QuickBooks OnlineIntuit
Mandatoryed to update or replace the hardware of the POS System, which will cost up to $1,300 per year (if a full replacement is necessary). You must separately purchase a subscription for Quickbooks Online so
From the filings
+12.5% units YoYHQ-led decisions
Millie's Franchising
Quick service restaurantSoftware purchasing at Millie's Franchising is controlled at the headquarters level by Co-founder and CEO Charles Townsend IV and Co-founder and President Lauren Townsend. The franchisor mandates specific systems for POS, digital menu management, and accounting via QuickBooks Online. With 14 total units (9 franchised) and 12.5% year-over-year unit growth, the immediate addressable market is small but expanding.
For software vendors selling into US franchise brands.
Live signals
Total units
14
9 franchised
Unit growth YoY
+12.5%
vs prior filing
AUV
$552K
Item 19, 2024
Royalty
5.5%
of gross sales
Ad fund
2%
national + local
Initial fee
$50K
per unit
Investment range
$252K–$557K
all-in, Item 7
Procurement
Approved supplier
from the filing
Item 19
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.
7.5%of gross sales (FY2026)
15% reference
Mandated & recommended tech
The systems vendors compete with
1 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.
CanvaCanva
ation through the POS System and there are no contractual limitations on our right to access the information. In addition, the monthly Technology fee pays for Google Suite and the Canva Creative Suite
Franchisor behaviours
What the franchisor requires
26 requirements the franchisor states in this filing, each in its own words; 3 explicit no's; 5 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 separately purchase a subscription for Quickbooks Online software and follow our accounting procedures and chart of accounts as provided in our Operations Manual.
Does the franchisor have direct or independent electronic access to the franchisee's financial, sales or customer records?
YesFranchise agreement
Franchisee shall use the POS software to collect all of the sales, inventory, and financial data of the Shop which will provide Franchisor independent access to the information collected through the POS system.
Must the franchisee submit periodic financial statements (monthly, quarterly or annual) to the franchisor?
YesFranchise agreement
Franchisee further agrees to submit within ninety (90) days following the close of each fiscal year of the Millie’s Shop’s and Food Truck’s operation, a profit and loss statement covering operations during such fiscal year and a balance sheet taken as of the close of such fiscal year, all prepared in accordance with…
How the franchisor buys
Is the franchisor or an affiliate itself a supplier of required products, services or systems?
YesItem 8
In our fiscal year ending December 31, 2024, our affiliate, Millie’s Ice Cream Works, 17 LLC earned $851,607 in revenue from required franchisee purchases, which is 44.5% of our total annual revenue of $1,913,876.
Does the franchisor reserve the right to change designated suppliers or systems at any time?
YesItem 11
We will modify the System as we deem necessary, including, but not limited to, the adoption and use of new or modified recipes, techniques, supplies, equipment, products, trade names, trademarks, service marks, copyrighted materials, and information technology tools, and we will communicate to you any modifications…
How much revenue did the franchisor and its affiliates earn from franchisee purchases in the last fiscal year?
851607Item 8
In our fiscal year ending December 31, 2024, our affiliate, Millie’s Ice Cream Works, 17 LLC earned $851,607 in revenue from required franchisee purchases, which is 44.5% of our total annual revenue of $1,913,876.
Does the franchisor or an affiliate receive rebates, commissions or other revenue from designated or approved suppliers?
YesItem 8
We may receive rebates from Approved Suppliers.
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?
30Item 8
approximately 30% to 34% of your annual operating expenses
Does the franchisor charge a fee to evaluate a proposed supplier?
YesFranchise agreement
If Franchisee proposes to use any supplies or supplier which is not then approved, Franchisee must pay an evaluation fee of $500 and notify Franchisor in writing and submit sufficient information, samples, and specifications to allow Franchisor to determine if the supplier meets the Franchisor approved supplier…
Can a franchisee propose a new supplier for the franchisor's approval?
YesItem 8
In order for a supplier to be accepted by us as an Approved Supplier, a request for acceptance must be forwarded to us for consideration.
Communications
Does the franchisor own or control the business telephone numbers, or take them over when the agreement ends?
