Scramblers

The vendor opportunity at Scramblers

Scramblers is a full-service restaurant concept headquartered in Ohio with 25 total units—13 franchised and 12 company-owned—and an average unit volume of $1,125,068. The chain’s footprint is heavily concentrated in Ohio, where 28 mapped units appear, with an additional 2 in Michigan. Twelve operators run these locations, and seven of them are multi-unit operators, meaning a small number of relationships can unlock multiple locations. For a software vendor, the opportunity is narrow but deep: a single decision-making center at HQ controls technology mandates, and the operator base is small enough that adoption can move quickly if leadership buys in.

Who controls software purchasing

Software purchasing authority sits with the executive team at Scramblers’ headquarters. The 2023 FDD lists Shain Buerk as President, Tim Trautman and Brandon Buerk as Vice Presidents of Operations, Kelly Buerk as Director of Franchising, and Joey Parames as Director of Franchise Operations. In a chain of this size, the President and VPs of Operations are the most likely buyers for operational and back-of-house software, while the Director of Franchising may weigh in on tools that affect franchisee onboarding or compliance. There is no CIO or dedicated technology role named, so any vendor pitch should be directed at operations leadership.

Mandated and current tech stack

Scramblers mandates two technology systems across its network. The first is Rise Vision, a digital signage platform, which is required for all locations. The second is the Scramblers Sizzle Proprietary POS, an in-house point-of-sale system. No other software mandates appear in the FDD. This means the chain is likely running a lean tech stack, with gaps that could be filled by third-party vendors in areas like labor scheduling, inventory management, online ordering, or loyalty—provided the vendor can integrate with or sit alongside the proprietary POS.

Procurement, renewals, and timing

The FDD does not include an Item 8 procurement extract, so the formal procurement model—whether designated supplier, approved supplier, or open—is not publicly disclosed. This lack of disclosure is common in smaller franchise systems and often means procurement rules are set informally by operations leadership rather than through a published supplier program. Renewal terms offer a potential entry point: the initial franchise agreement runs 10 years, and upon renewal, franchisees must sign the then-current form of agreement, which may include materially different terms, including new fee structures and territorial rights. Franchisees must also remodel and sign a general release. These renewal events, combined with the small unit count, suggest that vendor switching or new technology adoption is likely driven by HQ initiatives rather than by franchisee-level discretion.

How to read the Scramblers FDD

The full 2023 Scramblers Franchise Disclosure Document is embedded below. It contains the legal and operational disclosures that govern the franchise system, including the Item 1 executives, Item 11 mandated technology, and Item 17 renewal conditions cited throughout this page. For software vendors, the FDD is the single best source of truth on who buys, what is already installed, and when contracts may come up for review. Review it carefully before building a pitch.

For a ranked target list of franchise systems that match your software category, reach out to FranCloud.