Shaka Kitchen

The vendor opportunity at Shaka Kitchen

Shaka Kitchen is a quick-service restaurant concept headquartered in New Jersey with just 2 company-owned units as of its 2022 FDD. No franchised units are disclosed, and year-over-year unit growth is not reported. For software vendors, the immediate addressable market is limited to these two locations and the HQ team. The brand charges a 6.0% royalty on an undisclosed AUV, and its initial franchise term runs 10 years. While the small footprint means a single deal would be modest, the mandated tech stack signals that leadership is intentional about technology — a potential opening for vendors who can demonstrate clear ROI at a small scale.

Who controls software purchasing

Software purchasing authority sits squarely with Shaka Kitchen’s HQ leadership. The 2022 FDD Item 1 lists three executives: CEO Eric J. Gormeley, COO Krista Gormeley, and Culinary Director Kiersten Gormeley. In a concept this small, these three individuals likely make all vendor decisions collectively. There is no parent company on file — Shaka Kitchen appears independently owned — and no multi-unit operators are mapped in our corpus. Vendors should approach the Gormeley team directly, recognizing that the buying center is compact and relationship-driven.

Mandated and current tech stack

Shaka Kitchen’s 2022 FDD mandates three specific technology systems. Toast POS by Toast, Inc. serves as the point-of-sale platform. Restaurant365, also by Restaurant365, handles accounting and back-office functions. Chowly integrates third-party delivery orders into the POS. These mandates mean the brand is already committed to a core stack, but adjacent needs — such as inventory management, labor scheduling, or guest engagement — may still be open. Any vendor pitching Shaka Kitchen must articulate how their solution complements, rather than displaces, these mandated systems.

Procurement, renewals, and timing

The 2022 FDD provides no Item 8 procurement extract, so the brand’s supplier model — whether designated, approved, or open — is not publicly known. On renewals, Item 17 outlines that franchisees in good standing can renew for two additional 5-year terms, provided they give six months’ written notice, pay 25% of the then-current initial franchise fee, and execute a new agreement that may contain materially different terms. However, with no franchised units reported, these renewal windows are theoretical for now. For vendors, timing is less about franchisee contract cycles and more about catching HQ’s attention during strategic planning or operational pain points.

How to read the Shaka Kitchen FDD

The full 2022 Shaka Kitchen Franchise Disclosure Document is embedded below. Key sections for software vendors include Item 11, which lists the mandated Toast, Restaurant365, and Chowly systems, and Item 17, which details renewal conditions and potential renegotiation windows. Item 1 identifies the Gormeley family executives as the decision-making team. Because the FDD lacks an Item 8 procurement disclosure and reports no franchised units, vendors should treat this document as a starting point for direct conversations with HQ rather than a complete procurement roadmap. For a ranked target list of franchise systems matched to your software category, FranCloud can help you prioritize where to focus your outreach.