From the filings

No mandated tech stackHQ-led decisions

Palgong Tea

Quick service restaurant

Software purchasing at Palgong Tea is controlled at the headquarters level by a small executive team led by President John Park, Director of Franchising Mike Choi, and Director of Operations Jeremiah Park. The brand currently operates a single company-owned unit in Illinois, with no franchised locations confirmed in the 2022 FDD. No mandated technology systems are disclosed, leaving the tech stack open for vendor discovery.

For software vendors selling into US franchise brands.

Live signals

Total units
1
0 franchised
Franchised outlet growth
—
Item 20, last two year-ends
AUV
—
Item 19
Royalty
5% component; full terms unconfirmed
percentage component
Ad fund
3%
percentage component
Initial fee
$20K
per unit
Investment range
$148K–$186K
all-in, Item 7
Procurement
Approved supplier
from the filing
Non-compete
2 years
from the filing
Item 19
No claims
from the filing

Ordinary royalty terms

5% component; full terms unconfirmed

Complete royalty terms are not confirmed for the selected filing.

Recorded percentage components

These are recorded percentage components. Each has its own base and conditions; the chart does not state the total payment or confirm ad-fund completeness.

1recorded components (FY2022)

Recorded percentage components (FY2022)Ad fund 3%. Components use their own filing bases and conditions. Drawn against a 15% reference scale.

15% reference

Ad fund 3%

Franchisor behaviours

What the franchisor requires

24 requirements the franchisor states in this filing, each in its own words; 4 explicit no's; 6 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?

Yes

Franchise agreement

You agree to establish and maintain at your own expense a bookkeeping, accounting, and recordkeeping system conforming to the requirements, data processing and cash register systems and formats we prescribe from time to time.

Does the franchisor have direct or independent electronic access to the franchisee's financial, sales or customer records?

Yes

Item 11

We will have independent access to the information and data from the Computer System.

Must the franchisee submit periodic financial statements (monthly, quarterly or annual) to the franchisor?

Yes

Franchise agreement

by the 20th day of each month period (or other period we designate), a profit and loss statement for the preceding month period (or other period we designate) and a year-to-date profit and loss statement and balance sheet; (4) within 120 days after the end of your fiscal year, a fiscal year-end balance sheet and an…

How the franchisor buys

Does the franchisor reserve the right to change designated suppliers or systems at any time?

Yes

Item 8

must use in the development and operation of the Shop the cash registers, management system, computer terminals, hardware components, operating software, printers, dedicated communication and power lines, and other computer-related accessories and peripheral equipment (collectively, the “Computer System”) that we…

How much revenue did the franchisor and its affiliates earn from franchisee purchases in the last fiscal year?

0

Item 8

Because we commenced franchising in 2021 and currently do not have any franchisees, during 2021 we and our affiliates did not derive any revenues or other material consideration from franchisees’ direct purchases or leases.

Does the franchisor or an affiliate receive rebates, commissions or other revenue from designated or approved suppliers?

Yes

Item 8

We have the right to charge and/or retain royalties, commissions and rebates from vendors which supply Palgong Tea Shops.

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?

95

Item 8

We estimate that approximately 95% of your purchases or leases to start and operate your business will be made from us, approved or designated suppliers or in accordance with our specifications or requirements.

Does the franchisor charge a fee to evaluate a proposed supplier?

Yes

Item 8

Either you or the proposed supplier must pay us a fee (not to exceed the reasonable cost of the inspection and the actual cost of the test) to make the evaluation.

Can a franchisee propose a new supplier for the franchisor's approval?

Yes

Item 8

If you would like to purchase any items from any unapproved supplier, you must submit to us a written request for approval of the proposed supplier.

Data and IT

Must the franchisee comply with PCI, data-security or cybersecurity standards set by the franchisor?

Yes

Item 11

(c) complying with all applicable laws, regulations, industry standards (including Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards) and other procedures to safeguard the confidentiality and security of information concerning the Shop’s customers and employees; and (d) any and all consequences if the Computer System is…

Franchise management

Must the franchisee participate in a customer-satisfaction or net-promoter survey program?

