CloverFiserv
Mandatorynd POS specifications. At present, we require you to have an internet connection, email, and the following hardware and software: Hardware 2 Toast POS registers, a printer/copier, Clover register with
From the filings
+100% units YoYHQ + multi-unit
Holy Cow
Quick service restaurantSoftware purchasing at Holy Cow is centrally controlled for mandated systems like Clover and Google Ads, while individual franchisees may select non-mandated tools. The brand operates 24 total units across New York, New Jersey, and Michigan, and the FDD names QuickBooks, Facebook, and Instagram—though none are required.
For software vendors selling into US franchise brands.
Live signals
Total units
24
10 franchised
Unit growth YoY
+100%
vs prior filing
AUV
—
Item 19, 2026
Royalty
5%
of gross sales
Ad fund
1%
national + local
Initial fee
—
per unit
Investment range
$96K–$313K
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.
6%of gross sales (FY2026)
15% reference
Mandated & recommended tech
The systems vendors compete with
2 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.
Google AdsGoogle
Mandatorylocation. (Franchise Agreement, Section 7.5). Digital Campaigns. We may negotiate contracts with vendors such as Google AdWords. If you choose to participate, you must pay your pro-rata share either d
FacebookMeta
tion’s contact information. (Franchise Agreement, Section 7.5). Digital Marketing. We may create, operate and promote websites, social media accounts (including but not limited to Facebook, X, and Ins
InstagramMeta
formation. (Franchise Agreement, Section 7.5). Digital Marketing. We may create, operate and promote websites, social media accounts (including but not limited to Facebook, X, and Instagram), applicat
QuickBooksIntuit
OS registers, a printer/copier, Clover register with customer facing screen, cash drawer, printer, kitchen monitor, kitchen printer, Self Checkout Kiosk Software Toast POS System, QuickBooks Online wi
Franchisor behaviours
What the franchisor requires
21 requirements the franchisor states in this filing, each in its own words; 6 explicit no's; 7 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 must comply with our computer hardware, software, and POS specifications.
Does the franchisor have direct or independent electronic access to the franchisee's financial, sales or customer records?
YesItem 11
You must at all times give us unrestricted and independent electronic access to your computer systems and information, as well as your security camera systems.
Must the franchisee submit periodic financial statements (monthly, quarterly or annual) to the franchisor?
YesFranchise agreement
You must send us such reports in the time and manner we may specify in the Operations Manual.
How the franchisor buys
Is the franchisor or an affiliate itself a supplier of required products, services or systems?
YesItem 8
We are an approved supplier of advertising material, but not the only approved supplier of such items. Our affiliate, Hal and Al Meats and Provisions Inc., is an approved supplier and the only approved supplier of Halal meat.
How much revenue did the franchisor and its affiliates earn from franchisee purchases in the last fiscal year?
368024Item 8
In our last fiscal year ending December 31, 2025, our affiliate, Hal and Al Meats and Provisions Inc., earned $368,024 selling Halal meats to our franchisees.
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?
60Item 8
approximately 60- 70% of your operating costs.
Does the franchisor charge a fee to evaluate a proposed supplier?
YesItem 8
We charge $100/hour plus any costs incurred to test another supplier that you propose.
Can a franchisee propose a new supplier for the franchisor's approval?
YesItem 8
We do permit you to contract with alternative suppliers if approved by us and they meet our criteria.
Communications
Does the franchisor own or control the business telephone numbers, or take them over when the agreement ends?
YesFranchise agreement
Upon expiration or termination of the Agreement for any reason, Franchisee’s right of use of the Listings shall terminate.
Franchise management
Does the franchisor conduct periodic inspections, audits or evaluations of the franchised business?
YesItem 11
We have the right to review your business operations, in person, by mail, or electronically, and to inspect your operations and obtain your paper and electronic business records related to the Franchised Business and any other operations taking place through your Franchised Business.
Can the franchisor change the operations manual and brand standards unilaterally?
YesFranchise agreement
Franchisor may update the Operations Manual at any time to introduce new menu items, services, processes, methods, packaging, etc.
Must the franchisor approve the franchisee's site or location before opening?
YesItem 11
We must approve any site you select before you sign a lease for that location.
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 are not allowed to have an independent website or obtain or use any domain name (Internet address) for your Franchised Business, without first obtaining our written approval.
Is a minimum grand opening advertising spend required?
YesFranchise agreement
You agree to spend $2,000 - $7,000 around the time of the opening of your Franchised Business to promote its opening, pursuant to our guidelines.
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
You agree to spend a minimum of $250 per month on local advertising, pursuant to our guidelines.
Must the franchisee participate in a customer loyalty or rewards program?
YesFranchise agreement
Franchisee shall be required to adopt all required technology subscriptions, vendor platforms, loyalty programs, and system-wide technology programs designated by Franchisor, including those provided by Franchisor or third-party vendors selected by Franchisor.
Operations
Must equipment be purchased from designated or approved suppliers?
YesItem 8
You must purchase furniture, fixtures, and equipment pursuant to our specifications, which may include a supplier designation.
Payments
Are royalties and other fees collected by automatic bank debit (ACH or electronic funds transfer) from the franchisee's account?
YesItem 6
We require you to execute an Automatic Bank Draft Authorization and pay most fees to us via ACH electronic funds transfer.
Point of sale
Must the franchisee use a specific point-of-sale system designated or approved by the franchisor?
YesItem 11
You must comply with our computer hardware, software, and POS specifications.
