st license and use QuickBooks Online. You must also purchase and use our designated point-of-sale system, VEND (which was acquired by, and is in the process of being rebranded as, Lightspeed), includi
From the filings
Natural Life CBDKratomKava
Retail non foodSoftware purchasing decisions at Natural Life CBDKratomKava are controlled at the corporate level by President & Founder Gabriel Suarez. The franchise currently mandates Lightspeed (formerly VEND) as its point-of-sale system and QuickBooks Online for accounting. With 19 total units, the addressable market for new software vendors is small and concentrated at the franchisor's Florida headquarters.
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.
7%of gross sales (FY2024)
15% reference
Mandated & recommended tech
The systems vendors compete with
4 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.
of our Technology Systems Franchise Disclosure Document (2024) Page 25 is your “computer system” (which includes your computer and point-of-sale system). You must license and use QuickBooks Online. Yo
and utilize a company we designate to: (a) develop and/or implement your grand opening marketing campaign; and/or (b) manage your social media. Music You must license and utilize Rockbot Music to cont
er system” (which includes your computer and point-of-sale system). You must license and use QuickBooks Online. You must also purchase and use our designated point-of-sale system, VEND (which was acqu
franchised and company-owned Stores from designated or approved suppliers (including purchase from NL Fulfillment). The source of this information is financial data generated from QuickBooks, the fina
Franchisor behaviours
What the franchisor requires
29 requirements the franchisor states in this filing, each in its own words; 3 explicit no's; 2 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 license and use QuickBooks Online.
Does the franchisor have direct or independent electronic access to the franchisee's financial, sales or customer records?
YesItem 11
We will have independent unlimited access to the data collected by your POS system and security system and there are no contractual limits imposed on our access.
Must the franchisee submit periodic financial statements (monthly, quarterly or annual) to the franchisor?
YesFranchise agreement
No later than the 15th day of each month, you must prepare and send us a monthly balance sheet and profit and loss statement for your Business in the format we prescribe.
How the franchisor buys
Is the franchisor or an affiliate itself a supplier of required products, services or systems?
YesItem 8
We are the exclusive supplier for any software, Intranet, Extranet, email accounts, website services, mobile Apps or other technology or services that we provide in exchange for the technology fee
Does the franchisor reserve the right to change designated suppliers or systems at any time?
YesItem 11
We may change the components of the Technology Systems from time
How much revenue did the franchisor and its affiliates earn from franchisee purchases in the last fiscal year?
41394Item 8
During that year, we generated $41,394 in revenue as a result of franchisee purchases or leases of goods or services from designated or approved suppliers (including from us), which represents 7.9% of our total revenue for the year.
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?
70Item 8
We estimate between 70% and 80% of the total purchases and leases to establish and operate your Store will consist of source-restricted goods or services, as further described below.
Does the franchisor charge a fee to evaluate a proposed supplier?
YesItem 8
You must reimburse us for all costs we incur to evaluate products and suppliers you propose.
Can a franchisee propose a new supplier for the franchisor's approval?
YesItem 8
If you wish to purchase or lease a source-restricted item from a non-approved supplier, you must send us a written request for approval and submit all additional information we request.
Communications
Does the franchisor own or control the business telephone numbers, or take them over when the agreement ends?
YesItem 17
22.1 Manual and branded materials; assign telephone numbers, listings and on termination/ domain names; assign customer information and accounts; cancel non-renewal fictitious names; comply with data retention policies; and pay amounts due (also see “r”, below).
Data and IT
Must the franchisee comply with PCI, data-security or cybersecurity standards set by the franchisor?
YesItem 11
You must also comply with the standards established by PCI-DSS to protect the security of credit card information.
Franchise management
Does the franchisor conduct periodic inspections, audits or evaluations of the franchised business?
YesFranchise agreement
For quality control purposes we may: (a) periodically inspect your Store in accordance with §6.5 and §17.1; and/or (b) engage the services of a “mystery shopper” or quality assurance firm to inspect your Store.
Can the franchisor change the operations manual and brand standards unilaterally?
YesItem 11
We can modify the Manual at any time, but the modifications will not alter your status or fundamental rights under the Franchise Disclosure Document (2024) Page 18 Franchise Agreement.
Must the franchisor approve the franchisee's site or location before opening?
YesItem 11
You must identify and obtain our approval of the site for your Store within 60 days after signing the Franchise 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
Under current policy, you may not: (a) develop, host, or otherwise maintain a website or other digital presence relating to your Store (including any website bearing our Marks); (b) utilize the Internet to conduct digital or online advertising; or (c) engage in ecommerce.
Is a minimum grand opening advertising spend required?
YesItem 11
You must spend at least $20,000 on your grand opening marketing activities during the 60-day period that begins 30 days prior to your opening date.
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
Commencing with the expiration of your grand opening period (i.e., 30 days after opening), you must spend at least 2% of your monthly Gross Sales on approved local marketing.
Must the franchisee participate in a customer loyalty or rewards program?
YesFranchise agreement
You must fully participate and implement all required customer loyalty, rewards and other affinity programs designed to increase customer loyalty, generate new customers or improve overall demand for our network of Stores.
Must the franchisee participate in a regional advertising cooperative when one exists?
YesItem 11
If your Store is located within a region subject to an advertising cooperative you must: (a) participate in the cooperative according to its rules and procedures and abide by its decisions; and (b) pay a cooperative advertising fee.
Operations
Must the franchisee buy products from a designated distributor?
YesItem 8
Inventory All inventory must meet our standards and specifications and be purchased only from suppliers we designate or approve.
Must equipment be purchased from designated or approved suppliers?
YesItem 8
All furniture, fixtures and décor must meet our standards and specifications and be purchased from suppliers we designate or approve.
