CanvaCanva
Mandatorynter/scanner, modem, and related connections ("Computer System"). The currently required software (“Software”) includes, but is not limited to, the most current versions of Adobe, Canva, electronic si
From the filings
HQ-led decisions
Natural Awakenings
Retail non foodSoftware purchasing at Natural Awakenings is controlled at the franchisor level, with CEO Kimberly Whittle and VP of Operations Dr. Brian Stenzler identified in the 2025 FDD. The system mandates the NAPC software system for customer inquiries and sales across its 46 franchised locations. With 47 total units and a single company-owned store, the addressable market is small but concentrated, making a direct HQ pitch the most efficient path.
For software vendors selling into US franchise brands.
Live signals
Total units
47
46 franchised
Unit growth YoY
-2.128%
vs prior filing
AUV
—
Item 19, 2025
Royalty
7%
of gross sales
Ad fund
2%
national + local
Initial fee
$50K
per unit
Investment range
$60K–$86K
all-in, Item 7
Procurement
Franchisor controlled
from the filing
Non-compete
2 years
from the filing
Item 19
No 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.
9%of gross sales (FY2025)
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.
Franchisor behaviours
What the franchisor requires
20 requirements the franchisor states in this filing, each in its own words; 7 explicit no's; 7 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?
YesFranchise agreement
Franchisee will utilize, at Franchisee’s cost, NAPC’s standard bookkeeping or accounting systems, any designated accounting services, and computer software and follow the general chart of accounts which NAPC may supply to Franchisee during the initial training program via intranet or other electronic file delivery…
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 the information that will be generated or stored in the Computer System and Software.
Must the franchisee submit periodic financial statements (monthly, quarterly or annual) to the franchisor?
YesFranchise agreement
For each month during the term of this Agreement, Franchisee agrees to electronically submit monthly reports to NAPC at the time and in the form and manner specified in the Operations Manual.
How the franchisor buys
Is the franchisor or an affiliate itself a supplier of required products, services or systems?
YesItem 8
We are your only source for these services.
Does the franchisor reserve the right to change designated suppliers or systems at any time?
YesFranchise agreement
NAPC has the right to change NAPC’s approved and required vendors, distributors and suppliers in NAPC’s sole discretion.
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
We estimate that approximately 61% of your expenditures and purchases in establishing your NA Business and less than 35% of your expenditures on an ongoing basis will be for goods and services which are subject to sourcing restrictions
Can a franchisee propose a new supplier for the franchisor's approval?
YesItem 8
If you would like to use any product, material, equipment or supply or purchase any products from a supplier that is not designated or already approved by us, you must obtain our prior written approval.
Communications
Does the franchisor own or control the business telephone numbers, or take them over when the agreement ends?
YesFranchise agreement
upon NAPC’s request, direct the telephone company to transfer the telephone numbers listed for the Franchised Business in any telephone directories to NAPC or to any other person or entity that NAPC directs
Franchise management
Does the franchisor conduct periodic inspections, audits or evaluations of the franchised business?
YesFranchise agreement
NAPC may at any time during regular business hours enter the Franchised Business to conduct an inspection and operational audit to determine compliance with this Agreement and with NAPC’s policies, procedures, programs, standards, specifications and techniques as set forth in the Operations Manual.
Can the franchisor change the operations manual and brand standards unilaterally?
YesFranchise agreement
NAPC retains the right to prescribe additions to, deletions from, or revisions of the Operations Manual (the “Supplements to the Operations Manual”), all of which will be incorporated into, and be deemed a part of, the Operations Manual.
Must the franchisor approve the franchisee's site or location before opening?
YesItem 12
We must approve your office and any relocation of your office, in writing.
Marketing
Must the franchisee participate in a regional advertising cooperative when one exists?
YesFranchise agreement
If and when NAPC creates a Regional Cooperative for the geographic region in which the Franchised Business is located, Franchisee will be required to become a member thereof, and participate therein.
Operations
Must the franchisee buy products from a designated distributor?
YesFranchise agreement
Franchisee must only use approved products, services, inventory, equipment, signs, advertising materials, trademarked items and novelties, and other items or services (collectively, “approved supplies”) in connection with the operation of the Franchised Business as set forth in the approved supplies and approved…
Must equipment be purchased from designated or approved suppliers?
YesItem 8
We require you to purchase from NAPC, our affiliates, designated vendors and/or approved vendors.
Payments
Are royalties and other fees collected by automatic bank debit (ACH or electronic funds transfer) from the franchisee's account?
YesFranchise agreement
NAPC may utilize an electronic debit system that will automatically debit the Franchisee’s Bank Account for the Royalty Fees, Technology Fees, Layout Services Fees, National Advertising Fund Fees, and any other fees due to NAPC or its Affiliates under this Agreement.
People
Does the franchisor require minimum staffing levels or specific roles?
YesItem 11
You must appoint a Responsible Agent who will personally and directly supervise the operation of the Franchised Business and may also serve as the Business Manager.
Point of sale
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 the information that will be generated or stored in the Computer System and Software.
Sales and CRM
Must the franchisee use a CRM system designated or approved by the franchisor?
YesFranchise agreement
Franchisee agrees to pay for the monthly technology licensing, website hosting, email services, customer relationship management (CRM), digital marketing applications, accounting software subscription, other subscription services, enterprise-wide operations systems, mobile application, payment gateway, data hosting…
Training
Can the franchisor charge the franchisee for additional, refresher or remedial training?
YesItem 6
We require you to use and pay us or our affiliates for our services and associated services fulfilled through our third-party vendors for additional training.
