r standards and procedures for those programs. In order to do so, you may have to buy or lease certain items from third party vendors (for example, companies such as “Uber Eats,” “DoorDash,” etc.), su
From the filings
Kilwins
Quick service restaurantSoftware purchasing at Kilwins is controlled at the franchisor level, with mandates covering the point-of-sale system and gift card program. The chain operates 172 total units—168 franchised and 4 company-owned—giving vendors an addressable footprint of 172 locations. The most recent Franchise Disclosure Document (2026) names a five-member Board of Directors as the key decision-making body, and the brand's 5.66% year-over-year unit growth signals a modest but active expansion cycle.
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.
10%of gross sales (FY2026)
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.
can be accessed through electronic means, including, but not limited to, the Internet, World Wide Web, webpages, microsites, social media sites, social networking sites (including Facebook, Twitter, L
not limited to, the Internet, World Wide Web, webpages, microsites, social media sites, social networking sites (including Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, You Tube, TikTok Pinterest, Instagram, etc.), bl
ough electronic means, including, but not limited to, the Internet, World Wide Web, webpages, microsites, social media sites, social networking sites (including Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, You Tube,
uding, but not limited to, the Internet, World Wide Web, webpages, microsites, social media sites, social networking sites (including Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, You Tube, TikTok Pinterest, Instagram
s, including, but not limited to, the Internet, World Wide Web, webpages, microsites, social media sites, social networking sites (including Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, You Tube, TikTok Pinterest, In
essed through electronic means, including, but not limited to, the Internet, World Wide Web, webpages, microsites, social media sites, social networking sites (including Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Y
e and meet our standards and procedures for those programs. In order to do so, you may have to buy or lease certain items from third party vendors (for example, companies such as “Uber Eats,” “DoorDas
Franchisor behaviours
What the franchisor requires
30 requirements the franchisor states in this filing, each in its own words; 3 explicit no's; 1 question 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
We have the right to develop or have developed for us, or to designate: (a) computer software programs and accounting system software that you must use in connection with the Computer System (“Required Software”), which you must install;
Does the franchisor have direct or independent electronic access to the franchisee's financial, sales or customer records?
YesItem 11
We will have the right at any time to retrieve and use this data and information from your Computer System in any manner we deem necessary or desirable, and there are no contractual limits on such access or use.
Must the franchisee submit periodic financial statements (monthly, quarterly or annual) to the franchisor?
YesFranchise agreement
Upon our request, and no later than the twentieth (20th) day after each fiscal quarter (or, if we elect, each fiscal month or other periodic time period) during the term of this Agreement after the opening of the Franchised Business, you will submit to us, in a format acceptable to us (or, at our election, in a form…
How the franchisor buys
Is the franchisor or an affiliate itself a supplier of required products, services or systems?
YesItem 8
Except as otherwise described above, we and our affiliates are not a supplier of any inventory item.
Does the franchisor reserve the right to change designated suppliers or systems at any time?
YesItem 8
We have the right to change the specifications, at any time, for any approved item and to disapprove any item or supplier if it does not meet our standards (which may periodically change).
How much revenue did the franchisor and its affiliates earn from franchisee purchases in the last fiscal year?
43756093Item 8
The amount of revenue that Quality Confections derived from, or on account of, franchisee purchases of ingredients and products for resale during Quality Confections’ last fiscal year was $43,756,093, which represented 95% of Quality Confections’ total revenues.
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?
78Item 8
approximately 78% to 95% of your total purchases in the continuing operation of a Shop or a Store.
Does the franchisor charge a fee to evaluate a proposed supplier?
YesItem 8
Either you or the supplier may have to reimburse us for the reasonable cost of the inspection and the actual cost of the test.
Can a franchisee propose a new supplier for the franchisor's approval?
YesItem 8
if you want to buy products or equipment from an unapproved supplier, you must submit to us a written request for our approval.
Communications
Does the franchisor own or control the business telephone numbers, or take them over when the agreement ends?
YesItem 11
We may designate, and own, the telephone numbers for your Franchised Business.
