BrinkPAR Technology
Mandatoryecord customer transactions and collect and generate gross sales reports (including sales by categories) for the Franchised Restaurant. In addition, (i) you must purchase or lease Brink Kitchen Displa
From the filings
HQ-led decisions
Hardee's - SLA
Quick service restaurantHardee's controls software purchasing from headquarters: franchisees must run either the mandated PAR Brink (with CrunchTime) or Xenial Xpient POS software, with Olo as the sole online-ordering platform and Punchh as the sole loyalty platform. The system spans 1,571 units, 1,369 of them franchised, in the quick-service restaurant segment.
For software vendors selling into US franchise brands.
Live signals
Total units
1,571
1,369 franchised
Unit growth YoY
—
vs prior filing
AUV
$1.29M
Item 19, 2025
Royalty
3.5%
of gross sales
Ad fund
4.25%
national + local
Initial fee
$25K
per unit
Investment range
$1.38M–$2.64M
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.
7.75%of gross sales (FY2026)
15% reference
Mandated & recommended tech
The systems vendors compete with
11 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.
CrunchTimeCrunchTime
Mandatoryre (“Computer/POS System”) as further HR-SLA- FDD – 5/25 31 explained in Item 11. Current approved vendors for technology components of the Computer/POS System are PAR Tech, Inc., CrunchTime, QSR Auto
GrubhubGrubhub
Mandatoryquire you to accept and process specific customer delivery orders and we require you to use all approved third-party delivery service providers, currently Uber Eats, Door Dash and GrubHub if those del
OloOlo
Mandatorytime with approved vendors and you must comply with the rules and participation criteria applicable to these programs, including our loyalty program. We have currently designated OLO as the sole softw
PARPAR Technology
Mandatorypecify and require (“Computer/POS System”) as further HR-SLA- FDD – 5/25 31 explained in Item 11. Current approved vendors for technology components of the Computer/POS System are PAR Tech, Inc., Crun
PAR BrinkPAR Technology
Mandatoryfor technology components of the Computer/POS System are PAR Tech, Inc., CrunchTime, QSR Automations, Xenial Xpient (5.0 or higher) and Meracki. Currently, you must use either the PAR Brink (and Crunc
PunchhPAR Technology
Mandatorytion criteria applicable to these programs, including our loyalty program. We have currently designated OLO as the sole software platform provider for our online ordering program, Punchh as the sole s
QSR AutomationsQSR Automations
Mandatoryr/POS System”) as further HR-SLA- FDD – 5/25 31 explained in Item 11. Current approved vendors for technology components of the Computer/POS System are PAR Tech, Inc., CrunchTime, QSR Automations, Xen
Uber EatsUber
Mandatory/delivery programs, we require you to accept and process specific customer delivery orders and we require you to use all approved third-party delivery service providers, currently Uber Eats, Door Dash
XenialGlobal Payments
Mandatoryfurther HR-SLA- FDD – 5/25 31 explained in Item 11. Current approved vendors for technology components of the Computer/POS System are PAR Tech, Inc., CrunchTime, QSR Automations, Xenial Xpient (5.0 or
XpientXpient
Mandatoryr HR-SLA- FDD – 5/25 31 explained in Item 11. Current approved vendors for technology components of the Computer/POS System are PAR Tech, Inc., CrunchTime, QSR Automations, Xenial Xpient (5.0 or highe
FacebookMeta
our Proprietary Marks in any Internet domain name or e-mail address, in the operation of any Internet web site or on a social media platform including any social networking site, Facebook, Twitter, In
InstagramMeta
rks in any Internet domain name or e-mail address, in the operation of any Internet web site or on a social media platform including any social networking site, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest
PinterestPinterest
Internet domain name or e-mail address, in the operation of any Internet web site or on a social media platform including any social networking site, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, YouTube,
SnapchatSnapchat
or e-mail address, in the operation of any Internet web site or on a social media platform including any social networking site, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, YouTube, Snapchat, Vine, blogs
TwitterX
ietary Marks in any Internet domain name or e-mail address, in the operation of any Internet web site or on a social media platform including any social networking site, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram,
YouTubeGoogle
main name or e-mail address, in the operation of any Internet web site or on a social media platform including any social networking site, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, YouTube, Snapchat, V
Franchisor behaviours
What the franchisor requires
27 requirements the franchisor states in this filing, each in its own words; 3 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?
