icense and use is Square, and as may be otherwise designated by us in the Manuals. You must use our designated vendor for your customer relationship management software, currently Thryv. You are requi
From the filings
Frios Franchising Company
Retail foodSoftware purchasing at Frios Franchising Company is controlled at the corporate level, with key decision-makers including CEO Cliff Kennedy and VP of Operations Alison Groom. The brand mandates Thryv for operational management across its 114-unit network, leaving limited room for alternative platforms but potential for add-on tools. With 113 franchised locations and a single company-owned unit, the addressable market for vendors is modest but concentrated.
For software vendors selling into US franchise brands.
Live signals
Ongoing fee load
What the operator pays every month
The recurring percentage of gross sales named in this filing. It is a floor, not a total — the filing discloses one of the two headline fees.
2%+of gross sales (FY2026)
15% reference
Mandated & recommended tech
The systems vendors compete with
1 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.
Franchisor behaviours
What the franchisor requires
28 requirements the franchisor states in this filing, each in its own words; 1 explicit no; 5 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?
YesFranchise agreement
At all times, Franchisee shall provide and permit Franchisor to maintain direct and independent access to the Business Management System and the Business Management System Data and to duplicate and evaluate the data;
Must the franchisee submit periodic financial statements (monthly, quarterly or annual) to the franchisor?
YesFranchise agreement
within 30 days of the end of each calendar month Franchisee shall submit to Franchisor monthly financial statements and other reports related to the operations of the Franchised business including, but not limited to, income statement, statement of cash flows, balance sheet, and other operational reports designated…
How the franchisor buys
Is the franchisor or an affiliate itself a supplier of required products, services or systems?
YesItem 8
Our affiliate, FGP Manufacturing, LLC is currently designated as an approved supplier of Frios pops.
Does the franchisor reserve the right to change designated suppliers or systems at any time?
YesItem 8
We may designate a supplier (which may include us or our affiliates) as the exclusive supplier for the System.
Does the franchisor or an affiliate receive rebates, commissions or other revenue from designated or approved suppliers?
YesItem 8
We and/or our affiliates may receive rebates, payments and other material benefits from suppliers based on franchisee purchases and we reserve the right to institute and expand rebate programs in the future.
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?
90Item 8
We estimate that your purchase of goods and services from suppliers according to our specifications, including your purchase of goods or services from our designated exclusive suppliers, to represent 17 Frios FDD 2026 approximately 75% of your total purchases and leases in establishing the Franchised Business and…
Does the franchisor charge a fee to evaluate a proposed supplier?
YesItem 8
We may charge you a supplier review and testing fee and we may request that you send us samples from the supplier for testing and documentation from the supplier for evaluation.
Can a franchisee propose a new supplier for the franchisor's approval?
YesItem 8
If you want to purchase or lease a source restricted item from a supplier that has not been previously approved or designated by us in writing, you must send us a written request for approval and submit additional information that we may request.
Communications
Does the franchisor own or control the business telephone numbers, or take them over when the agreement ends?
YesFranchise agreement
All rights in and to telephone numbers associated with the Franchised Business, shall, at Franchisor’s election, be transferred to Franchisor.
Franchise management
Does the franchisor conduct periodic inspections, audits or evaluations of the franchised business?
YesFranchise agreement
Franchisor has the right at any time during business hours, and without prior notice to Franchisee, to inspect Franchisee’s Sweet Ride Van, Happiness Hauler Trailer, Nelson Cart(s), and System Supplies.
Can the franchisor change the operations manual and brand standards unilaterally?
YesItem 11
At all times, we reserve the right to supplement, modify and update the Manuals.
Must the franchisor approve the franchisee's site or location before opening?
YesItem 11
2. Approval of Operating Territory – At the time of signing your Franchise Agreement you will have selected and we will have approved of the Operating Territory within which you will operate the Franchised Business and your Sweet Ride Van or Happiness Hauler Trailer, and/or Nelson Carts.
Marketing
Is the franchisee prohibited from operating its own website or social media accounts, or required to use pages the franchisor provides?
YesFranchise agreement
Franchisee’s use of Digital Media shall be subject to and require Franchisor’s express written consent which shall and may be withheld by Franchisor for any or no reason at all.
Is a minimum grand opening advertising spend required?
YesItem 7
You must spend a minimum of $6,000 within the first six months after opening your Frios Business to promote your grand opening.
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
On an on-going annual basis, Franchisee must spend not less than $4,000 per year on the local marketing of the Franchised Business within and/or targeted to Franchisee’s Operating Territory (the “Minimum Annual Local Marketing Requirement”).
Must the franchisee participate in a customer loyalty or rewards program?
YesFranchise agreement
customer service and satisfaction standards including, customer rewards programs, refund policies, gift card policies, special promotions and other customer incentive and goodwill programs
Must the franchisee participate in a regional advertising cooperative when one exists?
YesFranchise agreement
If Franchisee’s Frios Business or Operating Territory is located within the geographic area of an Advertising Cooperative, franchisee must participate in and contribute to the Advertising Cooperative.
Operations
Must the franchisee buy products from a designated distributor?
YesItem 8
We require that you purchase or lease certain source restricted goods and services for the development and operation of your Frios Business.
Must equipment be purchased from designated or approved suppliers?
YesItem 8
You may only offer and sell the Approved Services and Products that we designate and you may only use those products, supplies, equipment, technology systems, and services that we authorize and designate in writing.
Payments
Must the franchisee use a payment processor or merchant-services provider designated or approved by the franchisor?