Yes

Franchise agreement

You also agree to present to your customers any evaluation forms we periodically prescribe and agree to participate and/or request your customers to participate in any surveys performed by or on our behalf.

Does the franchisor conduct periodic inspections, audits or evaluations of the franchised business?

Yes

Franchise agreement

13.1 Company’s Right to Inspect the Shop. To determine whether you and the Shop are complying with this Agreement, and with specifications, standards, and operating procedures we prescribe for the operation of Palgong Tea Shops, we or our agents have the right, at any reasonable time and without advance notice to…

Can the franchisor change the operations manual and brand standards unilaterally?

Yes

Franchise agreement

We may modify the Operations Manual periodically to reflect changes in the specifications, standards, operating procedures and other obligations in operating a Palgong Tea Shop.

Must the franchisor approve the franchisee's site or location before opening?

Yes

Item 12

You may operate the Shop only at the approved site.

Marketing

Is the franchisee prohibited from operating its own website or social media accounts, or required to use pages the franchisor provides?

Yes

Item 11

Unless we consent otherwise in writing, you may not, directly or indirectly, conduct or be involved in any Digital Marketing that use the Marks or that relate to the Shop.

Is the franchisee required to spend a minimum amount on local advertising or marketing, as a percentage of sales or a fixed amount?

Yes

Item 11

You must spend annually (or during any other period we designate) at least 1.5% of your Gross Sales on advertising, marketing, promotional, customer relationship management, social responsibility, public relations and other brand-related programs in your local market area, which includes coupons, but does not include…

Must the franchisee participate in a regional advertising cooperative when one exists?

Yes

Item 11

You automatically will become a member of any existing or new cooperative formed in your geographic area and must participate in the cooperative as its governing documents require.

Operations

Must the franchisee buy products from a designated distributor?

Yes

Item 8

You must (1) purchase products for sale from the Shop in the quantities we designate; (2) utilize the formats, formulae and containers for products we prescribe; and (3) purchase all beverages, products, menus, straws, napkins, paper and plastic products, packaging or other materials, and utensils only from…

Must equipment be purchased from designated or approved suppliers?

Yes

Item 8

You must use in the development and operation of the Shop only those brands, types, and/or models of equipment, furniture, fixtures, furnishings, cash registers and signs we have approved.

People

Must employees wear uniforms specified by the franchisor?

Yes

Item 15

All employees must maintain a neat and clean appearance and to conform to the standards of dress and/or uniforms we specify from time to time for all Palgong Tea Shops.

Point of sale

Must the franchisee use a specific point-of-sale system designated or approved by the franchisor?

Yes

Item 11

Computer/Cash Register You must use in the development and operation of the Shop the Computer System we may specify periodically.

Does the franchisor have independent access to the data in the franchisee's POS or computer system?

Yes

Item 11

We will have independent access to the information and data from the Computer System.

Training

Can the franchisor charge the franchisee for additional, refresher or remedial training?

Yes

Item 11

We may require at your expense that you (or your designated principal owner) attend additional training programs (up to 5 days per year) and conventions or national franchise meetings (up to 5 days per year).

Is attendance at an annual convention or conference mandatory for the franchisee?

Yes

Franchise agreement

You (or your designated Principal Owner) must attend any franchise meeting or convention sponsored by us for up to a total of 5 days per year.

The filing answers no to 4 questions
  • Is the franchisor or an affiliate itself a supplier of required products, services or systems?Item 8
  • Is there a franchisee advisory council, association or committee?Item 20
  • Is a minimum grand opening advertising spend required?Franchise agreement
  • Are royalties and other fees collected by automatic bank debit (ACH or electronic funds transfer) from the franchisee's account?Item 6

The vendor opportunity at Palgong Tea

Palgong Tea presents a very early-stage opportunity for software vendors. The brand operates a single company-owned location in Illinois under PalgongTea USA, Inc. No franchised units were reported in the 2022 FDD, and year-over-year unit growth data is not available. The total addressable market for a vendor today is exactly one unit, with no operator footprint mapped in our corpus. This is a pre-scale franchise system where a software vendor could establish a foundational relationship before any franchising expansion begins.

