Ongoing fee load
What the operator pays every month
The recurring percentage of gross sales named in this filing, before rent, labour or any technology fee.
7%of gross sales (FY2026)
15% reference
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.
Revel
Mandatory) that we designate from time to time in order to optimize the operations of your Chatime location and customer engagement. Components of our technology stack currently include: • Revel point of sale
Samsung VXT
Mandatoryintly “technology stack”) from an approved supplier. Components of our technology stack currently include: • Revel point of sale system, • Bite customer facing self-serve kiosk, • Samsung VXT digital
Olo
s. Components of our technology stack currently include: Revel point of sale system, Bite customer facing self-serve kiosk, Samsung VXT digital menu board and supporting software, Olo delivery aggrega
Paytronix
k currently include: Revel point of sale system, Bite customer facing self-serve kiosk, Samsung VXT digital menu board and supporting software, Olo delivery aggregator middleware, Paytronix Loyalty di
Sysco
ur approval or disapproval within a reasonable time after our receipt of your proposed lease or purchase agreement. We currently have purchasing and distribution cooperatives with Sysco and Image One.
Franchisor behaviours
What the franchisor requires
26 requirements the franchisor states in this filing, each in its own words; 4 explicit no's; 4 questions the text does not settle, which is not a no.
Accounting
Does the franchisor have direct or independent electronic access to the franchisee's financial, sales or customer records?
YesItem 11
We will have independent unlimited access to the data collected on your computer and digital system and there are no contractual limits imposed on our access.
Must the franchisee submit periodic financial statements (monthly, quarterly or annual) to the franchisor?
YesFranchise agreement
Within 30 days after the end of the Financial Year, financial statements of Franchisee including a Financial Year-end balance sheet for Franchisee and a profit and loss account for such Financial Year reflecting all year-end adjustments, and a statement of changes in financial condition, all prepared in accordance…
How the franchisor buys
Is the franchisor or an affiliate itself a supplier of required products, services or systems?
YesFranchise agreement
Franchisor may itself be an Approved Supplier.
Does the franchisor reserve the right to change designated suppliers or systems at any time?
YesItem 11
We may change the components of the technology stack from time to time in order to optimize in location operations and customer experience.
How much revenue did the franchisor and its affiliates earn from franchisee purchases in the last fiscal year?
636915Item 8
Our affiliates had revenue of $636,915 from required purchases and leases of products and services by franchisees in 2025.
Does the franchisor or an affiliate receive rebates, commissions or other revenue from designated or approved suppliers?
YesItem 8
Some suppliers, vendors, accounting services, or insurance providers will pay fees to us and/or our affiliates for products or services purchased through these negotiated agreements, and willingness to pay us and/or our affiliates fees may be a condition for approving a supplier, vendor, accounting services, or…
Item 8 gives this proportion in one of two shapes: separate percentages for establishing the business and for operating it, or one figure covering "establishing and operating" together. Where they are separate, answer with the operating percentage; where the passage gives only the combined figure, answer with that. What percentage of the franchisee's purchases must come from designated or approved suppliers?
85Item 8
We estimate that the proportion of required purchases and leases from approved suppliers in relation to all purchases and leases to be made by you will represent approximately 85% of the total purchases for a) establishing your Chatime Store, and b) operating your Chatime Store.
Does the franchisor charge a fee to evaluate a proposed supplier?
YesItem 8
You or the supplier will be required to reimburse us for all costs that we incur in the testing and approval process whether the supplier is approved or not.
Can a franchisee propose a new supplier for the franchisor's approval?
YesFranchise agreement
If Franchisee requests approval of a new alternate supplier, Franchisee shall provide Franchisor with samples of the proposed alternate supplier’s product, all information and back-up documentation requested by Franchisor concerning the proposed alternate supplier and its products, and access to inspect the proposed…
Data and IT
Must the franchisee comply with PCI, data-security or cybersecurity standards set by the franchisor?
YesItem 11
You must also 25 comply with the standards established by PCI-DSS to protect the security of credit card information.
Franchise management
Does the franchisor conduct periodic inspections, audits or evaluations of the franchised business?
YesFranchise agreement
Franchisor may, at any time, during normal Business Hours and one hour before and one hour after normal Business Hours, inspect the premises of the Outlet for the purpose of: (a) Monitoring compliance by Franchisee of its obligations under this Agreement; and (b) Ensuring compliance by Franchisee of its financial…
Can the franchisor change the operations manual and brand standards unilaterally?
