EcolabEcolab
MandatoryArrangements We negotiate purchase arrangements with the following vendors, including the price terms: SOCi, Inc., Karman Culinex, LLC dba Atlas Restaurant Supply, ezCater; Toast; Ecolab, Inc.; InstaC
From the filings
+27.143% units YoYHQ-led decisions
Graze Craze
Quick service restaurantSoftware purchasing control at Graze Craze appears centralized at the franchisor level, with Mark D. Nichols (General Counsel) listed as the key HQ executive. The brand mandates an EPOS System across its 89 franchised locations. With 90 total units and 27% year-over-year growth, the addressable market is concentrated in California, Texas, and Florida.
For software vendors selling into US franchise brands.
Live signals
Total units
90
89 franchised
Unit growth YoY
+27.143%
vs prior filing
AUV
—
Item 19, 2025
Royalty
6%
of gross sales
Ad fund
2%
national + local
Initial fee
$50K
per unit
Investment range
$167K–$326K
all-in, Item 7
Procurement
Approved supplier
from the filing
Non-compete
2 years
from the filing
Item 19
No 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
5 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.
ezCaterezCater
Mandatoryees. Negotiated Arrangements We negotiate purchase arrangements with the following vendors, including the price terms: SOCi, Inc., Karman Culinex, LLC dba Atlas Restaurant Supply, ezCater; Toast; Ecol
InstacartInstacart
Mandatorye negotiate purchase arrangements with the following vendors, including the price terms: SOCi, Inc., Karman Culinex, LLC dba Atlas Restaurant Supply, ezCater; Toast; Ecolab, Inc.; InstaCart; Bedre Cho
SOCiSOCi
Mandatoryterms with approved suppliers for the benefit of its franchisees. Negotiated Arrangements We negotiate purchase arrangements with the following vendors, including the price terms: SOCi, Inc., Karman C
SyscoSysco
Mandatoryents with the following vendors, including the price terms: SOCi, Inc., Karman Culinex, LLC dba Atlas Restaurant Supply, ezCater; Toast; Ecolab, Inc.; InstaCart; Bedre Chocolates; Sysco; Boars Head; a
Franchisor behaviours
What the franchisor requires
29 requirements the franchisor states in this filing, each in its own words; 4 explicit no's; 1 question 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 use such customer data management, sales data management, administrative, bookkeeping, accounting, and inventory control procedures and systems as Graze Craze Franchising may specify in the Manual or otherwise in writing.
Does the franchisor have direct or independent electronic access to the franchisee's financial, sales or customer records?
YesItem 11
You must give us independent access to the information that will be generated or stored in these systems.
Must the franchisee submit periodic financial statements (monthly, quarterly or annual) to the franchisor?
YesFranchise agreement
Franchisee shall provide such periodic financial reports as Graze Craze Franchising may require in the Manual or otherwise in writing, including: (i) a quarterly profit and loss statement and balance sheet for the Business within 30 days after the end of each fiscal quarter of Graze Craze Franchising’s fiscal year…
How the franchisor buys
Is the franchisor or an affiliate itself a supplier of required products, services or systems?
YesItem 8
You must purchase website, domain and email hosting and maintenance services from us.
Does the franchisor reserve the right to change designated suppliers or systems at any time?
YesItem 8
We may issue new specifications and standards for any aspect of our brand system, or modify existing specifications and standards, at any time by revising our Manual and/or issuing new written directives (which may be communicated to you by any method we choose).
How much revenue did the franchisor and its affiliates earn from franchisee purchases in the last fiscal year?
0Item 8
During the last fiscal year, neither we nor any affiliate received any revenues as a result of franchisee purchases.
Does the franchisor or an affiliate receive rebates, commissions or other revenue from designated or approved suppliers?
YesItem 8
We have the right to receive rebates from Gorilla Dash.
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 the required purchases and leases of goods and services to operate your business are 90% to 97% of your total purchases and leases of goods and services to operate your business.
Does the franchisor charge a fee to evaluate a proposed supplier?
YesFranchise agreement
Franchisee must pay the full cost of any tests or inspections as Graze Craze Franchising deems necessary, not to exceed $1,000.
Can a franchisee propose a new supplier for the franchisor's approval?
YesFranchise agreement
If Graze Craze Franchising requires Franchisee to purchase a particular Input only from an Approved Vendor or Required Vendor, and Franchisee desires to purchase the Input from another vendor, then Franchisee must submit a written request for approval and any information, specifications and/or samples requested by…
Communications
Does the franchisor own or control the business telephone numbers, or take them over when the agreement ends?
YesFranchise agreement
notify the telephone, Internet, email, electronic network, directory, and listing entities of the termination or expiration of Franchisee’s right to use any numbers, addresses, domain names, locators, directories and listings associated with any of the Marks, and authorize their transfer to Graze Craze Franchising or…
Data and IT
Must the franchisee comply with PCI, data-security or cybersecurity standards set by the franchisor?