Is attendance at an annual convention or conference mandatory for the franchisee?
YesFranchise agreement
NAPC requires that Franchisee attend the NAPC Owners Conference, if any, at least once every two (2) years.
The filing answers no to 7 questions
- Is there a franchisee advisory council, association or committee?Franchise agreement
- Does the franchisor or an affiliate receive rebates, commissions or other revenue from designated or approved suppliers?Item 8
- Does the franchisor charge a fee to evaluate a proposed supplier?Item 8
- Must the franchisee participate in a customer-satisfaction or net-promoter survey program?
- Is the franchisee prohibited from operating its own website or social media accounts, or required to use pages the franchisor provides?Franchise agreement
- Is a minimum grand opening advertising spend required?Franchise agreement
- Is the franchisee required to spend a minimum amount on local advertising or marketing, as a percentage of sales or a fixed amount?Franchise agreement
The vendor opportunity at Natural Awakenings
Natural Awakenings operates 47 total units—46 franchised and 1 company-owned—according to its 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document. The brand is part of KnoWEwell, P.B.C., and is headquartered in New Jersey. Unit growth contracted by 2.128% year-over-year, and the operator footprint shows 40 mapped single-unit operators with no multi-unit owners. The top states by unit count are Florida (7), New Jersey (7), Pennsylvania (3), Michigan (3), and South Carolina (2). For software vendors, the addressable market is 46 franchised locations, all of which appear to follow HQ technology mandates.
Average unit volume is not disclosed in the FDD. The royalty rate is 7.0%, and the initial franchise term is 5 years. These figures suggest a lean operating model where technology that reduces labor or improves customer conversion could resonate with leadership.
Who controls software purchasing
Software purchasing decisions at Natural Awakenings are centralized at the franchisor level. The 2025 FDD lists Kimberly Whittle as CEO and Dr. Brian Stenzler as VP of Operations—both likely approvers for operational and sales technology. Vytautas (Vee) Banionis serves as Chief Marketing Officer and may hold influence over customer-facing or marketing software. Franchise Sales Managers John Voell and Trina Voell are also named but are less likely to be involved in enterprise software evaluation.
Because the system has no multi-unit operators, there is no secondary buying center at the franchisee level. Vendors should target HQ directly and frame value propositions around system-wide compliance, ease of deployment across ~40 physical locations, and support for a distributed, single-unit operator base.
Mandated and current tech stack
The only mandated technology disclosed in the 2025 FDD is the NAPC software system, which handles customer inquiries and sales. No other POS, ERP, CRM, or operational platforms are named as required. This creates a greenfield opportunity for vendors in areas like scheduling, financial reporting, marketing automation, or franchisee onboarding—provided they can demonstrate compatibility with or superiority to the existing NAPC system.
Vendors should note that the NAPC mandate is explicit, meaning any replacement or integration must clear a high bar at HQ. The absence of other mandated tools suggests the franchisor may be open to evaluating new solutions that address pain points not covered by the current stack.
Procurement, renewals, and timing
Item 8 of the FDD does not extract a procurement signal, meaning there is no published designated-supplier or approved-supplier list. This leaves the procurement model ambiguous—vendors should assume a closed, HQ-driven process until they confirm otherwise through direct outreach.
Renewal terms in Item 17 state that franchisees must give notice, not be in default, and satisfy conditions for renewal. Critically, the franchisor may ask renewing franchisees to sign an agreement with materially different terms and conditions than the original. This creates a potential trigger for technology re-evaluation at the unit level every 5 years. With negative unit growth, some locations may not renew, but those that do could be required to adopt new systems as a condition of renewal.
How to read the Natural Awakenings FDD
The 2025 Natural Awakenings FDD is embedded below for full reference. Key sections for software vendors include Item 1 (executive team and ownership by KnoWEwell, P.B.C.), Item 8 (procurement—though sparse here), Item 11 (mandated technology—the NAPC system), and Item 17 (renewal and term conditions). Reviewing these items will help you understand who signs software contracts, what is already locked in, and when windows for change may open.
For a ranked target list of franchise systems matched to your software category, talk to FranCloud.
Questions vendors ask
Natural Awakenings, answered from the filing
CEO Kimberly Whittle and VP of Operations Dr. Brian Stenzler are the key executives listed in the FDD. CMO Vytautas Banionis may influence marketing-tech decisions.
The 2025 FDD mandates the NAPC software system for managing customer inquiries and sales. No other mandated systems are disclosed.
47 total units: 46 franchised and 1 company-owned. Operators are concentrated in FL (7), NJ (7), PA (3), MI (3), and SC (2).
The FDD does not extract a designated or approved supplier list in Item 8. Procurement signals are not disclosed in the most recent filing.
Franchise agreements run 5 years. Renewal requires notice and may involve materially different terms. With -2.1% unit growth, churn-driven openings are possible.
The 2025 FDD is filed with state franchise regulators. You can view it in the embedded PDF viewer below for full Item 1, 8, 11, and 17 details.
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 Natural Awakenings files a new annual FDD, usually the freshest signal of a vendor change.
Operator footprint
Who runs the locations
39 operators run 40 mapped locations. 1 of them are multi-unit. Aggregate counts from the filing; no names.
Operators by units owned
Single-unit38
2–9 units1
Top states by locations
| FL | 7 |
|---|---|
| NJ | 7 |
| PA | 3 |
| MI | 3 |
| SC | 2 |
Ownership
The portfolio behind Natural Awakenings
unknown of knowewell p b c.
Related Retail non food brands
Primary franchise filings · updated June 2026. Every figure is source-traceable and QA-checked.