OloOlo
Mandatoryr month. All locations must facilitate the use of Paytronix Gift cards functionality so that guests can purchase gift cards and redeem them at any location. In 2017, we designated OLO as our sole inte
From the filings
HQ-led decisions
Salsarita's Fresh Mexican Grill
Quick service restaurantSoftware purchasing decisions at Salsarita's Fresh Mexican Grill are driven by a lean HQ team in North Carolina, led by CEO Philip Friedman and COO J. Merrick McKinnie. The chain mandates a tightly integrated tech stack including Brink POS, Olo, PAR Payment Services, and Paytronix across its 65 total units. Vendors are pitching a concentrated, 56-unit franchised footprint with an AUV of $1.24M, where a recent -6.7% unit contraction may create urgency for efficiency-driving tools.
For software vendors selling into US franchise brands.
Live signals
Total units
65
56 franchised
Unit growth YoY
-6.667%
vs prior filing
AUV
$1.24M
Item 19, 2024
Royalty
5%
of gross sales
Ad fund
2%
national + local
Initial fee
$30K
per unit
Investment range
$641K–$991K
all-in, Item 7
Procurement
Approved supplier
from the filing
Non-compete
1 years
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%of gross sales (FY2025)
15% reference
Mandated & recommended tech
The systems vendors compete with
5 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.
PARPAR Technology
Mandatoryomputer system. There are no contractual limitations on our right to retrieve data and information in your computer system (Franchise Agreement, Section X.T.) In 2016, we selected PAR Technologies as
PAR Payment ServicesPAR Technology
Mandatoryall computer systems within your restaurant. We estimate that ongoing virus protection licenses will costs approximately $120 - $150 per year per computer. In 2022, we designated PAR Payment Services
PaytronixPaytronix
Mandatorys will therefore fluctuate daily based upon the type of credit or debit card presented, the issuing bank, and number of purchases made by credit card. In May of 2023 we designated Paytronix as our Gif
PunchhPAR Technology
Mandatory5 per monthplus $0.12 per order. . The typical Salsarita’s spends $263/mo on online ordering services. You may spend more or less depending on order volume. In 2017, we designated Punchh Loyalty Syste
BrinkPAR Technology
ering, POS phone support modules. The initial purchase of this system is currently estimated at $4,827.50 inclusive of all POS equipment and installation. SAAS fees payable to Par-Brink each month are
Uber EatsUber
services that take orders from the public through their own service platforms and pass the order along to a restaurant for fulfillment. Examples of current 3PA’s include Grub Hub, Uber Eats, Door Dash
Franchisor behaviours
What the franchisor requires
28 requirements the franchisor states in this filing, each in its own words; 2 explicit no's; 4 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 shall maintain during the term or terms of this Agreement, and shall preserve for a minimum of seven (7) years thereafter, full, complete accurate records of all sales, marketing activities, closeout sheets, payroll and accounts payable in accordance with the accounting system described by Franchisor in…
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 all data stored in the computer system.
Must the franchisee submit periodic financial statements (monthly, quarterly or annual) to the franchisor?
YesFranchise agreement
Franchisee shall, at its expense, submit to Franchisor, within fifteen (15) days of the end of each quarter during the term of this Agreement, on forms prescribed by Franchisor, a financial statement, which may be unaudited, for the preceding month, including both an income statement and balance sheet.
How the franchisor buys
Does the franchisor reserve the right to change designated suppliers or systems at any time?
YesItem 8
We may revoke our approval of any supplier, or change suppliers, at any time and for any reason.
Does the franchisor or an affiliate receive rebates, commissions or other revenue from designated or approved suppliers?
YesItem 8
These volume discounts, rebates and other cash payments include percentage amounts we or our affiliates receive based on purchases or usage by our franchised and company-owned Restaurants.
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?
100Item 8
In other words, these required purchases and leases by you will be 100% of all purchases and leases by you in establishing and operating your Restaurant, as explained in the follow chart:
Does the franchisor charge a fee to evaluate a proposed supplier?
YesItem 6
We reserve the right to charge you a fee for reviewing a supplier of any goods that you propose to be used in connection with your Franchise.
Can a franchisee propose a new supplier for the franchisor's approval?
YesItem 8
If you desire to use an unapproved supplier, you or the supplier must submit to SF a written request for approval.
Communications
Does the franchisor own or control the business telephone numbers, or take them over when the agreement ends?
YesFranchise agreement
Franchisee must acknowledge in writing that as between Franchisor and Franchisee, Franchisor has the sole rights to and interests in all telephone numbers and directory listings associated with any Proprietary Marks or the Restaurant.
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 secure and PCI compliant computer networks for the handling of customer information.
Franchise management
Must the franchisee participate in a customer-satisfaction or net-promoter survey program?
YesFranchise agreement
Franchisee agrees to participate in programs initiated to verify guest satisfaction and Franchisee’s compliance with all operational and other aspects of the System, including (but not limited to) guest satisfaction programs/surveys, an 800 number, secret shoppers or other programs as Franchisor may require.