YesFranchise agreement
Franchisee must at all times comply with payment card industry data security standards (PCI-DSS).
Franchise management
Must the franchisee participate in a customer-satisfaction or net-promoter survey program?
YesFranchise agreement
Franchisee shall participate at its own expense in programs required from time to time by Graze Craze Franchising for obtaining customer evaluations and/or reviewing Franchisee’s compliance with the System, which may include (but are not limited to) a customer feedback system, customer survey programs, and mystery…
Does the franchisor conduct periodic inspections, audits or evaluations of the franchised business?
YesFranchise agreement
Graze Craze Franchising may enter the Location of the Business from time to time during normal business hours and conduct an inspection.
Can the franchisor change the operations manual and brand standards unilaterally?
YesItem 8
We may issue new specifications and standards for any aspect of our brand system, or modify existing specifications and standards, at any time by revising our Manual and/or issuing new written directives (which may be communicated to you by any method we choose).
Must the franchisor approve the franchisee's site or location before opening?
YesItem 11
However, you and Company must mutually agree on your location prior to opening.
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 may not establish or maintain any website or any type of presence on the Internet or World Wide Web that in any manner whatsoever uses the Marks without our prior written approval.
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 at least 5% of Gross Revenues each year on marketing the Business.
Must the franchisee participate in a customer loyalty or rewards program?
YesFranchise agreement
Franchisee must participate in all such programs, at Franchisees expense and sign the forms and take the actions that Graze Craze Franchising require to participate in such programs.
Operations
Must the franchisee buy products from a designated distributor?
YesItem 8
We have the right to require you to purchase or lease all goods, services, supplies, fixtures, equipment, inventory, computer hardware and software, real estate, or comparable items related to establishing or operating your business (1) either from us, our designee, or from suppliers approved by us: or (2) according…
Must equipment be purchased from designated or approved suppliers?
YesItem 8
You must purchase (or lease) the point-of-sale software and hardware, and related software and hardware, that we specify.
Payments
Are royalties and other fees collected by automatic bank debit (ACH or electronic funds transfer) from the franchisee's account?
YesFranchise agreement
Franchisee shall pay the Royalty Fee, Marketing/Brand Fund Contribution, and any other amounts owed to Graze Craze Franchising by pre-authorized bank draft or in such other manner as Graze Craze Franchising may require.
Must the franchisee participate in a gift card program?
YesItem 11
You must participate in our “e-club” marketing campaigns, Gift Card program, Loyal Customer program and similar marketing programs as they are developed.
People
Does the franchisor require minimum staffing levels or specific roles?
YesFranchise agreement
as of the date of this Agreement, Graze Craze Franchising requires that Franchisee employ at least two individuals in the Business working a combined total of 12 shifts each week (a shift being defined as either one hour prior to opening to 3:00 pm or 3:00 pm to one hour prior to closing) that have completed the…
Must employees wear uniforms specified by the franchisor?
YesFranchise agreement
Franchisee shall cause its personnel to comply with any dress attire, uniform, personal appearance, and hygiene standards set forth in the Manual.
Point of sale
Must the franchisee use a specific point-of-sale system designated or approved by the franchisor?
YesItem 8
You must purchase (or lease) the point-of-sale software and hardware, and related software and hardware, that we specify.
Does the franchisor have independent access to the data in the franchisee's POS or computer system?
YesItem 11
You must give us independent access to the information that will be generated or stored in these systems.
Training
Can the franchisor charge the franchisee for additional, refresher or remedial training?
YesItem 11
We will charge a fee (currently $500 per person) for additional attendees, and you are responsible for their travel, lodging and meal expense.
Is attendance at an annual convention or conference mandatory for the franchisee?
YesItem 6
Attendance is mandatory.
The filing answers no to 4 questions
- Is there a franchisee advisory council, association or committee?Item 11
- Is a minimum grand opening advertising spend required?Franchise agreement
- Must the franchisee participate in a regional advertising cooperative when one exists?Item 11
- Must the franchisee use a payment processor or merchant-services provider designated or approved by the franchisor?Item 8
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 franchisor's owner/CEO decides; an ops or franchise-development lead may evaluate.
VP SalesHead of SalesCROSales Director
- 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%.
- 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.
- 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 Graze Craze
Graze Craze is a quick-service restaurant brand headquartered in Florida with 90 total units, 89 of which are franchised. The system grew by 27.143% year-over-year, signaling an expanding footprint that may require new or upgraded software. The brand’s operator base consists of 156 mapped operators, all single-unit owners—no multi-unit operators are recorded. This fragmented ownership structure means the franchisor likely holds significant sway over technology decisions, making HQ the primary sales target for software vendors.