Average unit volume is not disclosed in the most recent FDD. For a vendor, the absence of scale means the near-term revenue opportunity is minimal, but the lack of an entrenched tech stack could lower the barrier to entry if the franchisor decides to standardize.

Who controls software purchasing

Software purchasing authority at Palgong Tea sits with a compact headquarters team. The 2022 FDD lists three executives: John Park serves as President, Mike Choi is the Director of Franchising, and Jeremiah Park holds the Director of Operations title. In a single-unit operation, these three individuals likely make or approve all operational and technology decisions. There is no separate IT or procurement executive named in the disclosure. Vendors should direct initial outreach to the Director of Operations, who typically oversees day-to-day tools, or to the President for strategic software investments.

Mandated and current tech stack

Palgong Tea’s 2022 FDD does not capture any mandated or recommended technology systems. No point-of-sale vendor, back-office platform, inventory management tool, or online ordering system is named in the disclosure. This does not mean the location operates without technology — it means the franchisor has not yet standardized or required specific systems in its franchise agreement. For a software vendor, this represents a blank slate. The brand may be using consumer-grade or ad hoc solutions that could be replaced or formalized as the system grows.

Procurement, renewals, and timing

The FDD provides no Item 8 procurement extract, so Palgong Tea’s purchasing rules — whether they require designated suppliers, approved suppliers, or leave procurement open — are not publicly known. Vendors should be prepared to navigate an undefined procurement process and may need to educate the franchisor on supplier designation if they seek to become a preferred vendor.

Renewal conditions in Item 17 offer some timing signals. Franchisees must maintain their premises, refurbish and redecorate to current standards, correct any operational deficiencies, sign the then-current franchise agreement, and execute a general release of claims. The renewal term is 5 years. While these conditions are standard, they suggest that any franchisee entering a renewal window would be required to update their operations — potentially including technology — to meet current system standards. With only one unit and no franchised locations, however, renewal-driven software opportunities do not yet exist at scale.

How to read the Palgong Tea FDD

The full Palgong Tea 2022 Franchise Disclosure Document is embedded below. This is the primary source for verifying unit counts, executive names, fee structures, and any technology or procurement mandates. Because the brand is small and early-stage, the FDD is the most reliable — and often the only — public record of how the system operates. Review Item 1 for executive and ownership details, Item 6 for fees, Item 8 for procurement restrictions, Item 11 for franchisor assistance and any technology references, and Item 17 for renewal and transfer conditions. If you are evaluating Palgong Tea as a potential account, the FDD tells you exactly who to call and what constraints they operate under. For a ranked target list of franchise systems that match your software category, FranCloud can help you prioritize accounts by unit count, tech mandates, and decision-maker access.

Ordinary royalty terms

Complete royalty terms are not confirmed.

Questions vendors ask

Palgong Tea, answered from the filing

President John Park, Director of Franchising Mike Choi, and Director of Operations Jeremiah Park are the key executives listed in the 2022 FDD. As a single-unit operation, purchasing decisions likely route through this small leadership group.
The 2022 FDD does not disclose any mandated or recommended point-of-sale, operational, or back-office technology systems. The tech stack appears to be undefined or not standardized.
According to the 2022 FDD, Palgong Tea has 1 total unit, which is company-owned. No franchised units were reported. The brand is in a very early stage of US development.
The 2022 FDD does not include an Item 8 procurement extract, so the designated-supplier versus approved-supplier model is not publicly known. Vendors should inquire directly about purchasing requirements.
With a 5-year initial term and renewal conditions requiring refurbishment and a new agreement, contract windows may align with franchise agreement cycles. However, with only 1 unit, timing is unpredictable and likely ad hoc.
The Palgong Tea FDD was filed with state franchise regulators in 2022. You can review the embedded PDF viewer below to examine the full disclosure document directly.
Source

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Palgong Tea2022 FDDView only

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The brands you can actually sell into, from the filings.

Operator footprint

No franchisee network yet. Palgong Tea’s latest FDD reports no franchised locations.

Ownership

The portfolio behind Palgong Tea

Ownership: Palgong Tea.

Related Quick service restaurant brands

Primary franchise filings · updated June 2026. Read the original filing for definitions, conditions, and qualifications.