Hurts Donut Company

The vendor opportunity at Hurts Donut Company

Hurts Donut Company is a quick-service restaurant concept headquartered in Missouri with 18 total units, 16 of which are franchised. The system grew at 6.7% year-over-year, adding units slowly but steadily. For a software vendor, the immediate addressable market is those 16 franchised locations—the two company-owned units may follow HQ mandates but represent a separate buying dynamic. The chain does not disclose average unit volume in its 2026 FDD, so sizing the opportunity by revenue per location requires external estimates. Royalty is 7.0%, and the initial franchise term is five years.

The chain’s tech stack is already defined by headquarters. This is not a system where individual franchisees shop for POS or scheduling tools on their own. The franchisor mandates Lunchbox for online ordering, Square by Block, Inc. for point-of-sale and registers, Raydiant for digital menu boards, and When I Work for employee scheduling. A vendor selling into Hurts Donut must either displace one of these mandated systems or complement them with an integration that HQ will endorse system-wide.

Who controls software purchasing

The 2026 FDD identifies three principal officers: Timothy Clegg, Chief Executive Officer; Kasondra Clegg, Chief Marketing Officer; and Scott Bussard, Chief Financial Officer. No dedicated CIO or VP of Technology is listed. In a system this size, the CEO and CFO are the most likely decision-makers for any software that touches operations, payments, or financial reporting. The CMO may influence customer-facing technology, particularly anything that affects the online ordering flow already handled by Lunchbox. A vendor pitch should be prepared to address the CEO or CFO directly, with a clear ROI case that respects the existing mandated stack.

Mandated and current tech stack

The FDD is explicit: franchisees must use Lunchbox, Square POS and Square Registers, Raydiant Menu Boards, and When I Work. This is a modern, cloud-based stack covering online ordering, in-store transactions, digital signage, and labor management. There is no mention of an open API policy or approved vendor list beyond these named systems. Any software vendor approaching Hurts Donut should assume that HQ will evaluate new tools against these incumbents and will require a compelling reason to add or switch. Integration with Square and Lunchbox is likely table stakes.

Procurement, renewals, and timing

Item 8 of the FDD—the procurement section—was not extracted in the available data, so the formal purchasing model remains unknown. It is unclear whether Hurts Donut designates specific suppliers, maintains an approved supplier list, or allows franchisees some discretion. In practice, the mandated tech list suggests a top-down approach. Franchise agreements run five years, and renewal requires 120 days’ notice, signing a new agreement, remodeling, signing a release, and entering into a lease. Critically, the renewal franchise agreement “may contain materially different terms and conditions,” which could include updated technology requirements. This creates a natural window for vendors to engage HQ as renewal cycles approach or as new units are added.

How to read the Hurts Donut Company FDD

The full 2026 Franchise Disclosure Document is embedded below. It contains the legal and operational detail behind the summary on this page—Item 1 lists the executives, Item 11 details the mandated technology, and Item 17 outlines renewal conditions. For a software vendor, the FDD is the most reliable source of truth on who buys, what they require, and when contracts turn over. Review it before building a pitch. When you are ready to prioritize franchise systems by tech fit, decision-maker access, and growth trajectory, FranCloud can provide a ranked target list built on FDD data like this.