The top states for Graze Craze locations are California (24), Texas (20), and Florida (20), with smaller clusters in Michigan (7) and Georgia (7). For a vendor, the addressable market is 89 franchised locations, as the single company-owned unit is negligible. The absence of a disclosed Average Unit Volume (AUV) makes ROI modeling difficult, but the 6.0% royalty rate and 35-year initial term suggest a stable, long-term franchise model.
Who controls software purchasing
The 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document lists Mark D. Nichols as General Counsel, the only named HQ executive in Item 1. In a system of this size, the General Counsel often oversees vendor contracts, compliance, and technology procurement, especially when no dedicated CIO, CTO, or VP of IT is disclosed. Vendors should direct initial outreach to Nichols, framing solutions around legal compliance, franchisee onboarding, and system-wide standardization.
Because all 156 mapped operators are single-unit franchisees, there is no multi-unit power bloc to influence purchasing independently. This centralizes decision-making further. A vendor’s pitch should emphasize ease of deployment, franchisor control, and support for a growing, geographically dispersed network.
Mandated and current tech stack
The only technology explicitly mandated in the FDD is an “EPOS System.” The document does not name a specific vendor, which could mean the brand uses a generic term for its point-of-sale requirement or has not disclosed the vendor publicly. No other systems—such as inventory management, labor scheduling, loyalty, or delivery aggregators—are listed as required or recommended. This represents a greenfield opportunity for vendors in adjacent categories, provided they can demonstrate value to the franchisor.
For software sellers, the lack of a named POS vendor is a double-edged sword: it suggests the system may be open to evaluation, but it also means you must discover the incumbent during the sales process. The mandated nature of the EPOS System indicates the franchisor values standardization at the transaction level, a principle that could extend to other operational tools if pitched effectively.
Procurement, renewals, and timing
Item 8 of the FDD, which typically outlines procurement restrictions, was not extracted in the available data. This means the procurement model—whether designated supplier, approved supplier, or open—is unknown. Vendors should clarify early in conversations whether Graze Craze requires franchisees to buy from specific vendors or allows open purchasing with standards.
Item 17 reveals that franchise agreements run for 35 years, with renewal possible for one additional 35-year term. To renew, franchisees must sign the then-current form of agreement, which may contain materially different terms, and provide a general release unless prohibited by law. This long term means contract windows are infrequent, but system-wide technology refreshes or new franchisee onboarding cycles create natural entry points. With 27% unit growth, new locations opening in CA, TX, and FL represent immediate opportunities for POS and operational software vendors.
How to read the Graze Craze FDD
The embedded FDD viewer below contains the full 2025 disclosure. Focus on Item 1 for executive contacts, Item 11 for technology mandates and the franchisor’s obligations regarding systems, and Item 17 for renewal conditions that may trigger technology upgrades. Item 8, if present in the full document, will clarify procurement rules. Because the brand is independently owned with no parent company on file, all decisions flow through the HQ team in Florida. For a ranked target list of franchise brands matched to your software category, FranCloud can help.
Questions vendors ask
Graze Craze, answered from the filing
The 2025 FDD lists Mark D. Nichols as General Counsel, the primary HQ contact. With no CIO or CTO named, legal and executive leadership likely control vendor evaluation and purchasing decisions.
The FDD mandates an 'EPOS System' for franchisees. No specific vendor brand is disclosed beyond this generic term, and no other operational or back-office systems are named as required.
Graze Craze has 90 total units: 89 franchised and 1 company-owned. This places it in the emerging quick-service segment, with a footprint concentrated in CA, TX, and FL.
The 2025 FDD does not include an Item 8 extract detailing procurement restrictions. The model—whether designated supplier, approved supplier, or open—is not publicly disclosed in the filing.
Franchise agreements run for 35-year terms. Renewals require signing the then-current agreement, which may have materially different terms. Vendor switches likely align with system-wide upgrades or renewal cycles, not frequent windows.
The 2025 Graze Craze FDD is filed with state franchise regulators. You can review the embedded PDF viewer below to analyze Item 11 (tech mandates), Item 1 (executives), and Item 17 (renewal terms) directly.
Source
Read the filing itself
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FDD alert
Tell me when this brand refiles.
We’ll email you the moment Graze Craze files a new annual FDD, usually the freshest signal of a vendor change.
Operator footprint
Who runs the locations
153 operators run 156 mapped locations. 3 of them are multi-unit. Aggregate counts from the filing; no names.
Operators by units owned
Single-unit150
2–9 units3
Top states by locations
| CA | 24 |
|---|---|
| TX | 20 |
| FL | 20 |
| MI | 7 |
| GA | 7 |
Ownership
The portfolio behind Graze Craze
strategic_multibrand of United Franchise Group.
Sibling brands
Related Quick service restaurant brands
Primary franchise filings · updated June 2026. Every figure is source-traceable and QA-checked.