Payments
Must the franchisee use a payment processor or merchant-services provider designated or approved by the franchisor?
YesItem 8
You must use a merchant service provider we designate or approve to process credit card transactions.
Are royalties and other fees collected by automatic bank debit (ACH or electronic funds transfer) from the franchisee's account?
YesFranchise agreement
No later than 15 days after the Effective Date, you must send us a completed and executed ACH Agreement authorizing us to electronically debit your designated Account for all amounts owed to us and our affiliates on the applicable due date, excluding any amounts due within 15 days after the Effective Date.
Must the franchisee participate in a gift card program?
YesFranchise agreement
You must participate in any gift card program we establish and honor all gift cards, including gift cards purchased from us or another franchisee.
People
Does the franchisor require minimum staffing levels or specific roles?
YesItem 15
At all times during normal business hours, a fully-trained certified business manager (a “Store Manager”) must be present at the Store to provide onsite management and supervision.
Point of sale
Must the franchisee use a specific point-of-sale system designated or approved by the franchisor?
YesItem 11
You must also purchase and use our designated point-of-sale system, VEND (which was acquired by, and is in the process of being rebranded as, Lightspeed), including the associated computers, computerized cash registers, cash drawers, point-of-sale terminals, touch screens, bar-code scanners, receipt printers, credit…
Does the franchisor have independent access to the data in the franchisee's POS or computer system?
YesItem 11
We will have independent unlimited access to the data collected by your POS system and security system and there are no contractual limits imposed on our access.
Training
Can the franchisor charge the franchisee for additional, refresher or remedial training?
YesItem 11
We may charge you a training fee of up to $300 per person per day for each person who attends: (a) Management Training after your Store opens; (b) repeat training after failing a prior attempt; (c) remedial training; or (d) additional training requested by you.
Is attendance at an annual convention or conference mandatory for the franchisee?
YesFranchise agreement
Attendance is mandatory unless: (a) we designate attendance as optional; or (b) we waive your obligation to attend based on showing of good cause.
The filing answers no to 3 questions
- Is there a franchisee advisory council, association or committee?Item 11
- Does the franchisor or an affiliate receive rebates, commissions or other revenue from designated or approved suppliers?Item 8
- Must the franchisee participate in a customer-satisfaction or net-promoter survey program?Item 11
The vendor opportunity at Natural Life CBDKratomKava
Natural Life CBDKratomKava is a small retail non-food franchise with a total of 19 units, split between 13 franchised locations and 6 company-owned stores. The system generated an average unit volume (AUV) of $221,839, according to the 2024 FDD. The royalty rate is 5.0% of gross sales. For a software vendor, the total addressable market is capped at these 19 units, which are spread across five states with a concentration in Florida, Georgia, and Massachusetts. The operator footprint is entirely single-unit operators; no multi-unit franchisees were mapped in the disclosure, meaning every sale is a single-location decision or must go through headquarters.
Who controls software purchasing
Software purchasing authority is centralized. The FDD lists Gabriel Suarez as President & Founder, making him the primary executive buyer. The support and marketing functions are managed by Jennifer Gassler (Support Manager) and Megan Hoss (Marketing Manager), respectively. These two managers are the most likely internal influencers for any operational support platform or marketing technology. There is no CIO, CTO, or dedicated IT leadership disclosed, which is consistent with a system of this size. A vendor's pitch must resonate with a founder-led leadership team that directly oversees technology mandates for all locations.
Mandated and current tech stack
The 2024 FDD explicitly mandates two core systems. The point-of-sale system is Lightspeed by Lightspeed Commerce Inc., which is noted as a rebranding of the previously mandated VEND system. This indicates a recent or ongoing migration within the Lightspeed ecosystem. For accounting, the system mandates QuickBooks Online by Intuit Inc. No other operational, HR, inventory, or compliance software is disclosed as mandated or recommended. This leaves potential whitespace for vendors in areas like employee scheduling, loyalty, or CBD-specific compliance tracking, though any sale would need to integrate with the mandated Lightspeed POS and QuickBooks Online backbone.
Procurement, renewals, and timing
The FDD does not provide an extract from Item 8, so the formal procurement model—whether it uses designated suppliers, approved suppliers, or an open market—is not publicly known. The initial franchise agreement term is 10 years. Renewals are for an additional 5 years and come with significant conditions: franchisees must sign the then-current form of the agreement, which may contain materially different terms and conditions than the original contract, and must remodel the store and upgrade furniture, fixtures, and equipment to current standards. This forced upgrade cycle at renewal is a natural trigger point for introducing new software that can be positioned as part of the modernization requirement.
How to read the Natural Life CBDKratomKava FDD
The full 2024 Franchise Disclosure Document is available below. When reviewing it, focus on Item 11 for the complete list of mandated technology and the franchisor's obligations regarding system updates. Cross-reference Item 17 for the renewal conditions that can force a technology refresh. Since the operator base is entirely single-unit, pay close attention to any provisions in Item 8 or the operations manual that restrict a franchisee's ability to adopt software independently of the franchisor's approval. For a ranked target list of franchise systems based on tech-stack fit and procurement timing, talk to FranCloud.
Questions vendors ask
Natural Life CBDKratomKava, answered from the filing
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Operator footprint
Who runs the locations
18 operators run 18 mapped locations. 0 of them are multi-unit. Aggregate counts from the filing; no names.
Operators by units owned
Top states by locations
| FL | 4 |
|---|---|
| GA | 3 |
| MA | 2 |
| NC | 1 |
| TX | 1 |
Related Retail non food brands
Primary franchise filings · updated June 2026. Every figure is source-traceable and QA-checked.