YesItem 11
You also must use an approved software program for the Computer/POS System.
Must the franchisee submit periodic financial statements (monthly, quarterly or annual) to the franchisor?
YesFranchise agreement
Franchisee shall, at Franchisee’s expense, submit to HR, in the form and manner (which may be through an online portal or website) prescribed by HR: (i) a monthly profit and loss statement and balance sheet for the Franchised Business (both of which may be unaudited) within 30 days after the end of each month, and…
How the franchisor buys
Is the franchisor or an affiliate itself a supplier of required products, services or systems?
YesItem 8
We may establish commissaries and distribution facilities owned and operated by us or an affiliate that we will designate as an approved supplier.
Is there a franchisee advisory council, association or committee?
YesItem 20
The Independent Hardee’s Franchisee Association (“IHFA”) is an independent organization currently comprised of approximately 50 Hardee’s franchisees, representing approximately 1,300 franchised Hardee’s Restaurants.
Does the franchisor reserve the right to change designated suppliers or systems at any time?
YesItem 8
We reserve the right to change the master distributors.
How much revenue did the franchisor and its affiliates earn from franchisee purchases in the last fiscal year?
33000000Item 8
Additionally, during our fiscal year ended January 27, 2025, we and our affiliates’ revenue from all sales and leases to Hardee’s franchisees was approximately $33 million, which represented approximately 4.9% of the total revenue of the Securitization Entities of approximately $671.4 million.
Does the franchisor or an affiliate receive rebates, commissions or other revenue from designated or approved suppliers?
YesItem 8
We and our affiliates may receive fees, payments, commissions, field-of-use license royalties or other consideration from approved suppliers based on sales to franchisees, from promotional allowances and volume discounts.
Does the franchisor charge a fee to evaluate a proposed supplier?
YesItem 8
A fee not to exceed the reasonable cost of the inspection and the actual cost of the test may be charged by us or by an independent testing laboratory designated by us and must be paid for by you.
Can a franchisee propose a new supplier for the franchisor's approval?
YesItem 8
If you desire to purchase any items from an unapproved supplier, you must submit a written request for our approval of the supplier or you must request that the supplier do so.
Data and IT
Must the franchisee comply with PCI, data-security or cybersecurity standards set by the franchisor?
YesItem 8
In addition, you must comply with Point to Point Credit Encryption Standards (“P2PE”) and the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (“PCI DSS”) at all times and engage any vendor that we designate to ensure the security of your data and compliance with P2PE and PCI DSS.
Franchise management
Must the franchisee participate in a customer-satisfaction or net-promoter survey program?
YesFranchise agreement
Franchisee shall present to its customers such evaluation forms as are periodically prescribed by HR and shall participate and/or request its customers to participate in any surveys performed by or on behalf of HR as HR may direct.
Does the franchisor conduct periodic inspections, audits or evaluations of the franchised business?
YesFranchise agreement
HR and its designees shall have the right at all reasonable times, both during and after the term of this Agreement, to inspect, copy and audit Franchisee’s books, records and federal, state and local tax returns, and such other forms, reports, information and data as HR reasonably may designate, applicable to the…
Can the franchisor change the operations manual and brand standards unilaterally?
YesItem 11
We may change or modify the Hardee’s System, including modifications to the OPM, required training program, the menu and menu formats, the required equipment, the signage, the building and premises of Franchised Restaurants (including the trade dress, décor and color schemes), the presentation of the Proprietary…
Must the franchisor approve the franchisee's site or location before opening?
YesItem 11
You select the site for your Franchised Restaurant, subject to our acceptance.
