From the filings

HQ-led decisions

Fatburger

Quick service restaurant

Software purchasing at Fatburger is controlled at the corporate level, led by President and CEO Taylor Wiederhorn and COO Thayer Wiederhorn. The franchisor mandates an Information System and Social Media Management Software, creating a centralized tech stack across its 177 franchised locations. With an average unit volume of $1.14 million, this quick-service chain represents a concentrated, single-brand opportunity for vendors.

For software vendors selling into US franchise brands.

Live signals

Total units
177
177 franchised
Unit growth YoY
-4.839%
vs prior filing
AUV
$1.14M
Item 19, 2024
Royalty
1.5%
of gross sales
Ad fund
3%
national + local
Initial fee
$50K
per unit
Investment range
$517K–$2.66M
all-in, Item 7
Procurement
Approved supplier
from the filing
Non-compete
2 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.

4.5%of gross sales (FY2026)

Ongoing fees: 4.5% of gross sales (FY2026)Royalty 1.5%, Ad fund 3%. Total 4.5% of gross sales. Drawn against a 15% reference scale.

15% reference

Royalty 1.5%Ad fund 3%

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.

DoorDashDoorDash
DeliveryItem 12

d at your Restaurant and you may not provide delivery services or catering services (directly or through a first party or any third party, including Uber Eats, Postmates, GrubHub, DoorDash and other p

GrubhubGrubhub
DeliveryItem 12

be filled at your Restaurant and you may not provide delivery services or catering services (directly or through a first party or any third party, including Uber Eats, Postmates, GrubHub, DoorDash and

PostmatesUber
DeliveryItem 12

erritory to be filled at your Restaurant and you may not provide delivery services or catering services (directly or through a first party or any third party, including Uber Eats, Postmates, GrubHub,

Uber EatsUber
DeliveryItem 12

Protected Territory to be filled at your Restaurant and you may not provide delivery services or catering services (directly or through a first party or any third party, including Uber Eats, Postmates

Franchisor behaviours

What the franchisor requires

21 requirements the franchisor states in this filing, each in its own words; 2 explicit no's; 11 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?

Yes

Item 11

We and our affiliates do have independent access to the information generated and stored in your Information System.

How the franchisor buys

Is the franchisor or an affiliate itself a supplier of required products, services or systems?

Yes

Item 8

We and/or our affiliates will derive revenue (to include rebates and other material consideration) on account of these purchases and leases and may impose mark-ups on products and equipment sold to and/or leased by franchisees.

Does the franchisor reserve the right to change designated suppliers or systems at any time?

Yes

Item 8

We may revoke a supplier’s approval for failure to comply with our requirements and specifications.

How much revenue did the franchisor and its affiliates earn from franchisee purchases in the last fiscal year?

247070.74

Item 8

During fiscal year ending December 31, 2024, FAT’s total revenue derived from required purchases or leases from our franchisees was $247,070.74.

Does the franchisor or an affiliate receive rebates, commissions or other revenue from designated or approved suppliers?

Yes

Item 8

We and/or our affiliates will derive revenue (to include rebates and other material consideration) on account of these purchases and leases and may impose mark-ups on products and equipment sold to and/or leased by franchisees.

Can a franchisee propose a new supplier for the franchisor's approval?

Yes

Item 8

If you wish to procure any items from a supplier other than ones we have previously approved or designated, you must deliver written notice seeking approval of the supplier.

Communications

Does the franchisor own or control the business telephone numbers, or take them over when the agreement ends?

Yes

Item 17

assign to us all of your business telephone numbers.

Franchise management

Does the franchisor conduct periodic inspections, audits or evaluations of the franchised business?

Yes

Item 11

Conduct, as we deem advisable, inspections of the Restaurant and evaluations of the products sold and services rendered in and from the Restaurant.

Can the franchisor change the operations manual and brand standards unilaterally?

Yes

Franchise agreement

Franchisee hereby re-affirms its obligation to operate the Business in strict compliance with the Co-branded Manuals, as amended from time to time.

