DoorDashDoorDash
e may modify the standards and rules for delivery services from time to time. We may also enter into agreements with third-party delivery providers, such as Uber Eats, GrubHub, or DoorDash, and may re
From the filings
+33.333% units YoYHQ-led decisions
Ginger Ale's
Quick service restaurantSoftware purchasing decisions at Ginger Ale's are controlled by its five-member leadership team, including Julie A. Hill and Michael F. Hill, Jr., as listed in the 2025 FDD. The franchise currently operates 12 franchised locations with no mandated technology systems disclosed, presenting a greenfield opportunity for vendors. With a 33.3% year-over-year unit growth rate and an average unit volume of $699,912, the addressable market is small but expanding rapidly.
For software vendors selling into US franchise brands.
Live signals
Total units
12
12 franchised
Unit growth YoY
+33.333%
vs prior filing
AUV
$700K
Item 19, 2023
Royalty
5%
of gross sales
Ad fund
3%
national + local
Initial fee
$25K
per unit
Investment range
—
all-in, Item 7
Procurement
Approved supplier
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.
8%of gross sales (FY2025)
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.
GrubhubGrubhub
the standards and rules for delivery services from time to time. 28 Multistate FDD 4/2025 We may also enter into agreements with third-party delivery providers, such as Uber Eats, GrubHub, or DoorDash
Uber EatsUber
ss facility location. We may modify the standards and rules for delivery services from time to time. We may also enter into agreements with third-party delivery providers, such as Uber Eats, GrubHub,
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, in the manner and form specified by Franchisor in the Manual or otherwise in writing, prepare on a current basis (and preserve for at least five years from the date of preparation) complete and accurate books and records using such charts of accounts as Franchisor may require, and in accordance with…
Does the franchisor have direct or independent electronic access to the franchisee's financial, sales or customer records?
YesFranchise agreement
that Franchisor may have access to Franchisee’s sales and customer data base for that purpose.
Must the franchisee submit periodic financial statements (monthly, quarterly or annual) to the franchisor?
YesFranchise agreement
Unless automatically generated by the Franchisee’s point of sale system, on or before the 10th day of the following calendar month, Franchisee shall submit to Franchisor an income statement prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles (in such form and detail as Franchisor may require) that…
How the franchisor buys
Is the franchisor or an affiliate itself a supplier of required products, services or systems?
YesItem 8
We and our affiliates may be an approved supplier, and may be the only approved supplier for some products.
Does the franchisor reserve the right to change designated suppliers or systems at any time?
YesFranchise agreement
Franchisor reserves the right to approve or disapprove proposed alternative products or services in its sole discretion.
How much revenue did the franchisor and its affiliates earn from franchisee purchases in the last fiscal year?
0Item 8
Since we only started franchising in 2021, we did not receive any rebates from approved vendors based on franchisee purchases made in 2020 and neither we, nor our affiliates had any revenue from required purchases or leases of products or services by franchisees.
Does the franchisor or an affiliate receive rebates, commissions or other revenue from designated or approved suppliers?
YesFranchise agreement
Franchisor or Franchisor’s Affiliates may receive rebates, commissions, and other benefits from suppliers in relation to items purchased by
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?
75Item 8
We estimate that 90% of your initial purchases and 75% of your ongoing purchases of products and services will be purchases either from us, our affiliates, our designees, suppliers approved by us, or under our specifications.
Does the franchisor charge a fee to evaluate a proposed supplier?
YesFranchise agreement
If Franchisee would like to use alternate manufacturers, suppliers, or distributors, or alternative products, services, supplies, materials and FF&E items to those required by Franchisor, Franchisee must first request in writing that Franchisor approve the alternate.
Can a franchisee propose a new supplier for the franchisor's approval?
YesFranchise agreement
Franchisee may propose alternative manufacturers, suppliers or distributors of approved products, services, supplies, materials and FF&E items used in the operation of the Franchised Business, as well as alternative products, services, supplies, suppliers, materials and FF&E items to those previously approved by…
Communications
Does the franchisor own or control the business telephone numbers, or take them over when the agreement ends?
YesFranchise agreement
Franchisee shall surrender and transfer to Franchisor or its designee any and all rights to use the telephone numbers, other business listings, and social media accounts and all other accounts and pages in any form of Online Presence used by Franchisee for the Franchised Business.
Data and IT
Must the franchisee comply with PCI, data-security or cybersecurity standards set by the franchisor?
