Interstate Battery Franchising & Development

The vendor opportunity at Interstate Battery

Interstate Battery Franchising & Development operates 170 total locations, of which 157 are franchised and 13 are company-owned. The system is entirely single-unit: all 144 mapped operators run exactly one location, with no multi-unit operators recorded in the 2025 FDD. This structure concentrates software purchasing authority at the franchisor level in Iowa, where a small executive team makes binding technology decisions for the entire network.

For a software vendor, the addressable market is 157 franchised units. The top states by unit count are Texas (10), Massachusetts (8), Illinois (8), New York (7), and Iowa (6). While the unit base is modest compared to large food-service chains, the mandated tech stack means a single HQ sale can deploy across the full system. Average unit volume is not disclosed in the most recent FDD. The royalty rate is 5.0%, and the initial franchise term is 10 years.

Who controls software purchasing

The 2025 FDD lists four executives in Item 1: Ben Facer (President and Director), Lain Hancock (Vice President), Linda Krier (Divisional Controller), and Rich Panek (Director, All Battery). President Facer and VP Hancock are the most likely decision-makers for enterprise software agreements. Divisional Controller Krier is the probable owner of financial and accounting system selection, given the mandate for a financial accounting system. Director Panek’s role over the All Battery concept suggests influence over operational tools tied to that brand segment.

Interstate Battery is part of Retail Acquisition and Development, Inc., the parent company. Any enterprise-level procurement may involve parent-level oversight, though the FDD does not detail that relationship’s impact on technology purchasing.

Mandated and current tech stack

The 2025 FDD mandates six named technology components. Oracle America, Inc. Software is a required system, likely covering enterprise resource planning or financial management. X STORE is mandated, pointing to a specific point-of-sale or retail management platform. Dashboard and Fairway are both listed as mandatory systems, suggesting separate operational or reporting tools. The All Battery Intercom is also required, indicating a proprietary or specified communication system for the All Battery concept. Additionally, a financial accounting system is mandated, though no specific vendor is named for that category.

This stack is prescriptive: franchisees do not have discretion to substitute. For vendors selling adjacent or replacement tools, the integration surface is well-defined. Any new software must coexist with or displace Oracle, X STORE, Dashboard, Fairway, or the All Battery Intercom.

Procurement, renewals, and timing

Item 8 of the 2025 FDD contains no extract regarding procurement requirements. This absence means the franchisor does not publicly disclose a designated supplier list, approved vendor program, or centralized purchasing mandate in the FDD itself. In practice, this could indicate that procurement details are handled outside the disclosure document, or that the franchisor retains flexibility in supplier selection.

Renewal terms, detailed in Item 17, offer a potential window for technology changes. Franchise agreements run for an initial 10 years, with a 5-year renewal option. To renew, the franchisee must not be in default, must complete required renovations, must comply with current training requirements, must have the right to remain in possession of the location, must sign a general release (the current form is attached as Exhibit H), and must sign a renewal addendum. The renewal agreement will reflect the then-current Disclosure Document terms, which may differ materially from the original contract. For software vendors, renewal cycles every 5 years may coincide with system upgrades or re-evaluations, particularly if the franchisor updates its mandated stack at those intervals.

How to read the Interstate Battery FDD

The 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document for Interstate Battery Franchising & Development is the authoritative source for technology mandates, executive contacts, and contractual terms. Item 1 identifies the leadership team. Item 11 lists the mandated systems—Oracle, X STORE, Dashboard, Fairway, All Battery Intercom, and the financial accounting system. Item 8, while silent on procurement specifics, confirms the absence of a published supplier program. Item 17 outlines the 5-year renewal conditions that may influence technology adoption timing.

Review the embedded FDD below for the full text. When you are ready to prioritize franchise systems by technology fit and buyer access, FranCloud can provide a ranked target list tailored to your product.