Must the franchisor approve the franchisee's site or location before opening?

Yes

Item 11

You must locate a sufficient number of proposed sites for Restaurants within your Development Area and submit them to us for acceptance.

Marketing

Is the franchisee prohibited from operating its own website or social media accounts, or required to use pages the franchisor provides?

Yes

Item 12

You do not have the right to operate a website or use our trademarks in any other manner on the Internet or in other electronic means of communication.

Is the franchisee required to spend a minimum amount on local advertising or marketing, as a percentage of sales or a fixed amount?

Yes

Item 11

In addition to contributing to the Fund, you must also spend 1% of net sales during each calendar quarter on local advertising and promotion of your Restaurant.

Must the franchisee participate in a customer loyalty or rewards program?

Yes

Item 8

You must accept MasterCard, Visa and American Express as well as such other credit and debit cards and other non-cash systems, Fatburger loyalty and gift cards as we specify, and you must obtain, replace and modify all equipment required to implement the same in accordance with our policies and procedures.

Operations

Must the franchisee buy products from a designated distributor?

Yes

Item 8

You will also purchase products from a designated vendor that GAC Supply sells to that vendor for distribution to you.

Must equipment be purchased from designated or approved suppliers?

Yes

Item 8

You must purchase all furnishings (including indoor and outdoor furniture), fixtures, decor, signage, equipment, computer hardware, software, uniforms, merchandise, flat screen television monitors, menu board system, in-store music system and sound system, inventory and other supplies, food products, ingredients…

Payments

Must the franchisee participate in a gift card program?

Yes

Item 8

You must accept MasterCard, Visa and American Express as well as such other credit and debit cards and other non-cash systems, Fatburger loyalty and gift cards as we specify, and you must obtain, replace and modify all equipment required to implement the same in accordance with our policies and procedures.

People

Does the franchisor require minimum staffing levels or specific roles?

Yes

Item 15

Your manager must assume responsibility for the day-to-day operation of the Restaurant, oversight of the preparation of food products, and supervision of personnel and accounting and must spend at least 40 hours per week overseeing the operation of the Restaurant.

Must employees wear uniforms specified by the franchisor?

Yes

Item 16

You must use certain uniforms approved by us.

Point of sale

Must the franchisee use a specific point-of-sale system designated or approved by the franchisor?

Yes

Item 11

You must purchase or lease and maintain, at your own expense, only those brands, types, makes and/or models of Information Systems computer hardware and software, communications hardware and software, point of sale hardware and software, kitchen display systems, kiosk(s), data and/or databases and any other items…

Does the franchisor have independent access to the data in the franchisee's POS or computer system?

Yes

Item 11

We and our affiliates do have independent access to the information generated and stored in your Information System.

Training

Can the franchisor charge the franchisee for additional, refresher or remedial training?

Yes

Item 11

Provide, as we deem appropriate, additional training for you or your manager, operating partner, assistant managers, shift leaders or other employees and quarterly training and status meetings.

The filing answers no to 2 questions
  • Must the franchisee participate in a regional advertising cooperative when one exists?Item 11
  • Are royalties and other fees collected by automatic bank debit (ACH or electronic funds transfer) from the franchisee's account?Item 6

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.

Sales LeaderRegional 100 499

HQ leadership: CEO/President + VP Ops/Franchise + a first dedicated IT/systems owner.

VP SalesHead of SalesCROSales Director
  1. 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%.
  2. 82.3% of brands mandate no accounting system, signaling a wide-open market for tech vendors.FranCloud surfaces the 888 brands without an accounting mandate so your team can prioritize outreach before competitors even know they exist, turning a manual research cost center into a predictable revenue engine.
  3. 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.

