From the filings

HQ-led decisions

TCBY Store

Retail food

Software purchasing at TCBY is controlled at the headquarters level by executives including CEO Nelson Tejada and VP of Finance Julie Girardot. The system mandates the Treatware platform across its 172 franchised locations. With an average unit volume of $515,646 and a 10-year initial term, the addressable market for vendors is a concentrated, single-brand operator base.

For software vendors selling into US franchise brands.

Live signals

Total units
172
172 franchised
Unit growth YoY
-14.851%
vs prior filing
AUV
$516K
Item 19, 2021
Royalty
6%
of gross sales
Ad fund
3%
national + local
Initial fee
$35K
per unit
Investment range
$320K–$636K
all-in, Item 7
Procurement
Approved supplier
from the filing
Non-compete
2 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.

9%of gross sales (FY2021)

Ongoing fees: 9% of gross sales (FY2021)Royalty 6%, Ad fund 3%. Total 9% of gross sales. Drawn against a 15% reference scale.

15% reference

Royalty 6%Ad fund 3%

Mandated & recommended tech

The systems vendors compete with

1 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.

TreatwareTreatware
Mandatory
POSItem 11

for and components of the Computer System. Currently, we require the following hardware and software components for the Computer System: A custom model point-of-sales system from Treatware, which incl

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

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

Yes

Item 11

We may independently access the information and data you collect and gather using any Computer System or other data collection equipment (such as an electronic cash register) we require for your Store, and there is no contractual limit on our right to do so.

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

Yes

Franchise agreement

You must submit monthly, quarterly and annual financial statements to us through the technology platform using a standardized chart of accounts.

How the franchisor buys

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

Yes

Item 8

We may, but are not required to, issue to you or to our approved suppliers (except as we deem necessary for purposes of production) the specifications of these items.

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

306453

Item 8

During our fiscal year ended December 31, 2024, we received revenues of $306,453 as a result of franchisee purchases of products and services.

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

Yes

Item 8

In the future, we may continue to receive and our affiliates may receive rebates or other payments from distributors, suppliers and other service providers based (directly or indirectly) on sales to franchisees.

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?

65

Item 8

and 65% to 75% of your overall purchases of those items in operating your Store.

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

Yes

Item 8

If you request our approval of a new supplier and we choose to evaluate your proposed supplier, we may require you to reimburse us the reasonable costs we incur in making this evaluation, which will be a flat rate based on our actual out-of-pocket expenses to evaluate the proposed supplier.

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

Yes

Item 8

If you request our approval of a new supplier and we choose to evaluate your proposed supplier, we may require you to reimburse us the reasonable costs we incur in making this evaluation

Communications

Does the franchisor own or control the business telephone numbers, or take them over when the agreement ends?

Yes

Item 17

transfer all telephone numbers and directory listings to us

Data and IT

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

Yes

Franchise agreement

You must secure and maintain in force throughout the Term all required licenses, permits and certificates relating to the operation of Your Store and operate Your Store in full compliance with all applicable laws, ordinances and regulations, including PCI compliance standards.

Franchise management

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

Yes

Franchise agreement

You will present to your customers such evaluation forms as we periodically require and will participate in and 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

We and our designated agents have the right to, at any reasonable time and without prior notice to you, to inspect the Premises, to observe, photograph and record Your Store’s operations for such consecutive or intermittent periods as we deem necessary

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

Yes

Item 11

The Operations Manual may be modified by us from time to time to reflect changes in the image, specifications, standards, procedures, Approved Products, System, and System Standards.

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

Yes

Item 11

You must locate and obtain our written acceptance of the Premises before you sign a lease or sublease for or begin construction of the Premises.

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

You may not advertise Your Store or the Approved Products over the internet (or any other form of electronic commerce) or establish a related site on the world wide web without our prior written consent.

Is a minimum grand opening advertising spend required?

Yes

Item 11

If you are developing a new Store or Kiosk, you must spend a minimum of $10,000 on a grand opening advertising and promotional program that we require or approve.

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

After the first year of operations, you must spend each month the greater of (a) 2% of Gross Revenue, or (b) $1,000.

Must the franchisee participate in a customer loyalty or rewards program?

Yes

Franchise agreement

You must, at your expense, participate in, and honor all provisions of any gift card and/or loyalty program that we have established or may establish and as we may modify, as further described in the Operations Manual.

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

Yes

Item 11

If a Cooperative exists or is established for the area in which your Store is located, you must join and participate in the activities of the Cooperative.

Operations

Must the franchisee buy products from a designated distributor?

Yes

Item 8

purchase the products and services only from those vendors, distributors, suppliers and producers that we approve or specify.

Must equipment be purchased from designated or approved suppliers?

Yes

Franchise agreement

In constructing and outfitting Your Store, you may use only those materials and items (including furniture, fixtures and equipment) we designate, and you may secure those items from and use only those providers (including an architect and general contractor) that we designate or approve from time to time.

Payments

Must the franchisee use a payment processor or merchant-services provider designated or approved by the franchisor?

Yes

Item 11

You must use our designated credit card processor.

Are royalties and other fees collected by automatic bank debit (ACH or electronic funds transfer) from the franchisee's account?