Data and IT
Must the franchisee comply with PCI, data-security or cybersecurity standards set by the franchisor?
YesFranchise agreement
You agree to comply with the then-current Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards as those standards may be revised and modified by the PCI Security Standards Council, LLC (see www.pcisecuritystandards.org), or any successor organization or standards that we may reasonably specify.
Franchise management
Must the franchisee participate in a customer-satisfaction or net-promoter survey program?
YesFranchise agreement
We may periodically designate an independent evaluation service to conduct a “mystery shopper,” “customer survey,” and/or similar quality-control and evaluation programs with respect to some or all “Kilwins” stores. You agree to participate in such programs as we require, and promptly pay the then-current charges of…
Does the franchisor conduct periodic inspections, audits or evaluations of the franchised business?
YesItem 11
We may conduct, as we deem advisable, periodic inspections of the Store, and may evaluate the products sold, services rendered and sanitation by your Store.
Can the franchisor change the operations manual and brand standards unilaterally?
YesItem 14
We may periodically revise the contents of the Manual, and you must consult the most current version and comply with each new or changed standard.
Must the franchisor approve the franchisee's site or location before opening?
YesItem 11
Under the terms of the Search Area Addendum, you must lease, sublease or acquire a site for the Franchised Business, subject to our approval according to our site selection guidelines.
Marketing
Is the franchisee prohibited from operating its own website or social media accounts, or required to use pages the franchisor provides?
YesItem 11
Unless we have otherwise approved in writing, you agree to neither establish nor permit any other party to establish an Online Site relating in any manner whatsoever to your Store or Kilwins Chocolates Franchise, Inc.
Is a minimum grand opening advertising spend required?
YesItem 11
you must spend not less than $10,000 on local marketing conducted for the Store’s opening (the “Opening Marketing Program”) in accordance with the Opening Marketing Program you and we agree upon and also according to our specifications.
Is the franchisee required to spend a minimum amount on local advertising or marketing, as a percentage of sales or a fixed amount?
YesItem 11
In addition to (and not in place of) your ongoing local marketing expenditures, you must spend not less than $10,000 on local marketing conducted for the Store’s opening (the “Opening Marketing Program”) in accordance with the Opening Marketing Program you and we agree upon and also according to our specifications.
Must the franchisee participate in a customer loyalty or rewards program?
YesItem 11
You must also participate in our gift card. Loyalty and incentive programs.
Must the franchisee participate in a regional advertising cooperative when one exists?
YesItem 11
If a Regional Fund for your area was established before you began to operate your Store, then when you open your Store, you must immediately join that Regional Fund.
Operations
Must the franchisee buy products from a designated distributor?
YesItem 8
You must buy only approved food items, ingredients, equipment, supplies, beverages, materials (such as packaging), and other (edible and non-edible) products used or offered for sale at the Store.
Payments
Must the franchisee use a payment processor or merchant-services provider designated or approved by the franchisor?
YesFranchise agreement
You agree not to use any Payment Vendor for which we have not given you our prior written approval or as to which we have revoked our earlier approval.
Are royalties and other fees collected by automatic bank debit (ACH or electronic funds transfer) from the franchisee's account?
YesItem 6
All amounts due, owed, or payable to us (including payments for past due amounts) must be made by electronic funds transfer using the Automated Clearing House (ACH) Network.
Must the franchisee participate in a gift card program?
YesItem 11
You must also participate in our gift card.
People
Does the franchisor require minimum staffing levels or specific roles?
YesFranchise agreement
You agree to maintain a competent, conscientious, trained staff in numbers sufficient to promptly service customers, including at least one of the (1) Highly Trained Personnel on duty at all times
Must employees wear uniforms specified by the franchisor?
YesItem 8
We require you to purchase certain uniform apparel and music systems according to our specifications and from approved suppliers in order to maintain uniformity of the Kilwins brand and Store appearance.
Point of sale
Must the franchisee use a specific point-of-sale system designated or approved by the franchisor?
YesItem 11
You must purchase the exact hardware that we specify and our standard POS software.