Does the franchisor conduct periodic inspections, audits or evaluations of the franchised business?
YesFranchise agreement
Franchisor has the right at any time during business hours, and without prior notice to Franchisee, to examine, compile, review, audit or cause to be audited all business records, financial and otherwise, relating to the Restaurant.
Can the franchisor change the operations manual and brand standards unilaterally?
YesFranchise agreement
Franchisee acknowledges that Franchisor may unilaterally amend, modify or supplement the Manual at any time, so long as such amendments, modifications or supplements do not modify the fundamental rights of Franchisee under this Agreement and will, in the good faith opinion of Franchisor, benefit Franchisor and…
Must the franchisor approve the franchisee's site or location before opening?
YesFranchise agreement
Franchisee must obtain Franchisor’s approval with respect to a location for the Franchise and the lease or purchase agreement for such location within one hundred and eighty (180) days after the Effective Date.
Marketing
Is the franchisee prohibited from operating its own website or social media accounts, or required to use pages the franchisor provides?
YesItem 11
You cannot own or use any website, domain name, email address, social media account, or other type of digital customer-facing account or platform associated with the Proprietary Marks or any Restaurant (collectively, “Digital Media”), without our prior written consent.
Is a minimum grand opening advertising spend required?
YesFranchise agreement
Franchisee shall expend an amount subject to Franchisor’s approval (currently estimated to be between $5,000 and $15,000) for grand opening advertising and promotional programs in conjunction with the Restaurant’s initial grand opening, pursuant to a grand opening marketing program developed by Franchisor or…
Is the franchisee required to spend a minimum amount on local advertising or marketing, as a percentage of sales or a fixed amount?
YesFranchise agreement
Franchisee will spend, at a minimum, the percentage of Net Revenues specified in Exhibit A for local marketing of the Restaurant in authorized advertising media and for authorized advertising expenditures (“Local Store Marketing Fund”).
Must the franchisee participate in a customer loyalty or rewards program?
YesFranchise agreement
Franchisee shall, at its sole expense, participate in all Ordering Systems, Payment Platforms and Customer Loyalty Platforms designated from time to time by Franchisor.
Operations
Must the franchisee buy products from a designated distributor?
YesItem 8
All goods, services, supplies, fixtures, equipment, inventory, computer hardware and software, real estate, and comparable items related to establishing or operating your Restaurant must be purchased or leased from us, our designee, or suppliers approved by us, and under our specifications.
Must equipment be purchased from designated or approved suppliers?
YesFranchise agreement
Franchisee may purchase or lease original and replacement Equipment from any source that is approved by Franchisor.
Payments
Must the franchisee use a payment processor or merchant-services provider designated or approved by the franchisor?
YesFranchise agreement
Franchisee shall, at its sole expense, participate in all Ordering Systems, Payment Platforms and Customer Loyalty Platforms designated from time to time by Franchisor.
Are royalties and other fees collected by automatic bank debit (ACH or electronic funds transfer) from the franchisee's account?
YesFranchise agreement
The required payment method for Royalty Fees and the Advertising Obligation contributions is automatic debit draft from Franchisee’s bank account.
Must the franchisee participate in a gift card program?
YesItem 11
All locations must facilitate the use of Paytronix Gift cards functionality so that guests can purchase gift cards and redeem them at any location.
People
Does the franchisor require minimum staffing levels or specific roles?
YesItem 15
At all times that the Restaurant is open for business, at least one person must be on site who has been trained in ServSafe and completed any other locally-required safety or health training.
Point of sale
Must the franchisee use a specific point-of-sale system designated or approved by the franchisor?
YesItem 11
In 2016, we selected PAR Technologies as the sole approved supplier of point-of-sale (“POS”) systems to franchisees
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 all data stored in the computer system.
Training
Can the franchisor charge the franchisee for additional, refresher or remedial training?
YesItem 11
We may charge a fee and materials cost for additional/refresher training courses and with respect to initial training for new Managers.
Is attendance at an annual convention or conference mandatory for the franchisee?
YesFranchise agreement
Attendance at such conventions, seminars and other franchisee-oriented functions shall be mandatory; provided that Franchisor shall not require Developer to travel to attend more than four such conventions, seminars and other franchisee-oriented functions in any calendar year.
The filing answers no to 2 questions
- Is the franchisor or an affiliate itself a supplier of required products, services or systems?Item 8
- 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 franchisor's owner/CEO decides; an ops or franchise-development lead may evaluate.
VP SalesHead of SalesCROSales Director
- 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 Salsarita's Fresh Mexican Grill
Salsarita's Fresh Mexican Grill operates 65 total locations, 56 of which are franchised. The brand posted an average unit volume (AUV) of $1,244,494 in its 2025 FDD. That figure, combined with a 5.0% royalty rate, gives operators a clear top-line benchmark when evaluating software ROI. The addressable market for vendors is those 56 franchised units, spread across a footprint where North Carolina leads with 12 locations, followed by Tennessee (5), Kentucky (5), Michigan (5), and South Carolina (4).
