The vendor opportunity at Cookies by Design
Cookies by Design operates 38 total units, 37 of which are franchised and only one company-owned. The brand’s unit count contracted by 11.9% year-over-year, signaling a shrinking footprint rather than an expanding one. For software vendors, the immediate addressable market is limited to those 37 franchisee-run shops. No average unit volume (AUV) is disclosed in the 2025 FDD, so sizing the revenue opportunity per location requires direct discovery. The royalty rate is 6.0%, and initial franchise terms run 5 years, with identical 5-year renewal periods available if conditions are met.
Because the franchisor does not mandate any specific technology stack, every franchisee is a potential greenfield for POS, scheduling, inventory, or e-commerce platforms. However, the small unit count and negative growth trend mean vendors should qualify each lead carefully before investing in a sales cycle.
Who controls software purchasing
Software purchasing control at Cookies by Design is decentralized. The FDD lists no HQ executives on file, and no technology mandates appear in the disclosure. This places decision-making authority squarely with the multi-unit operators (MUOs) who run the 37 franchised locations. Vendors should not expect a top-down technology rollout; instead, they must sell location by location or identify any informal franchisee peer groups that share vendor recommendations.
The absence of a corporate IT function or procurement department means the sales motion is classic field sales: identify the franchisee, demonstrate ROI for a single shop, and close at the unit level. There is no evidence of a centralized buying center or technology committee.
Mandated and current tech stack
The 2025 Cookies by Design FDD does not capture any mandated or recommended technology. Item 11, which typically discloses required POS systems, software, or IT infrastructure, contains no extractable mandates. This is unusual among quick-service restaurant franchises, many of which standardize at least a point-of-sale system. Here, franchisees appear to operate with full autonomy over their tech stack.
For vendors, this means the installed base is likely fragmented. A franchisee might use a legacy POS, a consumer-grade e-commerce tool, or nothing at all. Discovery calls should start by asking what systems the franchisee currently uses for order management, payment processing, and customer communication. The lack of a mandate also means no incumbent vendor holds a contractual lock on the system.
Procurement, renewals, and timing
Item 8 of the FDD, which would describe designated or approved suppliers, did not yield an extract. This reinforces the picture of an open procurement environment. Franchisees are not forced to buy from a specific vendor list, so software sales cycles are not gated by corporate procurement approvals.
Renewal timing offers a potential trigger for technology conversations. The initial franchise agreement runs 5 years, and renewal requires signing the then-current form of Franchise Agreement, which may contain materially different terms. A franchisee approaching renewal may be more open to operational changes, including software upgrades. However, with only 37 franchised units and a -11.9% growth rate, the absolute number of renewals in any given year is small. Vendors should monitor FDD updates for any shift toward technology mandates that could signal a centralized buying initiative.
How to read the Cookies by Design FDD
The full 2025 Cookies by Design Franchise Disclosure Document is embedded below. Key sections for software vendors include Item 11 (Franchisor’s Obligations) for any technology or training requirements, Item 8 (Restrictions on Sources of Products and Services) for procurement rules, and Item 17 (Renewal, Termination, Transfer) for contract cycle timing. The renewal conditions require written notice, compliance with all agreements, right to occupy the shop, completion of maintenance and remodeling, and execution of the current Franchise Agreement form. No financial performance representations are made, so AUV data is absent. Review the document directly to validate these findings and identify any franchisee contact patterns that could inform your outreach. For a ranked target list of franchise systems aligned to your software category, FranCloud can help.