Does the franchisor have independent access to the data in the franchisee's POS or computer system?
YesItem 11
We will have the right at any time to retrieve and use this data and information from your Computer System in any manner we deem necessary or desirable, and there are no contractual limits on such access or use.
Training
Can the franchisor charge the franchisee for additional, refresher or remedial training?
YesItem 11
Your Highly Trained Personnel may also be required to attend refresher courses, seminars, and other training programs that we may periodically specify.
Is attendance at an annual convention or conference mandatory for the franchisee?
YesFranchise agreement
You agree to attend the conventions and meetings that we may periodically require, with at least one individual in attendance.
The filing answers no to 3 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 equipment be purchased from designated or approved suppliers?Item 8
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.
HQ leadership: CEO/President + VP Ops/Franchise + a first dedicated IT/systems owner.
- 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 Kilwins
Kilwins is a quick-service restaurant franchise headquartered in Michigan, with 172 total units—168 franchised and 4 company-owned. The brand posted a 5.66% year-over-year unit growth rate, adding locations at a steady clip. Average unit volume sits at $933,138, and franchisees pay a 5.0% royalty. The initial franchise term is 10 years. For software vendors, the addressable market is the full 172-unit system, though the franchisor’s centralized control over technology decisions means the sales path runs through HQ, not individual operators.
Who controls software purchasing
Technology purchasing authority rests with Kilwins’ Board of Directors. The five members named in the 2026 FDD are Donald McCarty, Andrew Alexander, Andrew Schwartz, John King, and Kyle Smith. There is no parent company, and the operator footprint shows only five mapped operators, all single-unit, spread across Michigan (2), Hawaii (1), California (1), and Minnesota (1). No multi-unit operators appear in the disclosure. This structure reinforces a top-down buying model: vendors should engage the board directly rather than pursuing a franchisee-led sales strategy.
Mandated and current tech stack
Kilwins mandates two technology systems: a point-of-sale (POS) system and a gift card program. The FDD does not name the specific vendors for either system, so vendors in adjacent categories (payments, loyalty, scheduling, inventory) should investigate whether integrations with the existing POS are required or whether the mandate creates a competitive displacement opportunity. The absence of named vendors in the disclosure may indicate that the franchisor retains flexibility in vendor selection, but any pitch must account for the existing mandate structure.
Procurement, renewals, and timing
Item 8 of the 2026 FDD contains no extract describing a designated or approved supplier program. This suggests an open procurement model, though vendors should confirm directly with HQ. The renewal terms in Item 17 are more revealing: franchisees must provide written notice, renovate or modernize the store premises, upgrade computer hardware and software to conform with then-current standards, satisfy all monetary obligations, sign a release, and execute the then-current form of Franchise Agreement—which may contain materially different terms. The renewal term is 10 years. These upgrade requirements create natural software evaluation windows tied to each franchisee’s renewal cycle. Vendors who map the initial agreement dates across the 168 franchised units can anticipate when hardware and software refresh decisions will come due.
How to read the Kilwins FDD
The Kilwins 2026 Franchise Disclosure Document is embedded below. It contains the full legal and operational picture a vendor needs: Item 1 lists the board members who control purchasing, Item 11 details the mandated POS and gift card systems, Item 8 covers procurement (or the lack of a disclosed program), and Item 17 spells out the renewal conditions that trigger technology upgrades. Use the FDD to validate the decision-maker names, unit counts, and contract terms cited here. For a ranked target list of franchise systems matched to your software category, talk to FranCloud.
Questions vendors ask
Kilwins, answered from the filing
Read the filing itself
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FDD alert
Tell me when this brand refiles.
We’ll email you the moment Kilwins files a new annual FDD, usually the freshest signal of a vendor change.
Operator footprint
Who runs the locations
13 operators run 13 mapped locations. 0 of them are multi-unit. Aggregate counts from the filing; no names.
Operators by units owned
Ownership
The portfolio behind Kilwins
unknown of kilwins midco.
Related Quick service restaurant brands
Primary franchise filings · updated June 2026. Every figure is source-traceable and QA-checked.