isees, from outlets that we own, or from other channels of distribution or competitive brands that we control. Use of food delivery platform companies, such as Uber Eats, Grubhub, DoorDash and other s
From the filings
I Heart Mac and Cheese and More - RI2022I Heart Mac and Cheese and More
Quick service restaurantI Heart Mac and Cheese and More operates 20 US locations — 18 franchised, 2 company-owned — with unit count up 100% year over year and a 5% royalty. The FDD makes no financial performance representation, and software purchasing runs through a small executive team.
For software vendors selling into US franchise brands.
Live signals
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 (FY2022)
15% reference
Mandated & recommended tech
The systems vendors compete with
Systems named in Item 11 of this filing. None is recorded as mandated here, which is not the same as the filing mandating nothing. Read Item 11 before treating the category as open.
profile or other presence on the Internet, or otherwise advertise on the Internet or any other public computer network in connection with the Restaurant, including any profile on Facebook, Twitter, Li
er franchisees, from outlets that we own, or from other channels of distribution or competitive brands that we control. Use of food delivery platform companies, such as Uber Eats, Grubhub, DoorDash an
the Internet, or otherwise advertise on the Internet or any other public computer network in connection with the Restaurant, including any profile on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, Pinterest,
resence on the Internet, or otherwise advertise on the Internet or any other public computer network in connection with the Restaurant, including any profile on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram,
et, or otherwise advertise on the Internet or any other public computer network in connection with the Restaurant, including any profile on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, Pinterest, YouTube,
r other presence on the Internet, or otherwise advertise on the Internet or any other public computer network in connection with the Restaurant, including any profile on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, I
on from other franchisees, from outlets that we own, or from other channels of distribution or competitive brands that we control. Use of food delivery platform companies, such as Uber Eats, Grubhub,
rwise advertise on the Internet or any other public computer network in connection with the Restaurant, including any profile on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, Pinterest, YouTube, MySpace, Pl
Franchisor behaviours
What the franchisor requires
25 requirements the franchisor states in this filing, each in its own words; 4 explicit no's; 5 questions the text does not settle, which is not a no.
Accounting
Does the franchisor have direct or independent electronic access to the franchisee's financial, sales or customer records?
YesItem 11
We will have independent access to this information and are not contractually limited as to our access to this data
Must the franchisee submit periodic financial statements (monthly, quarterly or annual) to the franchisor?
YesFranchise agreement
must provide Franchisor, at Franchisor’s request, with: (i) a weekly Gross Sales Report signed by Franchisee and in the form Franchisor specifies; (ii) a quarterly income statement and profit and loss statement, in a format specified by Franchisor, including a standard chart of accounts, within fifteen (15) days…
How the franchisor buys
Is the franchisor or an affiliate itself a supplier of required products, services or systems?
YesItem 8
As of the Issue Date of this Disclosure Document, we are an Approved Supplier for (i) signage and certain wall coverings, (ii) certain furniture, including tables and chairs, and (iii) certain food and beverage ingredients and products.
Does the franchisor reserve the right to change designated suppliers or systems at any time?
YesItem 11
We have the right to specify or require that certain brands, types, makes, and/or models of communications, computer systems, and hardware be used by you
How much revenue did the franchisor and its affiliates earn from franchisee purchases in the last fiscal year?
155200Item 8
As of our fiscal year ended December 31, 2022, we derived $155,200, or 7.27% of total revenue $2,134,624 from required purchases and leases.
Does the franchisor or an affiliate receive rebates, commissions or other revenue from designated or approved suppliers?
YesItem 8
We and/or our affiliates may receive payments or other compensation from Approved Suppliers or any other suppliers on account of these suppliers’ dealings with us, you, or other Franchised Businesses in the System, such as rebates, commissions or other forms of compensation.
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?
35Item 8
approximately 35% to 50% of your ongoing costs to operate the Franchised Business after the initial start-up phase.
Does the franchisor charge a fee to evaluate a proposed supplier?
YesItem 8
You must pay our then-current Evaluation Fee when submitting your request, and the costs/expenses we incur in evaluating/testing your proposal.
Can a franchisee propose a new supplier for the franchisor's approval?
YesItem 8
We may, but are not obligated to, grant your request to: (i) offer any products or services in connection with your Franchised Business that are not Approved Products; or (ii) purchase any item or service we require you to purchase from an Approved Supplier from an alternative supplier.
Communications
Does the franchisor own or control the business telephone numbers, or take them over when the agreement ends?
YesFranchise agreement
Upon the expiration, transfer or termination of this Agreement for any reason, Franchisee must terminate Franchisee’s use of such telephone number and listing and take all steps required to assign the same to Franchisor or Franchisor’s designee.
Franchise management
Does the franchisor conduct periodic inspections, audits or evaluations of the franchised business?
YesFranchise agreement
Franchisee agrees that, in order to maintain the high quality and uniform standards associated with the System and to protect its goodwill and reputation, Franchisee shall permit Franchisor and its designated agents, during business hours, with or without notice to Franchisee, to inspect Franchisee’s Franchised…
Can the franchisor change the operations manual and brand standards unilaterally?
YesFranchise agreement
Franchisor has the right to change Franchisor’s standards and specifications in Franchisor’s discretion.
Must the franchisor approve the franchisee's site or location before opening?
YesItem 11
We must also have the opportunity to review and approve/reject any lease or purchase agreement for a proposed Accepted Location before you enter into such an agreement.
Marketing
Is the franchisee prohibited from operating its own website or social media accounts, or required to use pages the franchisor provides?