The vendor opportunity at Fatburger

Fatburger presents a compact but high-AUV target for software vendors. The system consists of 177 franchised locations with no company-owned units reported. Average unit volume sits at $1,144,270, which is strong for the quick-service segment. The brand is concentrated geographically, with 51 units in California, 13 in Nevada, 9 in Texas, 8 in Washington, and 4 in Arizona. Year-over-year unit growth declined by 4.8%, a signal that operational efficiency and modernization may be priorities for the franchisor. All 105 mapped operators are single-unit franchisees, meaning there are no multi-unit operators to act as internal champions for new technology. This structure reinforces the need to sell directly into the corporate office.

Who controls software purchasing

Technology decisions are made at the headquarters level. The key executives to engage are Taylor Wiederhorn, who serves as President and Chief Executive Officer of FBNA and Co-Chief Executive Officer and Chief Development Officer of FAT, and Thayer Wiederhorn, Chief Operating Officer of FAT. Andrew A. Wiederhorn, CEO and President of FAT, also holds ultimate authority. The board includes Patrick Bartels and Neal Goldman. Because the system is entirely franchised and has no multi-unit operators, the corporate team controls all mandated technology standards. A vendor's path to adoption starts with convincing this small, centralized leadership group.

Mandated and current tech stack

The 2026 Franchise Disclosure Document mandates two technology categories: an Information System and Social Media Management Software. The specific vendors for these systems are not disclosed in the FDD. This lack of transparency means a vendor must engage HQ directly to understand the incumbent landscape. The mandated Information System likely covers point-of-sale, back-office, and reporting functions, while the social media mandate suggests a centralized marketing technology stack. Any pitch should address how a new solution integrates with or replaces these mandated systems.

Procurement, renewals, and timing

The FDD does not include an Item 8 procurement signal, leaving the designated supplier or approved vendor process undefined in public filings. The initial franchise term is 15 years, with a 10-year renewal option. Renewal conditions include signing the then-current franchise agreement, paying 40% of the then-current initial franchise fee, and complying with updated training and qualification requirements. These long terms mean natural contract windows are rare. However, the recent unit count contraction may create urgency for tools that improve unit-level profitability or operational consistency. Vendors should monitor for any updates to the mandated tech list in future FDDs.

How to read the Fatburger FDD

The 2026 FDD is the primary source for understanding Fatburger's technology mandates and procurement rules. Item 11 details the franchisor's obligations around the Information System and Social Media Management Software. Item 1 lists the executive team and board members who control purchasing. Item 17 outlines the renewal terms and conditions that can trigger technology refresh cycles. The embedded viewer below contains the full document. For a ranked target list of franchise brands aligned with your software, FranCloud can help you prioritize your outreach.

Questions vendors ask

Fatburger, answered from the filing

Taylor Wiederhorn, President and CEO of FBNA and Co-CEO of FAT, and Thayer Wiederhorn, COO of FAT, are the key executives. The buying center is centralized at the Beverly Hills, CA headquarters.
The 2026 FDD mandates an 'Information System' and 'Social Media Management Software.' The specific vendors for these systems are not named in the disclosure document.
There are 177 total units, all of which are franchised. The brand operates primarily in CA (51), NV (13), TX (9), WA (8), and AZ (4).
The 2026 FDD does not include an Item 8 procurement signal, so the designated or approved supplier model is not publicly disclosed. Vendors should clarify directly with HQ.
With a 15-year initial term and 10-year renewals, windows are infrequent. However, a -4.8% unit decline may trigger operational reviews, creating openings for efficiency-focused tools.
The 2026 FDD is filed with state franchise regulators. You can review it directly in the embedded PDF viewer below.
Source

Read the filing itself

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Fatburger2026 FDDView only

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The brands you can actually sell into, from the filings.

Operator footprint

Who runs the locations

104 operators run 105 mapped locations. 1 of them are multi-unit. Aggregate counts from the filing; no names.

Operators by units owned

Single-unit103
2–9 units1

Top states by locations

CA51
NV13
TX9
WA8
AZ4

Ownership

The portfolio behind Fatburger

strategic_multibrand of FAT Brands.

Sibling brands

Related Quick service restaurant brands

Primary franchise filings · updated June 2026. Every figure is source-traceable and QA-checked.