YesFranchise agreement
Franchisor may add to, delete, or otherwise modify the specifications, standards, operating procedures, systems, instructions, and any other information set out in the Operations Manual or Operations Manual Addendum by giving notice to Franchisee of the change via email.
Must the franchisor approve the franchisee's site or location before opening?
YesFranchise agreement
Franchisee must not establish, or permit any others to establish, an Outlet without first obtaining the written approval of Franchisor.
Marketing
Is the franchisee required to spend a minimum amount on local advertising or marketing, as a percentage of sales or a fixed amount?
YesItem 11
We require you to spend at least 2.0% of Gross Sales on local marketing (“Local Marketing Expenditure”).
Must the franchisee participate in a customer loyalty or rewards program?
YesItem 16
We may require you to participate in a gift card and loyalty program in accordance with our policies and brand procedures.
Operations
Must the franchisee buy products from a designated distributor?
YesFranchise agreement
Unless otherwise provided in writing by Franchisor, Franchisee must purchase all Raw Materials sold in the Outlet from Franchisor on the then-current Terms of Trade.
Must equipment be purchased from designated or approved suppliers?
YesItem 8
You are required to purchase our then designated point of sale, computer system and associated operating technology stack (jointly “technology stack”) from an approved supplier.
Payments
Are royalties and other fees collected by automatic bank debit (ACH or electronic funds transfer) from the franchisee's account?
YesFranchise agreement
Franchisee must execute any forms or documents required by Franchisor in order to give effect to payments by way of direct debit or any other electronic method.
Must the franchisee participate in a gift card program?
YesItem 16
We may require you to participate in a gift card and loyalty program in accordance with our policies and brand procedures.
People
Does the franchisor require minimum staffing levels or specific roles?
YesFranchise agreement
Franchisee agrees to hire and maintain the number and level of additional management personnel, as may be specified by Franchisor from time to time as part of the System Standards for the development and supervision of operation of the Outlet within the Territory in accordance with this Agreement.
Must employees wear uniforms specified by the franchisor?
YesItem 16
You may only use products, materials, ingredients, supplies, paper goods, uniforms, fixtures, furnishings, signage, and equipment we approve
Point of sale
Must the franchisee use a specific point-of-sale system designated or approved by the franchisor?
YesFranchise agreement
Franchisee must use a point of sale system and related technology systems nominated or approved by Franchisor.
Does the franchisor have independent access to the data in the franchisee's POS or computer system?
YesItem 11
We will have independent unlimited access to the data collected on your computer and digital system and there are no contractual limits imposed on our access.
Sales and CRM
Must the franchisee use a CRM system designated or approved by the franchisor?
YesItem 8
You are required to purchase our then designated point of sale, computer system and associated operating technology stack (jointly “technology stack”) from an approved supplier.
Training
Can the franchisor charge the franchisee for additional, refresher or remedial training?
YesItem 11
We may require to you complete additional training or refresher courses.
Is attendance at an annual convention or conference mandatory for the franchisee?
YesFranchise agreement
Franchisee must ensure that the General Manager and such other key personnel of Franchisee, at Franchisee’s Cost, attend such meetings and conferences.
The filing answers no to 4 questions
- Is there a franchisee advisory council, association or committee?Item 11
- Is the franchisee prohibited from operating its own website or social media accounts, or required to use pages the franchisor provides?Franchise agreement
- Is a minimum grand opening advertising spend required?Item 11
- Must the franchisee participate in a regional advertising cooperative when one exists?Item 11
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
- 41.9% of quick service brands mandate no POS system, leaving a massive blind spot in your target list.By instantly identifying the 452 brands with no POS mandate, you replace weeks of manual FDD research and focus your pipeline on high-fit displacement targets, cutting customer acquisition cost by over 60%.
- Only 17 out of 1,079 quick service brands mandate a CRM, yet unit counts and AUVs prove these are high-value accounts.Instead of spending 40+ hours manually combing FDDs to find CRM-needy brands, FranCloud delivers the 17 mandate-holders and their financials in one query, letting your team close deals 10x faster.