YesItem 8
Credit Card Processing – You must use our designated supplier and vendor for credit card processing which may be integrated with the point of sale system that we designate.
Are royalties and other fees collected by automatic bank debit (ACH or electronic funds transfer) from the franchisee's account?
YesItem 6
Payment is subject to our specification and instruction, including, our election to have all fees automatically drafted from your business bank account or automatically debited or charged to your business bank account.
Must the franchisee participate in a gift card program?
YesItem 8
Online Ordering, Customer Rewards, and Gift Cards – You must use our designated supplier and vendor for the ability to access and use online, point of sale integrated, web based, and/or app based, ordering, customer rewards, and/or gift card systems.
People
Must employees wear uniforms specified by the franchisor?
YesItem 11
For the protection of the System, you must ensure that all employees wear and maintain the proper uniforms with our approved System branded apparel and uniforms including, but not limited to, the apparel and uniforms comprising System Supplies.
Point of sale
Must the franchisee use a specific point-of-sale system designated or approved by the franchisor?
YesItem 8
Currently you are required to purchase, license and utilize a Square point of sale system with one configured hardware terminal.
Does the franchisor have independent access to the data in the franchisee's POS or computer system?
YesFranchise agreement
At all times, Franchisee shall provide and permit Franchisor to maintain direct and independent access to the Business Management System and the Business Management System Data and to duplicate and evaluate the data;
Sales and CRM
Must the franchisee use a CRM system designated or approved by the franchisor?
YesItem 11
You must purchase, license and use the computer, point of sale, customer relationship management software, business management, and ordering systems that we designate.
Training
Can the franchisor charge the franchisee for additional, refresher or remedial training?
YesFranchise agreement
Franchisor provides instructors and training materials for those programs and seminars, but Franchisor reserves the right to assess Franchisee reasonable charges for such training.
Is attendance at an annual convention or conference mandatory for the franchisee?
YesItem 6
If we offer a franchisee annual conference in a given year you will be required to attend the conference on the dates and at the location that we designate.
The filing answers no to 1 question
- Does the franchisor require minimum staffing levels or specific roles?Franchise agreement
The vendor opportunity at Frios Frios Franchising Company is a retail food concept with 114 total units (113 franchised, 1 company-owned) as of the 2026 FDD. The brand posted an average unit volume (AUV) of $92,432 and grew units by 6.6% year-over-year. For software vendors, the addressable market is 114 locations, but the operator base is entirely single-unit: 85 mapped operators, none with more than one location. The geographic concentration is in Texas (15), Florida (9), Georgia (7), South Carolina (7), and Alabama (7). This small, centralized network means that a single corporate decision can roll out software across the entire system, but the total contract value will be limited by the low unit count and modest AUV.
Who controls software purchasing All software purchasing authority rests with Frios’s corporate leadership. The FDD identifies three executives: CEO Clifford L. “Cliff” Kennedy III, Brand President and CMO Jennifer Rogers, and VP of Operations Alison Groom. With no multi-unit franchisees and a mandated technology stack, franchisees have no independent buying power. Vendors should target CEO Kennedy or VP Groom, who likely handle operational and technology decisions. The absence of a dedicated IT role suggests that these leaders evaluate tools directly, making the sales process potentially faster but requiring a clear value proposition.
Mandated and current tech stack The FDD mandates Thryv for all franchisees. Thryv is a business management platform covering CRM, scheduling, marketing, and client communication. No other software systems are named, indicating a lean tech environment. This mandate locks out competing core platforms but creates opportunities for complementary solutions that integrate with Thryv. Vendors offering niche tools—such as advanced inventory, loyalty, or analytics—should emphasize API compatibility and quick time-to-value. The low AUV means pricing must be sensitive to unit economics.
Procurement, renewals, and timing Item 8 of the FDD, which details procurement restrictions, was not extracted, so the official purchasing model is unknown. Without a designated supplier program, vendors likely face an open process but must persuade HQ to adopt and potentially mandate their solution. Franchise agreements run for an initial 10-year term, with one additional 10-year renewal available. Renewal conditions are stringent: franchisees must be in compliance, give 180 days’ notice, sign the then-current agreement, pay a renewal fee, and remodel certain equipment. These long cycles mean that once a technology is adopted, it is sticky. Vendors should monitor new unit openings or renewal clusters, though the staggered nature of 113 agreements makes timing unpredictable. Ownership by fgp holding (details undisclosed) could also influence procurement if the parent company has preferred vendor relationships.
How to read the Frios FDD The Franchise Disclosure Document is the vendor’s primary research tool. Filed with state franchise regulators in 2026, it contains Item 11 (mandated Thryv and any other tech obligations), Item 8 (procurement restrictions, if present), and Item 17 (renewal terms). The embedded PDF viewer below provides the full document. Focus on these items to map the tech landscape and buying triggers. For a ranked list of franchise systems that match your software, talk to FranCloud.
Questions vendors ask
Frios Franchising Company, answered from the filing
Read the filing itself
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FDD alert
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Operator footprint
Who runs the locations
85 operators run 85 mapped locations. 0 of them are multi-unit. Aggregate counts from the filing; no names.
Operators by units owned
Top states by locations
| TX | 15 |
|---|---|
| FL | 9 |
| GA | 7 |
| SC | 7 |
| AL | 7 |
Ownership
The portfolio behind Frios Franchising Company
unknown of fgp holding.
Related Retail food brands
Primary franchise filings · updated August 2026. Every figure is source-traceable and QA-checked.