QuickBooks OnlineIntuit
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From the filings
HQ-led decisions
Exotic Snack Guys
Retail foodSoftware purchasing at Exotic Snack Guys is controlled at the headquarters level by a small executive team led by CEO Zohaib Naman and COO Shafiq Rehman. The system currently mandates QuickBooks Online for accounting and relies on Meta platforms for marketing, with 5 total company-owned units representing the full addressable market. This compact, corporate-owned footprint means a single decision-maker conversation can unlock the entire brand.
For software vendors selling into US franchise brands.
Live signals
Total units
5
0 franchised
Unit growth YoY
—
vs prior filing
AUV
$710K
Item 19, 2025
Royalty
5%
of gross sales
Ad fund
0%
national + local
Initial fee
$50K
per unit
Investment range
$162K–$291K
all-in, Item 7
Procurement
Approved supplier
from the filing
Non-compete
1 years
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.
5%of gross sales (FY2026)
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.
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
Must the franchisee use an accounting or bookkeeping system designated or approved by the franchisor?
YesFranchise agreement
Franchisee shall utilize an accounting software such as QuickBooks.com (or other Franchisor approved accounting software) to manage its books.
Does the franchisor have direct or independent electronic access to the franchisee's financial, sales or customer records?
YesFranchise agreement
Franchisor shall have full access to all of Franchisee’s computer, data and systems and all related information by means of direct access, either in person or by telephone, modem or Internet.
Must the franchisee submit periodic financial statements (monthly, quarterly or annual) to the franchisor?
YesFranchise agreement
Franchisee shall, at its expense, submit to Franchisor within 30 days after the end of each calendar year, an income statement for the calendar year just ended and a balance sheet as of the last day of the calendar year.
How the franchisor buys
Is the franchisor or an affiliate itself a supplier of required products, services or systems?
YesItem 8
Our affiliate earns revenue or other material consideration from required franchisee purchases or leases.
Does the franchisor reserve the right to change designated suppliers or systems at any time?
YesFranchise agreement
Franchisor has the right to review from time to time its approval of any items or suppliers. Franchisor may revoke its approval of any item, service or supplier at any time by notifying Franchisee and/or the supplier.
How much revenue did the franchisor and its affiliates earn from franchisee purchases in the last fiscal year?
0Item 8
In our last fiscal year ending December 31, 2025, neither we nor our affiliate earned revenue or other material consideration from required purchases or leases by franchisees.
Does the franchisor or an affiliate receive rebates, commissions or other revenue from designated or approved suppliers?
YesItem 8
Our affiliate earns revenue or other material consideration from required franchisee purchases or leases.
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?
30Item 8
We estimate that approximately 30% of your expenditures on an ongoing basis will be for goods and services that must be purchased either from us, an Affiliate, an approved supplier or another party according to our standards and specifications.
Does the franchisor charge a fee to evaluate a proposed supplier?
YesFranchise agreement
Franchisee shall bear all expenses incurred by Franchisor in connection with determining whether it shall approve an item, service or supplier, not to exceed $1,000.00.
Can a franchisee propose a new supplier for the franchisor's approval?
YesItem 8
If you wish to propose to us another supplier, you may submit the proposed supplier that you wish for us to consider in writing.
Communications
Does the franchisor own or control the business telephone numbers, or take them over when the agreement ends?
YesFranchise agreement
assign all telephone listings and numbers for the Franchised Business to Franchisor and shall notify the telephone company and all listing agencies of the termination or expiration of Franchisee’s right to use any telephone numbers or facsimile numbers associated with the Marks in any regular, classified or other…
Franchise management
Does the franchisor conduct periodic inspections, audits or evaluations of the franchised business?
YesFranchise agreement
We have the right to review your business operations, in person, by mail, or electronically, and to inspect your operations and obtain your paper and electronic business records related to the Franchised Business and any other operations taking place through your Franchised Business.