YesFranchise agreement
notify the telephone company and all listing agencies of the termination or expiration of the Agreement and of Franchisee’s right to use the existing Millie’s Shop telephone number(s) and any regular, classified or other telephone directory listing associated with any Intellectual Property, and authorize transfer of…
Data and IT
Must the franchisee comply with PCI, data-security or cybersecurity standards set by the franchisor?
YesItem 11
You are required to maintain your credit card processing hardware and software in compliance with the Payment Card Industry (PCI) Data Security Standard.
Franchise management
Does the franchisor conduct periodic inspections, audits or evaluations of the franchised business?
YesFranchise agreement
Franchisor shall have the right to inspect and/or audit Franchisee’s accounts, books, records, and tax returns at all reasonable times to ensure that Franchisee is complying with the terms of this Franchise.
Can the franchisor change the operations manual and brand standards unilaterally?
YesItem 11
We reserve the right to revise or modify the Operations Manual to reflect new standards, specifications, and procedures.
Must the franchisor approve the franchisee's site or location before opening?
YesItem 11
We will review your site selection proposal and provide you with written notice of approval or disapproval of the proposed site within fourteen (14) days of receiving your written proposal.
Marketing
Is a minimum grand opening advertising spend required?
YesFranchise agreement
In addition to the Local Advertising Requirement, Franchisee will be required to expend a minimum for Grand Opening Marketing of $10,000 in connection with the opening of the Millie’s Shop for the period between 60 days prior to opening and 90 days after opening.
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
We require that franchisees spend two percent (2%) of Net Sales per month on local advertising and promotions (the “Local Advertising Requirement”).
Must the franchisee participate in a customer loyalty or rewards program?
YesItem 11
You are also required to participate in our loyalty program and our online ordering services where applicable.
Operations
Must the franchisee buy products from a designated distributor?
YesItem 8
You are required to purchase the ice cream, toppings, paper goods, janitorial supplies, uniforms, and computer hardware and software from us, an affiliate or an Approved Supplier.
Must equipment be purchased from designated or approved suppliers?
YesItem 8
You are required to purchase the ice cream, toppings, paper goods, janitorial supplies, uniforms, and computer hardware and software from us, an affiliate or an Approved Supplier.
Payments
Are royalties and other fees collected by automatic bank debit (ACH or electronic funds transfer) from the franchisee's account?
YesItem 6
We will automatically draft Royalty Fees, the Brand Fund Fee and any additional fees from your bank account according to the terms of the Franchise Agreement.
People
Does the franchisor require minimum staffing levels or specific roles?
YesItem 15
Your Millie’s Shop must, at all times, be managed and staffed with at least one (1) individual who has successfully completed our Initial Training Program.
Must employees wear uniforms specified by the franchisor?
YesItem 8
You are required to purchase the ice cream, toppings, paper goods, janitorial supplies, uniforms, and computer hardware and software from us, an affiliate or an Approved Supplier.
Point of sale
Must the franchisee use a specific point-of-sale system designated or approved by the franchisor?
YesFranchise agreement
Franchisee agrees to purchase a point-of- sale system (“POS”) designated by Franchisor and pay all applicable fees.
Does the franchisor have independent access to the data in the franchisee's POS or computer system?
YesFranchise agreement
Franchisee shall use the POS software to collect all of the sales, inventory, and financial data of the Shop which will provide Franchisor independent access to the information collected through the POS system.
Training
Can the franchisor charge the franchisee for additional, refresher or remedial training?
YesFranchise agreement
Franchisor will charge Franchisee then current Training Fees for subsequent training.
The filing answers no to 3 questions
- Is there a franchisee advisory council, association or committee?Item 11
- Is the franchisee prohibited from operating its own website or social media accounts, or required to use pages the franchisor provides?Franchise agreement
- Must the franchisee participate in a regional advertising cooperative when one exists?Item 11
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 franchisee/operator personally, or a small franchisor still owner-run. Wears every hat.
OwnerCEOPresidentPrincipal
- 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%.
- 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.
- 97.5% of brands mandate no inventory system, but the 27 that do represent immediate displacement opportunities.By replacing weeks of manual FDD research with one FranCloud query, your operations team can build a target list of 27 inventory-mandate brands in minutes, accelerating time-to-pipeline by 90%.