Does the franchisor have independent access to the data in the franchisee's POS or computer system?
YesItem 11
We have and you are required to provide independent access to the information that will be generated or stored in your computer systems, which includes, but not limited to, customer, transaction, and operational information.
Training
Can the franchisor charge the franchisee for additional, refresher or remedial training?
YesFranchise agreement
If we offer refresher courses, update training, or additional training, we reserve the right to charge, and you agree to pay, up to $250 per day, plus any expenses we incur to provide this training.
The filing answers no to 6 questions
- Is there a franchisee advisory council, association or committee?Item 20
- Does the franchisor or an affiliate receive rebates, commissions or other revenue from designated or approved suppliers?Item 8
- Must the franchisee participate in a customer-satisfaction or net-promoter survey program?Franchise agreement
- Must the franchisee participate in a regional advertising cooperative when one exists?Item 11
- Does the franchisor require minimum staffing levels or specific roles?Item 11
- Is attendance at an annual convention or conference mandatory for the franchisee?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 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 Holy Cow
Holy Cow operates 24 quick-service restaurant locations, 14 of which are company-owned and 10 franchised. The total addressable market for a software vendor is 24 units, though the split between company-owned and franchised may affect who holds purchase authority. The brand’s unit count grew 100% year-over-year, signaling a period of rapid expansion that could bring continuous software procurement needs. Average unit volume is not publicly disclosed, and royalty fees are 5% of gross sales.
Who controls software purchasing
The FDD does not list any executives, so no specific buyer names are available. However, purchase authority can be inferred from the franchisor’s mandates. For technologies that the franchise agreement requires—currently Clover (point-of-sale) and Google Ads (digital advertising)—HQ dictates the vendor and standard. This centralizes the buying decision for those categories. For any software not explicitly mandated, the 10 franchisees, all single-unit operators, are likely free to choose their own solutions. There are no multi-unit operators to negotiate volume deals, making each franchisee an independent sale. The 14 company-owned locations follow HQ directives, which means a single conversation with headquarters could cover those units.
Tech named in the FDD, and what is actually required
The 2026 FDD names five technology systems, but only two are mandated by the franchise agreement. Clover is mandated as the point-of-sale system, and Google Ads is mandated for advertising. The three other systems—QuickBooks, Facebook, and Instagram—are named in the FDD but not required. QuickBooks is described as “in place, not required,” meaning it may be in use at some locations without any obligation. Facebook and Instagram are “named only, not required,” indicating the FDD mentions them without imposing any requirement. This leaves a wide-open category for any software beyond those two mandates. Vendors offering restaurant management, scheduling, loyalty, or financial systems outside the mandated POS would likely need to sell directly to each franchisee or to HQ for the company-owned side.
Procurement, renewals, and timing
The FDD does not include an Item 8 procurement extract, so there is no formal designated-supplier or approved-supplier list beyond the mandated systems. This suggests that for non-mandated categories, sourcing is at the discretion of the buyer—either HQ for company stores or individual franchisees for their units.
The initial franchise term is 10 years. Item 17, covering renewal terms, was not extracted, so contract renewal windows are not documented. However, the recent 100% unit growth indicates that new franchise agreements are being signed actively, and each new location will need to deploy the mandated Clover POS and Google Ads setup immediately. This creates a predictable, ongoing purchase cycle for those specific technologies. For other software, timing is less tied to franchise agreement cycles and more to the owner’s operational needs, which can arise at any point.
How to read the Holy Cow FDD
The Franchise Disclosure Document for Holy Cow is filed with state franchise regulators and can be accessed via the embedded PDF viewer below this analysis. The document details all mandates, fees, and contractual obligations. Reading the FDD is the most reliable way to verify the tech stack and procurement rules before engaging with the brand. If you need a ranked target list of franchise systems aligned with your software category, speak with FranCloud.
Questions vendors ask
Holy Cow, answered from the filing
The FDD does not name executives. For mandated systems (Clover, Google Ads), HQ makes the decision. For non-mandated software, the 10 franchisees—all single-unit operators—likely buy independently. No multi-unit operators exist.
The franchise agreement mandates Clover for point-of-sale and Google Ads for advertising. No other operational technology is required. QuickBooks, Facebook, and Instagram appear in the FDD but are not mandatory.
24 total units—14 company-owned and 10 franchised—in New York (6), New Jersey (2), and Michigan (1). The brand doubled its unit count year-over-year, showing rapid recent growth.
The 2026 FDD does not describe a formal procurement model (Item 8 not extracted). For mandated systems, the franchisor likely designates the vendor. Otherwise, there is no evidence of an approved-supplier program.
With a 10-year initial franchise term and 100% YoY unit growth, new-unit openings create recurring opportunities. Renewal cycles may open every decade, but expansion means frequent on-boarding of the mandated tech stack.
The FDD is filed with state franchise regulators. Use the embedded PDF viewer on this page to read it in full. No specific depository or registry is named here.
Source
Read the filing itself
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FDD alert
Tell me when this brand refiles.
We’ll email you the moment Holy Cow files a new annual FDD, usually the freshest signal of a vendor change.
Operator footprint
Who runs the locations
9 operators run 9 mapped locations. 0 of them are multi-unit. Aggregate counts from the filing; no names.
Operators by units owned
Single-unit9
Top states by locations
| NY | 6 |
|---|---|
| NJ | 2 |
| MI | 1 |
Related Quick service restaurant brands
Primary franchise filings · updated September 2026. Every figure is source-traceable and QA-checked.