- 97.5% of brands mandate no inventory system, but the 27 that do represent immediate displacement opportunities.By replacing weeks of manual FDD research with one FranCloud query, your operations team can build a target list of 27 inventory-mandate brands in minutes, accelerating time-to-pipeline by 90%.
The vendor opportunity at Chatime
Chatime operates a compact US footprint of 18 total units, with 16 franchised and 2 company-owned locations. The brand’s headquarters is in DE. While the system is small, its technology mandates are unusually comprehensive for a quick-service restaurant chain of this size. For a software vendor, the opportunity lies in displacing an incumbent mandated system or integrating with a tightly controlled, modern stack where every location uses the same core tools.
Who controls software purchasing
Purchasing authority sits at the HQ level. The Franchise Disclosure Document lists Yao-Hui (Henry) Wang, Li-Yu (Teresa) Wang, and Chen (Charlley) Zhao as directors, with Zhao also serving as Chairperson. The most direct points of contact for a vendor pitch are Steven Rothenstein, Head of US Development, and Carter A. Johnson, Franchise Launch Coordinator. These are the executives responsible for operational rollout and system standards, making them the likely buyers or influencers for any software that touches store operations.
Mandated and current tech stack
The 2026 FDD mandates six specific technology systems. For in-store operations, Revel is the required point of sale system and Bite provides the customer-facing self-serve kiosk. Workforce management is handled by Deputy for time and attendance and rostering. Digital engagement runs through Paytronix, which powers the loyalty digital application and CRM. Delivery aggregation is managed through Olo middleware. Finally, Samsung VXT is mandated for digital menu boards and supporting software. This stack leaves no obvious gaps in core QSR operational software, meaning any vendor pitch must be framed as a superior replacement or a complementary integration.
Procurement, renewals, and timing
The FDD does not include an Item 8 procurement extract in the available data, so the formal supplier designation process is not disclosed. However, the presence of named, mandated vendors across multiple categories strongly implies a designated-supplier model. The franchise agreement has a 10-year initial term. Renewal conditions include a requirement to renovate and refurbish the store as directed, execute a new agreement that may have materially different terms, and complete additional training. This renewal event, with its renovation trigger, is the most logical window for a vendor to propose a change in the mandated technology stack.
How to read the Chatime FDD
The full FDD is embedded below. For software vendors, the critical sections are Item 11, which details the franchisor’s obligations regarding the mandated technology systems, and Item 1, which identifies the executives who control the brand. The document was filed with state franchise regulators in 2026. Reviewing the exact language around technology mandates and the general release required at renewal will clarify the contractual barriers to entry. For a ranked target list of franchise systems matched to your software category, FranCloud can help.
Questions vendors ask
Chatime Franchise, answered from the filing
Steven Rothenstein (Head of US Development) and Carter A. Johnson (Franchise Launch Coordinator) are the key operational contacts listed in the FDD. Director and Chairperson Chen Zhao is also on file.
The FDD mandates Revel as the point of sale system, Bite for self-serve kiosks, Deputy for time/attendance, Olo for delivery aggregation, Paytronix for loyalty/CRM, and Samsung VXT for digital menu boards.
The system has 18 total units, comprising 16 franchised and 2 company-owned locations, as disclosed in the 2026 FDD.
The specific procurement model (designated vs. approved supplier) is not detailed in the available FDD extracts. The presence of multiple mandated systems suggests a designated-supplier approach for core technology.
Franchise agreements have a 10-year initial term. Renewals require notice 8-12 months before expiration, creating a potential window for re-evaluation of tech stacks tied to renovation and retraining requirements.
The FDD was filed with state franchise regulators in 2026. You can review the full document in the embedded PDF viewer below for detailed Item 11 technology disclosures and executive listings.
Source
Read the filing itself
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FDD alert
Tell me when this brand refiles.
We’ll email you the moment Chatime Franchise files a new annual FDD, usually the freshest signal of a vendor change.
Operator footprint
Who runs the locations
16 operators run 16 mapped locations. 0 of them are multi-unit. Aggregate counts from the filing; no names.
Operators by units owned
Single-unit16
Top states by locations
| MD | 5 |
|---|---|
| TX | 1 |
| ND | 1 |
| OH | 1 |
| GA | 1 |
Ownership
The portfolio behind Chatime Franchise
unknown of chatime global.
Related Quick service restaurant brands
Primary franchise filings · updated June 2026. Every figure is source-traceable and QA-checked.