Can the franchisor change the operations manual and brand standards unilaterally?
YesFranchise agreement
Franchisor has the right to add to or otherwise modify the Operations Manual from time to time to reflect changes in the specifications, standards, operating procedures, and rules prescribed by Franchisor
Must the franchisor approve the franchisee's site or location before opening?
YesItem 11
You must secure a location for the Business within 45 days of the signing of the Franchise Agreement; this includes the requirement of obtaining our approval for your selected location.
Marketing
Is the franchisee prohibited from operating its own website or social media accounts, or required to use pages the franchisor provides?
YesItem 11
You are restricted from establishing a presence on, or marketing on the Internet without our written consent.
Is a minimum grand opening advertising spend required?
YesFranchise agreement
Franchisee shall spend a minimum of $1,000 - $2,000 to promote the opening of the Franchised Business, pursuant to our guidelines.
Is the franchisee required to spend a minimum amount on local advertising or marketing, as a percentage of sales or a fixed amount?
YesFranchise agreement
Franchisee shall spend a minimum of $500 each month on Local Advertising based upon our guidelines.
Operations
Must the franchisee buy products from a designated distributor?
YesItem 8
Inventory and Supplies You must purchase inventory and supplies from approved suppliers that we designate or pursuant to our specifications.
Must equipment be purchased from designated or approved suppliers?
YesItem 8
You must purchase computer hardware and software designated by us.
Payments
Must the franchisee use a payment processor or merchant-services provider designated or approved by the franchisor?
YesFranchise agreement
Franchisee shall, at its expense, lease or purchase the necessary equipment to process credit card and other payments pursuant to our specifications.
Are royalties and other fees collected by automatic bank debit (ACH or electronic funds transfer) from the franchisee's account?
YesItem 6
Royalty and other fees shall be payable to us by direct deposit.
People
Must employees wear uniforms specified by the franchisor?
YesFranchise agreement
Uniforms must be purchased from an Approved Supplier, if such is designated, or if none, then a supplier who meets Franchisor’s specifications and quality standards for uniforms.
Point of sale
Must the franchisee use a specific point-of-sale system designated or approved by the franchisor?
YesItem 11
You must purchase and use any hardware and software programs we designate.
Does the franchisor have independent access to the data in the franchisee's POS or computer system?
YesItem 11
We have, and you are required to provide, independent access to the information that will be generated or stored in your computer systems, which includes, but not limited to, customer, transaction, and operational information.
Sales and CRM
Must the franchisee use a CRM system designated or approved by the franchisor?
YesItem 11
You must purchase and use any hardware and software programs we designate.
Training
Can the franchisor charge the franchisee for additional, refresher or remedial training?
YesItem 6
FA 8.3 whichever is greater Currently, we charge $500 per day per person plus expenses for We may charge you for training newly-hired training at our personnel; for refresher training courses; for location, and the conventions, seminars, conferences, and $500 per day per When training webinars; and for additional or…
The filing answers no to 4 questions
- Is there a franchisee advisory council, association or committee?Item 11
- Must the franchisee participate in a regional advertising cooperative when one exists?Item 11
- Does the franchisor require minimum staffing levels or specific roles?Item 11
- Is attendance at an annual convention or conference mandatory for the franchisee?Franchise agreement
The vendor opportunity at Exotic Snack Guys
Exotic Snack Guys operates 5 retail food locations, all company-owned, with an average unit volume of $710,119. The brand is headquartered in Illinois and its current footprint is concentrated in Wisconsin, where the single mapped operator runs approximately one located unit. There are no franchised locations, no multi-unit operators, and no parent company on file—this is an independently owned, tightly controlled emerging concept.
For software vendors, the addressable market is small but straightforward: 5 units under direct corporate control. The 5.0% royalty rate and 10-year initial term signal a franchisor that is building the infrastructure for future growth, even if year-over-year unit growth data is not yet available. Selling into this system means selling to the C-suite.
