From the filings
Software purchasing at The Budlong is controlled by the Craveworthy LLC leadership team, including the Chief Business Officer and VP of Marketing. The brand operates 6 company-owned quick-service restaurants, with no franchised locations as of the 2025 FDD. No mandated technology systems are disclosed, leaving the tech stack open for vendor evaluation.
For software vendors selling into US franchise brands.
Live signals
Ongoing fee load
The recurring percentage of gross sales named in this filing, before rent, labour or any technology fee.
8.5%of gross sales (FY2025)
15% reference
Franchisor behaviours
23 requirements the franchisor states in this filing, each in its own words; 7 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?
YesItem 11
You must use the designated accounting software designated by us, and we can require that we have independent view-only access to your account.
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 the information and data collected or generated by the computer and the POS system.
Must the franchisee submit periodic financial statements (monthly, quarterly or annual) to the franchisor?
YesFranchise agreement
You must submit the following reports by the following due dates.
How the franchisor buys
Is the franchisor or an affiliate itself a supplier of required products, services or systems?
YesItem 8
24 FDD -2025.1 Item or Service Is the franchisor or an affiliate an Is the franchisor or an affiliate the approved supplier of this item? only approved supplier of this item?
Does the franchisor reserve the right to change designated suppliers or systems at any time?
YesFranchise agreement
We have the right to modify, delete, add to and otherwise make systematic and other changes to the System, Intellectual Property, Manuals, operations, etc.
How much revenue did the franchisor and its affiliates earn from franchisee purchases in the last fiscal year?
0Item 8
In the last fiscal year ending on December 31, 2024, we did not obtain any revenues from the sale of these products and services to franchisees
Does the franchisor or an affiliate receive rebates, commissions or other revenue from designated or approved suppliers?
YesItem 8
We or our affiliates may derive revenue from the sale of goods and supplies sold directly to you, or we may receive a fee or rebate from approved suppliers based off purchases from our 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?
10Item 8
We estimate that the proportion of required purchases or leases will represent 10% to 20% of your overall purchases in opening your franchise business and 10% to 20% of your overall purchases in operating your franchise business.
Communications
Does the franchisor own or control the business telephone numbers, or take them over when the agreement ends?
YesFranchise agreement
You shall assist Us to assign, transfer, or disconnect (at Our option) the telephone listing, telephone numbers, Marketing accounts, email addresses, URL’s, Internet sites, web pages, and Social Media to Us.
Data and IT
Must the franchisee comply with PCI, data-security or cybersecurity standards set by the franchisor?
YesFranchise agreement
At Your cost and expense, You must investigate and ensure that You comply with all payment card industry (“PCI”) and data security standard (“DSS”) standards, regulations, and requirements; however, We reserve the right to approve of the supplier You use for compliance.
Franchise management
Does the franchisor conduct periodic inspections, audits or evaluations of the franchised business?
YesFranchise agreement
We may conduct periodic evaluations, inspections, and audits of any or all aspects of Your Franchise Business at reasonable intervals by Our duly authorized representative for compliance with the System, reporting, customer service and the standards and procedures set forth in the Manuals.
Can the franchisor change the operations manual and brand standards unilaterally?
YesFranchise agreement
We have the right to revise the Manuals at Our sole discretion.
Must the franchisor approve the franchisee's site or location before opening?
YesItem 11
We must approve your site before a lease is entered into or you begin construction.
Marketing
Must the franchisee participate in a customer loyalty or rewards program?
YesItem 11
You are required to participate in the loyalty, gift card, discount, memberships, subscription, and coupon programs we develop.
Operations
Must the franchisee buy products from a designated distributor?
YesItem 8
Pursuant to these contracts, you must purchase items or services from approved suppliers.
Must equipment be purchased from designated or approved suppliers?
YesItem 8
You must purchase or lease the following products and services from us, other sources designated or approved by us, or according to our specifications as set forth in the manuals:
Payments
Must the franchisee use a payment processor or merchant-services provider designated or approved by the franchisor?
YesItem 11
We require the use of a point-of-sale (POS) system designated by us to be purchased or leased from our designated supplier.
Are royalties and other fees collected by automatic bank debit (ACH or electronic funds transfer) from the franchisee's account?
YesFranchise agreement
Currently, the Fees as shown and calculated on the Gross Revenue Report are due and payable and must be received by Us or credited to Our account by pre-authorized bank debit and automatically withdrawn from Your Operating Account.
Must the franchisee participate in a gift card program?