Marketing
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 for approved LSM, on a monthly basis, the difference between Franchisee’s APO and the amount Franchisee contributes to HNAF, a Regional Co-op or some other advertising fund as HR may direct Franchisee to pay.
Must the franchisee participate in a customer loyalty or rewards program?
YesItem 11
You must also participate in our loyalty and gift card programs and any other marketing and promotional initiatives that we may from time to time establish with approved vendors and comply with any participation criteria and other rules applicable to such programs.
Must the franchisee participate in a regional advertising cooperative when one exists?
YesItem 11
If your Franchised Restaurant is in an area covered by a Regional Co-op, currently, you are required to contribute a minimum of 0.5% of Hardee’s Gross Sales to the Regional Co-op; however, the Regional Co-op can vote to increase each member’s contribution.
Operations
Must the franchisee buy products from a designated distributor?
YesItem 8
Most food items and other goods that you are required to purchase will be purchased from a master distributor.
Must equipment be purchased from designated or approved suppliers?
YesFranchise agreement
Franchisee shall purchase or lease approved brands, types or models of fixtures, furnishings, equipment and signs only from suppliers designated or approved by HR, which may include HR.
Payments
Must the franchisee use a payment processor or merchant-services provider designated or approved by the franchisor?
YesItem 8
In addition, you must comply with Point to Point Credit Encryption Standards (“P2PE”) and the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (“PCI DSS”) at all times and engage any vendor that we designate to ensure the security of your data and compliance with P2PE and PCI DSS.
Are royalties and other fees collected by automatic bank debit (ACH or electronic funds transfer) from the franchisee's account?
YesFranchise agreement
Upon receipt of written notice from HR, Franchisee shall pay HR the royalty fee applicable to the Gross Sales and other amounts under this Agreement, including advertising fees and interest charges, by HR-SLA Franchise Agreement – 5/25 Franchisee (Alpha Code) #Unit Number (City, State) Month, Year 11 electronic funds…
Must the franchisee participate in a gift card program?
YesItem 11
You must also participate in our loyalty and gift card programs and any other marketing and promotional initiatives that we may from time to time establish with approved vendors and comply with any participation criteria and other rules applicable to such programs.
People
Does the franchisor require minimum staffing levels or specific roles?
YesItem 15
You must, at all times, employ at the Franchised Restaurant at least one General Manager and a sufficient number of employees who have successfully completed the FMTP to ensure that the Franchised Restaurant operates in accordance with the System.
Must employees wear uniforms specified by the franchisor?
YesFranchise agreement
(5) appearance and dress of employees;
Point of sale
Must the franchisee use a specific point-of-sale system designated or approved by the franchisor?
YesItem 8
Currently, you must use either the PAR Brink (and CrunchTime) POS software or the Xenial Xpient (5.0 or higher) POS software in operating your Franchised Restaurant.
Training
Can the franchisor charge the franchisee for additional, refresher or remedial training?
YesItem 11
We reserve the right to require you to pay a tuition fee for these additional training programs as periodically established by us.
Is attendance at an annual convention or conference mandatory for the franchisee?
YesItem 11
Your Operating Principal or your General Manager and other personnel we designate must attend each such meeting, program, or session that we require.
The filing answers no to 3 questions
- Does the franchisor have direct or independent electronic access to the franchisee's financial, sales or customer records?Item 11
- Is the franchisee prohibited from operating its own website or social media accounts, or required to use pages the franchisor provides?
- Does the franchisor have independent access to the data in the franchisee's POS or computer system?Item 11
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.
Formal HQ procurement; C-suite sponsor + cross-functional committee + IT/security/legal; often PE-backed.
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 Hardee's
Hardee's operates 1,571 units, 1,369 of them franchised, in the quick-service restaurant segment. Item 19 of the FDD includes a financial performance representation: average revenue of $1,288,025 for 1,208 franchised freestanding Hardee's restaurants open the full fiscal year ($1,343,292 for 190 company-operated ones). This filing's mapped operator footprint is the system's largest: 219 operators across roughly 1,414 located units, including 53 multi-unit operators, with the heaviest concentrations in North Carolina (184), Virginia (176), Florida (96), Illinois (91), and Alabama (81).