The vendor opportunity at Millie's Franchising
Millie's Franchising operates a small but growing quick-service restaurant system. The brand reported 14 total units in its 2026 FDD, split between 9 franchised locations and 5 company-owned stores. This represents a 12.5% year-over-year unit growth rate, signaling active expansion. For software vendors, the immediate addressable market is the 9 franchised units, though the 5 company-owned locations may also fall under HQ purchasing mandates. Average unit volume sits at $552,417, with a 5.5% royalty rate. The system is concentrated in California, where the sole mapped operator runs a single location. No multi-unit operators are present, meaning every franchisee is a single-unit owner.
Who controls software purchasing
Purchasing authority rests with the founding leadership team. Charles Townsend IV serves as Co-founder and CEO, and Lauren Townsend is Co-founder and President. These two executives are the primary decision-makers for any enterprise-level software agreement. Brand Director Jessica Keyser and Franchise Support Manager Caroline Peters are also named in the FDD and likely serve as influencers or day-to-day evaluators for operational tools. Because the franchisee base consists entirely of single-unit operators with no multi-unit entities, franchisees are unlikely to have independent procurement power for mandated systems. Vendors should direct all outreach to the Pennsylvania headquarters.
Mandated and current tech stack
The 2026 FDD explicitly mandates three categories of technology. Digital menu management software is required, as is a POS software system. The FDD also mandates QuickBooks Online by Intuit Inc., and separately lists QuickBooks by Intuit Inc. as a recommended or required system. No specific POS or digital menu vendor is named in the available data, which may indicate that the franchisor approves a specific vendor but does not disclose the name in the FDD, or that the mandate is category-level. The presence of QuickBooks Online as a mandated accounting platform is a concrete integration point for vendors selling adjacent financial or operational tools.
Procurement, renewals, and timing
Procurement rules are not disclosed in the most recent FDD. Item 8, which typically outlines designated or approved supplier requirements, contains no extract. This absence means vendors cannot determine from the public filing whether Millie's Franchising operates a closed supplier list, an approved vendor program, or an open procurement model. Similarly, Item 17 renewal and termination provisions are not disclosed, and the initial franchise term length is not specified. Without these data points, software vendors cannot model contract renewal windows or anticipate RFP cycles. Direct engagement with HQ is the only path to clarify procurement processes.
How to read the Millie's Franchising FDD
The full 2026 Franchise Disclosure Document is available below. Key sections for software vendors include Item 11, which details the franchisor's obligations regarding mandated equipment and technology, and Item 8, which would normally describe sourcing restrictions. Because the operator footprint is small and concentrated, vendors should also review Item 20 for unit turnover and growth projections. The document was filed with state franchise regulators in 2026 and reflects the most current public disclosure. For a ranked target list of franchise systems matched to your software category, FranCloud can help.
Questions vendors ask
Millie's Franchising, answered from the filing
Co-founder and CEO Charles Townsend IV and Co-founder and President Lauren Townsend are the named executives. Brand Director Jessica Keyser and Franchise Support Manager Caroline Peters likely influence operational tool decisions.
The 2026 FDD mandates POS software, digital menu management software, and QuickBooks Online by Intuit Inc. QuickBooks desktop is also listed as a recommended or mandated system.
There are 14 total units: 9 franchised and 5 company-owned. The system shows 12.5% year-over-year unit growth, with a single mapped operator in California.
The procurement model is not disclosed in the most recent FDD. Item 8 contains no extract regarding designated or approved supplier requirements.
The initial term length and Item 17 renewal signals are not disclosed in the 2026 FDD, making contract window timing difficult to predict without direct inquiry.
The FDD was filed with state franchise regulators in 2026. You can review the full document in the embedded PDF viewer below.
Source
Read the filing itself
Every number on this page traces back to this document. Read it in full, page by page. Buy the original PDF to download, search, and annotate it.
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 Millie's Franchising files a new annual FDD, usually the freshest signal of a vendor change.
Operator footprint
Who runs the locations
1 operators run 1 mapped locations. 0 of them are multi-unit. Aggregate counts from the filing; no names.
Operators by units owned
Single-unit1
Top states by locations
| CA | 1 |
|---|
Ownership
The portfolio behind Millie's Franchising
unknown of frozen assets holdings.
Related Quick service restaurant brands
Primary franchise filings · updated June 2026. Every figure is source-traceable and QA-checked.