YesItem 11
You are required to participate in the loyalty, gift card, discount, memberships, subscription, and coupon programs we develop.
People
Does the franchisor require minimum staffing levels or specific roles?
YesFranchise agreement
Your Franchise Business must be managed by either Your Operating Principal or a designated manager who will be required to devote their full time (at least 40 hours per week), attention, and best efforts to the management and operation of Your Franchise Business.
Point of sale
Must the franchisee use a specific point-of-sale system designated or approved by the franchisor?
YesItem 11
We require the use of a point-of-sale (POS) system designated by us to be purchased or leased from our designated supplier.
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 the information and data collected or generated by the computer and the POS system.
Training
Can the franchisor charge the franchisee for additional, refresher or remedial training?
YesItem 11
We can also require your operating principal and/or other key personnel to attend additional trainings if you are in default, do not pass an inspection, or if we reasonably believe such training would be in the best interest of your franchise.
Who buys here
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 franchisee/operator personally, or a small franchisor still owner-run. Wears every hat.
The Budlong is a quick-service restaurant brand operating 6 company-owned locations across five states—Connecticut, Washington, Michigan, Minnesota, and Iowa. All units are under the direct control of Craveworthy LLC, a strategic multi-brand operator that also manages Fresh Brothers, GENGHIS GRILL, Gregorys Coffee, Sigri Indian BBQ, Taim Mediterranean Kitchen Franchising, and Wing It On! The brand has no franchised locations, so the addressable market for software vendors is limited to these 6 units, but the centralized ownership simplifies the sales process. Average unit volume (AUV) is not disclosed in the 2025 FDD, and year-over-year unit growth is not reported. The franchise agreement carries a 6.0% royalty and a 10-year initial term, with renewal options available. Because no technology systems are mandated or recommended, the entire tech stack is potentially open to new vendor relationships.
All purchasing decisions for The Budlong flow through the Craveworthy LLC headquarters. The FDD lists the following executives in Item 1: Gregg Majewski (Manager), Kristin Albert (Senior Vice President of Operations), Justin Egan (Vice President of Marketing), Joshua Halpern (Chief Business Officer), and Marci Rude (Vice President Development). With no franchisees to influence buying, the HQ team—particularly the Chief Business Officer and VP of Marketing—are the likely decision-makers for software investments. The operator footprint confirms 10 mapped operators across approximately 10 located units, but all are single-unit and none are multi-unit franchisees, reinforcing the centralized procurement model.
The 2025 FDD does not identify any mandated or recommended technology systems for The Budlong. Item 11, which typically lists required POS, back-office, or operational software, contains no such disclosures. This absence means the brand may be using a patchwork of systems chosen at the store level or inherited from Craveworthy, but no vendor names are publicly tied to the franchise. For software vendors, this represents a greenfield opportunity to pitch solutions ranging from point-of-sale to inventory management, loyalty, and HR platforms, provided they can engage the HQ team.
Item 8 of the FDD, which would outline procurement requirements (designated supplier, approved supplier, or open market), was not extracted, so the formal procurement model is unknown. The renewal terms in Item 17 state that a franchisee in good standing may enter into a successor agreement for an additional 10 years, subject to modernization to then-current standards and a successor franchise fee. The franchisee must provide notice of intent to renew between 6 and 12 months before expiration. Because all units are company-owned, these renewal cycles may not directly trigger software RFPs, but any expansion or system overhaul at the corporate level could open contract windows. With no disclosed unit growth, timing is speculative.
The 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document is the authoritative source for vendor due diligence. It is filed with state franchise regulators and available in the embedded PDF viewer below. Key sections for software vendors include Item 11 (required technology), Item 8 (procurement restrictions), and Item 17 (renewal and modernization clauses). Because the brand is part of a multi-brand group, vendors should also review sibling brand FDDs for potential cross-selling opportunities. For a ranked target list of franchise brands aligned with your software, contact FranCloud.
Questions vendors ask
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FDD alert
We’ll email you the moment The Budlong files a new annual FDD, usually the freshest signal of a vendor change.
Operator footprint
10 operators run 10 mapped locations. 0 of them are multi-unit. Aggregate counts from the filing; no names.
Operators by units owned
Top states by locations
| CT | 1 |
|---|---|
| WA | 1 |
| MI | 1 |
| MN | 1 |
| IA | 1 |
Ownership
strategic_multibrand of Craveworthy.
Sibling brands
Related Quick service restaurant brands
Primary franchise filings · updated August 2026. Every figure is source-traceable and QA-checked.