Who controls software purchasing
Hardee's requires a Computer/POS System of 4 POS terminals and 6 kitchen display monitors on PAR ES600 or PAR ES8500 terminals, and franchisees must purchase or lease Brink Kitchen Display Systems. Franchisees must run either the PAR Brink (and CrunchTime) POS software or the Xenial Xpient (5.0 or higher) POS software, on Cisco Meraki security, wireless, and switching hardware kept to current standards. Chief Supply Chain Officer Mauricio Sirgo is a relevant HQ contact for vendors.
Tech named in the FDD, and what is actually required
PAR Brink is mandated as one of two approved POS options, paired with CrunchTime as the required back-office system; Xenial Xpient is the filing's other designated POS option. PAR and PAR Tech, Inc. supply Computer/POS technology components alongside QSR Automations and Meraki networking gear. Olo is designated as the sole software platform for Hardee's online-ordering program, and Punchh as the sole platform for its loyalty program; GrubHub is a named approved delivery provider. Star University, the learning management system, is a required training tool.
Procurement, renewals, and timing
Item 8 runs an approved-supplier list: franchisees must buy improvements, inventory, advertising materials, and other required items solely from suppliers that meet Hardee's standards and specifications, with a master distributor designated for most food items. Equipment, smallwares, and supplies must come from third-party vendor Wasserstrom Holdings, Inc. for negotiated pricing and revenue-sharing eligibility. The initial franchise term runs 20 years; franchisees may renew for a 10-year or 5-year term at their option, subject to good standing, remodeling, a renewal fee, and Hardee's then-current franchise agreement.
How to read the Hardee's FDD
The embedded viewer below carries Hardee's 2026 Franchise Disclosure Document, including the Item 8 and Item 11 language summarized above.
Talk to FranCloud for a ranked list of franchise systems like Hardee's where the technology mandate and procurement structure line up with your product.
Questions vendors ask
Hardee's - SLA, answered from the filing
Hardee's headquarters designates the required POS, online-ordering, and loyalty platforms franchisees must run. Chief Supply Chain Officer Mauricio Sirgo is a relevant HQ contact; the filing also maps 53 multi-unit operators worth a direct relationship.
Franchisees must run either the mandated PAR Brink (with CrunchTime as the back-office system) or Xenial Xpient POS software, connected through Cisco Meraki networking hardware. Olo is designated as the sole online-ordering platform and Punchh as the sole loyalty platform; QSR Automations is an approved Computer/POS vendor, and GrubHub is a required delivery provider.
1,571 total units, 1,369 franchised and 202 company-owned, in the quick-service restaurant segment, with the largest franchisee concentrations in North Carolina, Virginia, and Florida.
Item 8 runs an approved-supplier list: franchisees must buy from Hardee's-approved suppliers that meet its standards and specifications, with a master distributor designated for most food items. Equipment and smallwares must come from third-party vendor Wasserstrom Holdings, Inc. for negotiated pricing.
The initial term runs 20 years, with a 10-year or 5-year renewal option at the franchisee's choice, subject to good standing, remodeling, a renewal fee, and a new franchise agreement — each a point to raise a technology contract.
The embedded PDF viewer below carries Hardee's 2026 Franchise Disclosure Document, including the Item 8 and Item 11 language summarized above.
Source
Read the filing itself
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FDD alert
Tell me when this brand refiles.
We’ll email you the moment Hardee's - SLA files a new annual FDD, usually the freshest signal of a vendor change.
Operator footprint
Who runs the locations
219 operators run 1,414 mapped locations. 53 of them are multi-unit. Aggregate counts from the filing; no names.
Operators by units owned
Single-unit166
2–9 units29
25+ units14
10–24 units10
Top states by locations
| NC | 184 |
|---|---|
| VA | 176 |
| FL | 96 |
| IL | 91 |
| AL | 81 |
Related Quick service restaurant brands
Primary franchise filings · updated September 2026. Every figure is source-traceable and QA-checked.