82 Meineke 2023 ACTIVE\200143451.4 advertising beyond the advertising expenses required under the Franchise Agreement; office supplies; automobile; bad debt expense; bank fees and service charges; donations a Meineke Center may choose to make to charitable organizations; dues and subscriptions (like technical tools and ALLDATA or Mitchell on demand, magazine subscriptions, business association dues (e.g., Chamber of Commerce and BBB), and additional software fees for, among other things, QuickBooks); equipment leases; general liability insurance; licenses and permits; merchant fees; repair and maintenance (including repairs related to equipment and facilities); training fees; costs related to laundry and uniforms, small tools, hazardous waste, resolving warranty and customer complaints, and cash over/short; and software license fees payable to operate the Meineke Center’s point of sale system.
From the filings
DLA Piper L
Automotive servicesMeineke's headquarters, part of Driven Brands, requires every new franchisee to license its proprietary M.Key shop-management software and to run a computer system that uploads sales and marketing data to the home office. The system spans 705 franchised automotive-service centers with no company-owned locations.
For software vendors selling into US franchise brands.
Live signals
Ordinary royalty terms
7% component; full terms unconfirmed
Complete royalty terms are not confirmed for the selected filing.
Recorded percentage components
These are recorded percentage components. Each has its own base and conditions; the chart does not state the total payment or confirm ad-fund completeness.
1recorded components (FY2023)
15% reference
Mandated & recommended tech
The systems vendors compete with
Systems named in Item 11 of this filing. None is recorded as mandated here, which is not the same as the filing mandating nothing. Read Item 11 before treating the category as open.
M.Key Software $375 Basic Software Monthly Payable under the M.Key Maintenance Fee Maintenance Fee Software License and (or, if you purchase Payable only by Maintenance Agreement. AutoVitals, $275) authorized electronic bank draft We reserve the right to Additional options: increase the monthly Software Maintenance Up to $150 per Fee: (a) on each month – Technical anniversary of the M.Key Procedures Software Software License and Maintenance Agreement’s $89.50 per month – effective date to reflect Mitchell 1 on any increase in the CPI for Demand 5.0 ($99.50 the preceding 12-month per month for period or, if we elected not Mitchell 1 on to increase the Software Demand 5.0 with Maintenance Fee on any ESTIMATOR) anniversary of that effective date, the aggregate increase in the $25 per month – CPI from the date of the Quick Books last increase; and (b) at Integration any time to reflect any increase in any third AutoVitals party’s charges to us. (eInspection): See Notes 6 and 7. $399 one-time setup fee
M.Key Software $375 Basic Software Monthly Payable under the M.Key Maintenance Fee Maintenance Fee Software License and (or, if you purchase Payable only by Maintenance Agreement. AutoVitals, $275) authorized electronic bank draft We reserve the right to Additional options: increase the monthly Software Maintenance Up to $150 per Fee: (a) on each month – Technical anniversary of the M.Key Procedures Software Software License and Maintenance Agreement’s $89.50 per month – effective date to reflect Mitchell 1 on any increase in the CPI for Demand 5.0 ($99.50 the preceding 12-month per month for period or, if we elected not Mitchell 1 on to increase the Software Demand 5.0 with Maintenance Fee on any ESTIMATOR) anniversary of that effective date, the aggregate increase in the $25 per month – CPI from the date of the Quick Books last increase; and (b) at Integration any time to reflect any increase in any third AutoVitals party’s charges to us. (eInspection): See Notes 6 and 7. $399 one-time setup fee
82 Meineke 2023 ACTIVE\200143451.4 advertising beyond the advertising expenses required under the Franchise Agreement; office supplies; automobile; bad debt expense; bank fees and service charges; donations a Meineke Center may choose to make to charitable organizations; dues and subscriptions (like technical tools and ALLDATA or Mitchell on demand, magazine subscriptions, business association dues (e.g., Chamber of Commerce and BBB), and additional software fees for, among other things, QuickBooks); equipment leases; general liability insurance; licenses and permits; merchant fees; repair and maintenance (including repairs related to equipment and facilities); training fees; costs related to laundry and uniforms, small tools, hazardous waste, resolving warranty and customer complaints, and cash over/short; and software license fees payable to operate the Meineke Center’s point of sale system.
We require you to purchase or lease, at your expense, a computer system meeting certain specifications as described in Item 11. You may use any computer hardware you consider to be appropriate, provided it meets or exceeds our then-current requirements. You may only use shop management software in the operation of your Center that we have approved. Currently, we are the only approved supplier of shop management software (M.Key Software) for new franchisees. New franchisees will be trained by us or MCC using the M.Key system. Existing franchisees may opt to use VAST software from MAM Software Group, Inc. as their shop management software, and, if they do, they will be responsible for obtaining training. You also must install and use in the operation of your Center the Franchisee Profitability Program software. This software assists you in preparing and submitting standardized profit and loss information to Meineke’s Franchise Profitability Program department directly, so that we may use the data to improve overall franchisee performance within the Meineke system.
The vendor opportunity at Meineke
Meineke operates 705 franchised automotive-service centers with no company-owned locations, and franchised outlets were essentially flat year over year, down 0.14%. Item 19 of the FDD makes a financial performance representation across several cohorts, including 496 centers meeting age, bay, and reporting criteria, reporting a figure of $969,604. Meineke is part of Driven Brands, whose officers — including CEO Jonathan Fitzpatrick and CFO Gary W. Ferrera — also serve as officers of Meineke.
Who controls software purchasing
Headquarters sets the technology mandate centrally: every new franchisee must sign the M.Key Software License and Maintenance Agreement, and the company is currently the only approved supplier of that shop-management software for new franchisees. Franchisees must also purchase or lease a computer system that uploads sales, marketing, and other required information to the home office, and must install the Franchisee Profitability Program software used to submit standardized profit-and-loss data.
Tech named in the FDD, and what is actually required
The filing mandates the M.Key shop-management software, the Franchisee Profitability Program software, and a home-office-linked computer system and computer-based point-of-sale system, all under company-set specifications. Franchisees may use any computer hardware that meets those specifications and works with the required software.
Procurement, renewals, and timing
Item 8 lists required equipment — including an alignment machine, tire changer, wheel balancer, lifts, and a computer-based point-of-sale system — which may come from any supplier meeting company standards, and franchisees must buy sequentially numbered customer receipts from Dominion Holdings, Inc., a designated supplier. Other supplies may come from any supplier meeting company standards. The initial term runs 15 years, with successor terms of 15, 8, or 5 years available on at least 180 days' notice, continued possession of the premises, and a remodel to then-current standards.
How to read the Meineke FDD
The embedded viewer below carries Meineke's 2023 Franchise Disclosure Document, including the Item 8 and Item 11 language summarized above.
Talk to FranCloud for a ranked list of franchise systems like Meineke where the technology mandate and procurement structure line up with your product.
Ordinary royalty terms
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Questions vendors ask
DLA Piper L, answered from the filing
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Operator footprint
Who runs the locations
622 operators run 626 mapped locations. 3 of them are multi-unit. Aggregate counts from the filing; no names.
Operators by units owned
Ownership
The portfolio behind DLA Piper L
Parent company: Driven Brands, Inc..
Related Automotive services brands
Primary franchise filings · updated September 2026. Read the original filing for definitions, conditions, and qualifications.