YesFranchise agreement
Franchisee must also comply with payment card industry (“PCI”) standards, norms, requirements and protocols, including PCD Data Security Standards.
Franchise management
Must the franchisee participate in a customer-satisfaction or net-promoter survey program?
YesFranchise agreement
Franchisee shall provide all information requested by Franchisor for the purpose of Franchisor’s conducting customer satisfaction audits and surveys
Does the franchisor conduct periodic inspections, audits or evaluations of the franchised business?
YesItem 6
franchisees. Quality Audit Fee Actual expense, Upon invoice We may engage a third party to typically up to $250 perform periodic (typically not more than quarterly) quality assurance audits of your Franchised Business.
Can the franchisor change the operations manual and brand standards unilaterally?
YesFranchise agreement
Franchisor shall have the right to add to and otherwise modify the Manual to reflect changes in the business, authorized products or services (or specifications therefor), FF&E requirements, quality standards, and operating procedures of the Location as determined by Franchisor.
Must the franchisor approve the franchisee's site or location before opening?
YesFranchise agreement
Franchisee may not commence construction of the Location until Franchisor has unconditionally approved the proposed site in writing.
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 may not have any individual website other than those accessed and linked through Franchisor’s primary Website.
Is a minimum grand opening advertising spend required?
YesFranchise agreement
Starting two weeks before the Franchised Business opens, and continuing for four weeks thereafter, Franchisee shall spend at least two thousand dollars ($2,000) on advertising and marketing to promote the Franchised Business.
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
Throughout the term of this Agreement, Franchisee shall spend at least two percent (2%) of its Gross Revenues monthly on such local marketing and advertising in the Protected Area.
Must the franchisee participate in a customer loyalty or rewards program?
YesFranchise agreement
Franchisor may require that Franchisee, if permitted by applicable law, participate in a gift card or other customer loyalty program in accordance with the provisions either set forth in the Manual or otherwise disclosed to Franchisee.
Must the franchisee participate in a regional advertising cooperative when one exists?
YesFranchise agreement
Franchisee may be required to contribute up to two percent (2%) of its Gross Revenue to the Advertising Cooperative.
Operations
Must the franchisee buy products from a designated distributor?
YesFranchise agreement
Franchisee is required to purchase products, services, supplies, FF&E items, and materials required for the construction and operation of the Franchised Business, as specified in the Manual, from manufacturers, suppliers or distributors designated by Franchisor, or from other suppliers Franchisor approves who meet…
Payments
Are royalties and other fees collected by automatic bank debit (ACH or electronic funds transfer) from the franchisee's account?
YesItem 6
Unless other collection procedures and time frames are stated specifically for a fee, it is collected by us on a weekly basis, by EFT.
Point of sale
Must the franchisee use a specific point-of-sale system designated or approved by the franchisor?
YesFranchise agreement
Franchisee shall, at Franchisee’s expense, purchase or lease and install at the Location all FF&E, software systems, including point of sale systems, and other systems and technology programs specified by Franchisor.
Training
Can the franchisor charge the franchisee for additional, refresher or remedial training?
YesItem 6
Additional Training or Currently, $350 per Upon invoice Payable if you request additional Assistance day and trainer, plus training, or if we determine you travel and lodging require additional training.
Is attendance at an annual convention or conference mandatory for the franchisee?
YesFranchise agreement
Franchisee, or if Franchisee is an entity, the Operating Principal or one or more of Franchisee’s principal owners, shall attend Franchisor’s annual franchisee conference or franchisee meetings, and pay the non-refundable conference registration fee as the same may be designated by Franchisor.
The filing answers no to 4 questions
- Is there a franchisee advisory council, association or committee?Item 20
- Must equipment be purchased from designated or approved suppliers?Item 8
- Must the franchisee participate in a gift card program?Franchise agreement
- Does the franchisor require minimum staffing levels or specific roles?Franchise agreement
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.
The franchisee/operator personally, or a small franchisor still owner-run. Wears every hat.
OwnerCEOPresidentPrincipal
- 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%.
- 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.
- 97.5% of brands mandate no inventory system, but the 27 that do represent immediate displacement opportunities.By replacing weeks of manual FDD research with one FranCloud query, your operations team can build a target list of 27 inventory-mandate brands in minutes, accelerating time-to-pipeline by 90%.