Year-over-year unit growth sits at -6.667%, a contraction that may sharpen operator focus on cost control and revenue recovery tools. The operator base is fragmented: 36 mapped operators control roughly 44 located units, with 28 single-unit owners and 8 multi-unit operators running between 2 and 9 locations each. No operator controls 10 or more units. This structure means a sale to the franchisor does not guarantee chain-wide adoption; however, the franchisor’s tech mandates give HQ significant influence over the stack.
Who controls software purchasing
The executive team listed in Item 1 of the 2025 FDD is compact. Philip Friedman serves as Chief Executive Officer, and J. Merrick McKinnie is Chief Operating Officer. Timothy A. Carter holds the Chief Financial Officer title, making him the likely budget gatekeeper for any software contract. Christopher Cheek is listed as Franchise Development Consultant, a role that may surface operational pain points from the field. No Chief Information Officer or Chief Technology Officer is named, suggesting that technology decisions roll up to the CEO and COO directly. For a vendor, the path in is through this small HQ group in North Carolina, not through a diffuse field organization.
Mandated and current tech stack
The 2025 FDD Item 11 mandates a specific, integrated suite. The point-of-sale system is Brink by PAR Technology Corporation. Digital ordering runs through Olo by Olo Inc. Payment processing is locked to PAR Payment Services, and PAR Technologies appears as an additional mandated vendor, likely covering hardware or support infrastructure. Loyalty and guest engagement are handled by Paytronix and Punchh Loyalty Systems, both mandated. This stack leaves little room for displacement at the POS or loyalty layer. Adjacent categories—such as labor scheduling, inventory management, catering, or back-office analytics—are not listed as mandated and may represent whitespace for a complementary pitch.
Procurement, renewals, and timing
Item 8 of the 2025 FDD contains no extract, so the formal procurement model is not disclosed. It is unknown whether Salsarita’s uses a designated-supplier program, an approved-vendor list, or an open policy for non-mandated technology. Vendors should clarify this directly with HQ during discovery. On renewals, Item 17 specifies that a franchisee who complies with the agreement, maintains the location, satisfies monetary obligations, and signs the then-current form of franchise agreement can renew for an additional 5 years. The initial term is 10 years. With a unit base that has recently contracted, operators approaching renewal may be evaluating operational tools more actively, creating a natural conversation window for efficiency-focused software.
How to read the Salsarita's FDD
The full 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document is embedded below. Review Item 11 for the complete list of mandated technology vendors and any investment tables tied to POS or IT systems. Item 19 provides the financial performance representations, including the $1,244,494 AUV cited here. Item 1 lists the executives who control purchasing. Item 17 outlines the renewal conditions and term length that shape software contract cycles. For vendors building a ranked target list of franchise brands, FranCloud can map the operator footprint, identify multi-unit owners, and surface the decision-makers who matter.
Questions vendors ask
Salsarita's Fresh Mexican Grill, answered from the filing
The buying center is small. CEO Philip Friedman and COO J. Merrick McKinnie are the top executives on file. CFO Timothy A. Carter likely controls budget sign-off. No dedicated CIO or CTO is listed in the 2025 FDD.
The 2025 FDD mandates Brink by PAR Technology Corporation for POS, Olo for digital ordering, PAR Payment Services for processing, and Paytronix with Punchh for loyalty. PAR Technologies is also listed as a mandated vendor.
There are 65 total units: 56 franchised and 9 company-owned. The brand operates as a small quick-service chain, concentrated in the Southeast and Midwest, with NC holding the most units (12).
The procurement model is not disclosed in the most recent FDD. Item 8 contains no extract, so it is unclear whether the franchisor uses a designated-supplier, approved-supplier, or open-purchasing framework for non-mandated technology.
The initial franchise term is 10 years, with a 5-year renewal requiring a signed current-form agreement. With 56 franchised units and a recent -6.7% unit decline, renewal-triggered tech reviews may be active now for operators who opened around 2015.
The FDD was filed with state franchise regulators in 2025. You can read the full document using the embedded PDF viewer below to analyze Item 11 mandates, Item 19 financials, and the operator footprint directly.
Source
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Operator footprint
Who runs the locations
32 operators run 36 mapped locations. 4 of them are multi-unit. Aggregate counts from the filing; no names.
Operators by units owned
Single-unit28
2–9 units4
Top states by locations
| NC | 10 |
|---|---|
| TN | 5 |
| SC | 4 |
| KY | 3 |
| MI | 3 |
Ownership
The portfolio behind Salsarita's Fresh Mexican Grill
unknown of salsarita s holdings.
Related Quick service restaurant brands
Primary franchise filings · updated June 2026. Every figure is source-traceable and QA-checked.