Yes

Item 6

We currently require payment of all such amounts by pre-authorized electronic bank transfer, and you will execute and complete all documents necessary to allow us to initiate debit entries and/or credit correction entries to your designated bank account for that purpose.

Must the franchisee participate in a gift card program?

Yes

Item 8

You must, at your expense, participate in, and honor all provisions of any gift card or loyalty programs we establish, and use any designated providers we specify for such programs.

People

Does the franchisor require minimum staffing levels or specific roles?

Yes

Item 15

However, you must either manage your Store yourself, or use a full time “on Premises” manager.

Point of sale

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

Yes

Item 8

use the computer equipment and operating software, including any point-of-sale or electronic cash register (“Computer System”) that we specify from time to time

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

Yes

Item 11

We may independently access the information and data you collect and gather using any Computer System or other data collection equipment (such as an electronic cash register) we require for your Store, and there is no contractual limit on our right to do so.

Training

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

Yes

Item 11

We may charge fees for these additional or refresher training courses.

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

Yes

Franchise agreement

You or at least one of your Entity Owners (if you are an Entity) and, when we request, the manager of Your Store and/or an approved trainer if you are a multi-unit franchisee must attend all national conventions and regional meetings that we designate as mandatory.

The filing answers no to 3 questions
  • Must the franchisee use an accounting or bookkeeping system designated or approved by the franchisor?Item 8
  • 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

The vendor opportunity at TCBY

TCBY operates a system of 172 franchised locations, all held by single-unit operators. The brand is part of TCBY Enterprises, LLC. The most recent Franchise Disclosure Document, filed in 2021, reports an average unit volume of $515,646. The system has experienced a year-over-year unit decline of 14.85%, which signals a contracting footprint. For software vendors, the total addressable market is capped at these 172 units, with no multi-unit operators to leverage for scaled rollouts. The royalty rate stands at 6%, and the initial franchise term is 10 years.

Who controls software purchasing

Purchasing authority sits at the headquarters level. The 2021 FDD lists Nelson Tejada as Chief Executive Officer and Betsy Schmandt as President of Franchising. Julie Girardot serves as Vice President of Finance, a role typically central to vendor evaluation and budget approval. Richard T. Hankins, Senior Director of Development and Real Estate, and Brian Mooney, Senior Director of Franchise Operations, round out the named leadership. No chief information or technology officer is disclosed. Vendors should direct initial outreach to the finance and operations leadership, as they are the most likely stakeholders in a technology decision for this size of system.

Mandated and current tech stack

The only mandated technology disclosed in the 2021 FDD is Treatware. This platform is required across the system. No other point-of-sale, back-office, or customer-facing software mandates are named in the filing. The absence of additional named vendors in the FDD does not mean other tools are not in use, but it does mean the franchisor has not formalized them as system-wide requirements. A vendor pitching a complementary or replacement solution must be prepared to navigate a relationship where Treatware is the entrenched, mandated standard.

Procurement, renewals, and timing

The FDD does not provide an Item 8 extract that clarifies whether TCBY uses a designated supplier, approved supplier, or open procurement model for technology. This lack of disclosure means vendors must clarify the procurement path during early conversations with HQ. Renewal terms, outlined in Item 17, require 180 days’ prior notice, execution of the then-current Franchise Agreement, a general release of claims, and potential refurbishment of the premises. The renewal term is 10 years. Given the recent unit contraction, the volume of upcoming renewals that could trigger technology re-evaluations may be lower than in a growing system.

How to read the TCBY FDD

The 2021 FDD is the foundational document for understanding the legal and operational constraints of selling into this franchise. It lists the 172-unit footprint, the mandated Treatware system, and the HQ executives who control purchasing. The embedded PDF viewer below contains the full filing. Review Item 1 for the corporate structure under TCBY Enterprises, LLC, Item 11 for the franchisor’s obligations regarding the mandated platform, and Item 17 for the renewal conditions that can open windows for technology displacement. For a ranked target list of franchise systems matched to your software category, talk to FranCloud.

Questions vendors ask

TCBY Store, answered from the filing

Key buying-center contacts include CEO Nelson Tejada, President of Franchising Betsy Schmandt, and VP of Finance Julie Girardot. A dedicated CIO or CTO is not listed in the 2021 FDD.
The 2021 FDD mandates Treatware as the operational platform. No other mandated POS or software systems are disclosed in the filing.
The system comprises 172 total units, all of which are franchised. No company-owned locations were disclosed in the 2021 FDD.
The 2021 FDD does not extract a specific Item 8 procurement signal regarding designated or approved suppliers for technology. The model is not publicly detailed.
With a 10-year initial term and a -14.85% recent unit decline, renewal activity requiring system upgrades may be limited. Renewals require signing the then-current agreement and potential remodels.
The 2021 FDD was filed with state franchise regulators. You can review the embedded PDF viewer below for the full legal and operational disclosures.
Source

Read the filing itself

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TCBY Store2021 FDDView only

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

Operator footprint

Who runs the locations

187 operators run 187 mapped locations. 0 of them are multi-unit. Aggregate counts from the filing; no names.

Operators by units owned

Single-unit187

Ownership

The portfolio behind TCBY Store

unknown of tcby franchising holdco.

Related Retail food brands

Primary franchise filings · updated June 2026. Every figure is source-traceable and QA-checked.