The vendor opportunity at Ginger Ale's
Ginger Ale's is a quick-service restaurant concept headquartered in Illinois with 12 franchised locations and a disclosed average unit volume of $699,912. The brand grew its unit count by 33.3% year-over-year, signaling an active expansion phase that could generate demand for operational, financial, and marketing software. Because the 2025 FDD does not mandate any specific technology systems, every location represents a potential greenfield sale for vendors offering POS, payroll, inventory, or customer engagement platforms. The royalty rate is 5%, and the initial franchise term is 10 years.
Who controls software purchasing
The 2025 FDD lists five Members as the brand's leadership: Julie A. Hill, Michael F. Hill, Jr., Bob Schultz, Frank Christopher “Christo” Schultz, and John Perles. No chief information officer, chief technology officer, or dedicated procurement executive is named. In a lean organization of this size, software purchasing authority likely rests with these Members collectively or with one individual acting as the operational lead. Vendors should direct initial outreach to the HQ office in Illinois and be prepared to articulate a clear ROI for a 12-unit system that is actively adding new locations.
Mandated and current tech stack
The 2025 FDD contains no mandated or recommended technology systems. Item 11, which typically lists required hardware, software, or point-of-sale specifications, does not capture any named vendors or systems. This absence suggests that franchisees currently select their own technology independently. For a software vendor, this means there is no incumbent to displace at the franchisor level, but adoption may require selling to individual franchisees unless the franchisor decides to standardize.
Procurement, renewals, and timing
Item 8 of the FDD, which would describe purchasing obligations and approved suppliers, is not extracted in the available data. Without that signal, the procurement model remains unknown—it could be entirely open or involve informal preferred relationships. Renewal terms are clearer: franchisees must request a successor agreement 12 to 24 months before their 10-year initial term expires, pay a successor agreement fee, and sign a general release. The renewal term is 5 years. With 12 units and a 33.3% growth rate, new store openings are the most likely trigger for software evaluations in the near term.
How to read the Ginger Ale's FDD
The full 2025 Ginger Ale's Franchise Disclosure Document is embedded below. Key sections for technology vendors include Item 1 (leadership and business structure), Item 8 (purchasing and supplier requirements), Item 11 (technology obligations), and Item 17 (renewal and transfer conditions). Reviewing these sections will confirm whether any technology standards have been introduced since the last filing and clarify the path to becoming an approved or recommended vendor. For a ranked target list of franchise systems that match your software category, FranCloud can help.
Questions vendors ask
Ginger Ale's, answered from the filing
The 2025 FDD lists five Members as the governing body: Julie A. Hill, Michael F. Hill, Jr., Bob Schultz, Frank Christopher “Christo” Schultz, and John Perles. No dedicated IT or procurement role is identified, so any of these individuals likely control or influence software decisions.
The 2025 FDD does not mandate or recommend any specific POS, operational, or technology systems for franchisees. This indicates a completely open tech environment where franchisees may choose their own vendors independently.
Ginger Ale's operates 12 total units, all of which are franchised. The number of company-owned locations is not disclosed. The brand falls within the quick-service restaurant segment and is based in Illinois.
The 2025 FDD does not provide an extract for Item 8, so the procurement model—whether designated supplier, approved supplier, or completely open—is not publicly disclosed. Vendors should inquire directly about any purchasing restrictions or preferred vendor programs.
Initial franchise agreements run for 10 years. Renewal requires notice 12–24 months before expiration and a successor agreement fee for a 5-year term. With 12 units and 33.3% recent growth, new location openings may create immediate sales opportunities.
The Ginger Ale's 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document is filed with state franchise regulators. You can review the full document using the embedded PDF viewer below to analyze Item 11 technology obligations, Item 8 purchasing requirements, and the leadership structure in Item 1.
Source
Read the filing itself
Every number on this page traces back to this document. Read it in full, page by page. Buy the original PDF to download, search, and annotate it.
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FDD alert
Tell me when this brand refiles.
We’ll email you the moment Ginger Ale's files a new annual FDD, usually the freshest signal of a vendor change.
Operator footprint
Who runs the locations
10 operators run 10 mapped locations. 0 of them are multi-unit. Aggregate counts from the filing; no names.
Operators by units owned
Single-unit10
Top states by locations
| IL | 6 |
|---|---|
| IN | 4 |
Ownership
The portfolio behind Ginger Ale's
unknown of jmh ventures.
Related Quick service restaurant brands
Primary franchise filings · updated June 2026. Every figure is source-traceable and QA-checked.