Harlem Shake

The vendor opportunity at Harlem Shake

Harlem Shake is a quick-service restaurant concept based in New Jersey with a total of 2 units, both company-owned. The brand has not yet begun franchising, so the immediate addressable market for software vendors is limited to these two corporate locations. However, the leadership has already made deliberate technology choices, mandating a specific stack that signals a centralized, HQ-driven procurement model. For vendors, this means the window for displacement is narrow, but the opportunity to build a relationship before any franchise expansion is real.

The average unit volume is not disclosed in the most recent FDD. The initial franchise term is 10 years, with a royalty rate of 6.0%. The renewal term, if granted, is an additional 5 years, subject to a 25% renewal fee on the then-current initial franchise fee and execution of a new agreement that may contain materially different terms.

Who controls software purchasing

All purchasing authority rests with the two founders listed in Item 1 of the 2025 FDD: Jelena Pasic, Founder and Managing Member, and Emil Radoncic, Co-Founder and Managing Member. In a 2-unit operation, there is no separate IT or procurement department. Any vendor pitching operational, financial, or marketing software will need to engage directly with one or both of these individuals. The operator footprint in our corpus shows no additional multi-unit operators mapped, reinforcing that the entire system is under direct founder control.

Mandated and current tech stack

Harlem Shake mandates five specific technology systems, as disclosed in the FDD. The point-of-sale system is Toast POS by Toast, Inc. For back-office accounting and operations, the brand requires Restaurant365 by Restaurant365. Off-premise order integration is handled by Chowly. Labor scheduling runs through Hot Schedules, and accounts payable capture is managed by Extra Chef AP capture software. Each of these is listed as mandated, meaning franchisees—if and when they come on board—will have no discretion to substitute alternatives.

This stack represents a modern, cloud-native architecture. Toast and Restaurant365 in particular are platforms with broad integration ecosystems, which could create adjacent opportunities for vendors offering complementary solutions in areas like loyalty, catering, or advanced analytics. However, any vendor whose core offering overlaps with these mandated systems faces a high barrier to entry.

Procurement, renewals, and timing

The FDD does not include an Item 8 extract, so the formal procurement model—whether designated supplier, approved supplier, or open—is not publicly disclosed. In practice, with only two company-owned units, procurement is likely informal and relationship-based. The renewal conditions in Item 17 require franchisees to be in good standing, provide six months' written notice, and execute a new franchise agreement that may differ materially from the original. This creates a potential trigger point for technology re-evaluation, but only once franchised units exist and approach the end of their initial 10-year term.

For now, the most plausible software sales trigger would be new unit openings. If the brand begins franchising or opens additional corporate locations, each new site represents a greenfield deployment of the mandated stack. Vendors who align with or integrate into the existing Toast/R365/Chowly ecosystem will be best positioned.

How to read the Harlem Shake FDD

The full 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document is available below. Item 1 identifies the founders and their roles. Item 11 details the mandated technology systems and vendors. Item 17 outlines the renewal conditions, including the 5-year renewal term and the requirement to sign a potentially different agreement. Because no franchised units exist, Items 8 and 20 contain limited procurement and outlet data. Use this FDD to validate the tech stack and decision-maker names before building your pitch.

For a ranked target list of franchise brands matched to your software category, FranCloud maps the mandated tech, buyer personas, and unit economics across the entire US franchise economy.