Who controls software purchasing
All purchasing authority sits with the two executives named in the FDD: CEO Zohaib Naman and COO Shafiq Rehman. There is no franchisee layer, no multi-unit operator with independent buying power, and no parent company influencing procurement. This is a pure HQ-driven decision environment.
A vendor pitch should be directed at Naman and Rehman as the buying center. With only 5 units, the evaluation process is likely informal and relationship-driven rather than RFP-based. The absence of a CIO or IT lead on file suggests that operational and financial software decisions are made directly by the CEO and COO.
Mandated and current tech stack
The 2026 FDD mandates QuickBooks Online for accounting. This is the only named technology system in the disclosure. For marketing, the brand uses Meta platforms, though this is not described as a mandate—it is simply the observed digital presence.
No point-of-sale system, inventory management tool, payroll provider, or operational platform is disclosed in the FDD. This gap represents a potential opening for vendors in POS, workforce management, or supply chain software, provided the pitch aligns with the brand's small-footprint, corporate-owned operating model.
Procurement, renewals, and timing
Item 8 of the FDD contains no extract regarding procurement rules. There is no designated supplier list, no approved vendor program, and no disclosed purchasing cooperative. This suggests an open procurement environment where the franchisor has not yet formalized vendor relationships—or has chosen not to disclose them.
Item 17 outlines a renewal structure that creates natural software evaluation windows. Franchise agreements run for 10 years, and renewal requires entering into a then-current franchise agreement that may contain materially different terms. The renewal conditions include compliance with system standards, satisfaction of all monetary obligations, and execution of a general release. For a vendor, the renewal trigger is the moment when the franchisor can update operational requirements—including technology mandates—across the system.
How to read the Exotic Snack Guys FDD
The 2026 Franchise Disclosure Document is the authoritative source for understanding this brand's technology posture. Key sections for software vendors include Item 11, which details franchisor obligations and any mandated technology systems; Item 8, which covers restrictions on sources of products and services; and Item 1, which identifies the executives who control purchasing.
With only 5 units and no franchisee base, the FDD is relatively lean. The absence of disclosed operational tech beyond QuickBooks Online is itself a signal: this is a system where a vendor can shape the technology stack from an early stage, provided the pitch reaches the right desk. For a ranked target list of franchise systems matched to your software category, FranCloud can help.
Questions vendors ask
Exotic Snack Guys, answered from the filing
CEO Zohaib Naman and COO Shafiq Rehman are the executives on file. With only 5 company-owned units and no franchisee layer, purchasing authority is centralized with this leadership team.
The 2026 FDD does not disclose a mandated POS or operational system. QuickBooks Online is the only named mandated technology, used for accounting. No other operational tech vendors are specified.
There are 5 total units, all company-owned. The system has no franchised locations, with its entire footprint concentrated in Wisconsin. This is a very small, emerging brand.
The procurement model is not disclosed in the most recent FDD. Item 8 contains no extract regarding designated or approved suppliers, so the approach to vendor selection remains unspecified.
With a 10-year initial term and renewal option for additional 10-year terms, contract windows are infrequent. The renewal requires a new agreement with potentially different terms, creating a natural re-evaluation point.
The 2026 FDD was filed with state franchise regulators. You can review the full document using the embedded PDF viewer below to analyze Item 11 tech mandates, Item 8 procurement rules, and executive disclosures directly.
Source
Read the filing itself
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FDD alert
Tell me when this brand refiles.
We’ll email you the moment Exotic Snack Guys files a new annual FDD, usually the freshest signal of a vendor change.
Operator footprint
Who runs the locations
1 operators run 1 mapped locations. 0 of them are multi-unit. Aggregate counts from the filing; no names.
Operators by units owned
Single-unit1
Top states by locations
| WI | 1 |
|---|
Related Retail food brands
Primary franchise filings · updated August 2026. Every figure is source-traceable and QA-checked.