YesItem 11
Except as approved in advance in writing by us, you must not establish or maintain a separate website, splash page, profile or other presence on the Internet, or otherwise advertise on the Internet or any other public computer network in connection with the Restaurant, including any profile on Facebook, Twitter…
Is a minimum grand opening advertising spend required?
YesItem 11
You are required to remit to us $15,000 to $18,000 for grand opening advertising (the “Grand Opening Advertising Requirement”) within 10 days from you being granted your permitting for construction of your Accepted Location.
Is the franchisee required to spend a minimum amount on local advertising or marketing, as a percentage of sales or a fixed amount?
YesItem 6
This is the minimum amount you must expend each week on local advertising and promotion of your Franchised Business within your Territory (the “Local Advertising Requirement”)
Operations
Must the franchisee buy products from a designated distributor?
YesFranchise agreement
Franchisee agrees to purchase ingredients, food and beverage products, as well as certain signs, furnishings, supplies, fixtures, computer hardware and software, and other equipment, inventory, products and services, from Franchisor or from approved or designated suppliers as Franchisor will specify, from time to…
Must equipment be purchased from designated or approved suppliers?
YesFranchise agreement
Franchisee agrees to purchase ingredients, food and beverage products, as well as certain signs, furnishings, supplies, fixtures, computer hardware and software, and other equipment, inventory, products and services, from Franchisor or from approved or designated suppliers as Franchisor will specify, from time to…
Payments
Must the franchisee use a payment processor or merchant-services provider designated or approved by the franchisor?
YesItem 11
You will also be required to obtain credit card processing hardware and/or software that we designate, which will cost approximately $1,000.
Are royalties and other fees collected by automatic bank debit (ACH or electronic funds transfer) from the franchisee's account?
YesItem 6
Your Royalty Fee, as well as any other fees payable to us or our affiliates under the Franchise Agreement, may be collected by us via EFT from the bank account you are required to designate solely for use in connection with your Franchised Business (your “EFT Account”).
People
Does the franchisor require minimum staffing levels or specific roles?
YesItem 15
Your Restaurant must, at all times, be staffed with at least one individual who has successfully completed our initial training program.
Must employees wear uniforms specified by the franchisor?
YesFranchise agreement
Franchisee’s employees must wear the uniform and attire as required by Franchisor.
Point of sale
Must the franchisee use a specific point-of-sale system designated or approved by the franchisor?
YesItem 11
We require you to use the POS System that we approve for operating your I Heart Mac and Cheese restaurant.
Does the franchisor have independent access to the data in the franchisee's POS or computer system?
YesItem 11
We will have independent access to this information and are not contractually limited as to our access to this data
Training
Can the franchisor charge the franchisee for additional, refresher or remedial training?
YesFranchise agreement
Franchisor may charge its then-current training fee for additional persons attending the Initial Training Program, which, at the time of the Effective Date, is Ten Thousand Dollars ($10,000).
The filing answers no to 4 questions
- Is there a franchisee advisory council, association or committee?Franchise agreement
- 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
- 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.
- 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 I Heart Mac and Cheese and More
I Heart Mac and Cheese and More runs 20 US locations — 18 franchised, 2 company-owned — with unit count up 100% year over year and a 5% royalty. The brand sits inside the I Heart Mac and Cheese holding company, and the FDD makes no financial performance representation.
Who controls software purchasing
CEO Stephen Giordanella leads the brand, with VP and General Counsel Kevin D. Ayers, VP of Franchise Development Joseph Amodio, Director of Finance Delia Valles and Director of Operations Carlos “Max” Gonzalez rounding out the team. This executive group is the practical buying center for a system-wide platform decision.
Tech named in the FDD, and what is actually required
DoorDash, Grubhub and Uber Eats by Uber are named in Item 12, and Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Pinterest and Twitter by X are named in Item 11, but the FDD requires none of them — they appear in the filing as delivery and marketing channels, not contractual obligations.
Procurement, renewals, and timing
Item 8 runs an approved-supplier model: franchisees must buy employee uniforms and certain inventory, supplies and merchandise bearing the Proprietary Marks from the franchisor's approved list, with alternative suppliers available on prior written approval. Item 17 sets the agreement's renewal, transfer and termination terms; see that section of the filing embedded below for the specifics.
How to read the I Heart Mac and Cheese and More FDD
The filing embedded below was filed with state franchise regulators in 2022. It makes no financial performance representation. Talk to FranCloud for a ranked target list of franchise systems like this one.
Questions vendors ask
I Heart Mac and Cheese and More - RI2022I Heart Mac and Cheese and More, answered from the filing
Read the filing itself
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View only A one-time purchase: the original filing, yours to keep.
FDD alert
Tell me when this brand refiles.
We’ll email you the moment I Heart Mac and Cheese and More - RI2022I Heart Mac and Cheese and More files a new annual FDD, usually the freshest signal of a vendor change.
Operator footprint
Who runs the locations
81 operators run 81 mapped locations. 0 of them are multi-unit. Aggregate counts from the filing; no names.
Operators by units owned
Top states by locations
| TX | 15 |
|---|---|
| FL | 11 |
| IN | 11 |
| CA | 6 |
| NC | 6 |
Ownership
The portfolio behind I Heart Mac and Cheese and More - RI2022I Heart Mac and Cheese and More
single_brand_holdco of I Heart Mac and Cheese.
Related Quick service restaurant brands
Primary franchise filings · updated September 2026. Every figure is source-traceable and QA-checked.