CROW
MandatoryCROW Introduction
HQ-led decisions
The Cocky Rooster
Quick service restaurantSoftware purchasing at The Cocky Rooster is controlled at the headquarters level, where the executive team mandates specific technology systems for its small but growing network. The brand currently operates 2 total units and requires franchisees to use CROW, Margin Edge, and Toast by Toast, Inc. For software vendors, this represents a tightly controlled, centrally decided account with a very limited addressable unit count.
Mandated & recommended tech
The systems vendors compete with
3 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.
Margin Edge
MandatoryMargin Edge / Inventory / Ordering
ToastToast, Inc.
MandatoryMenu, Appfront, Toast & Delivery
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 the corpus by segment and unit count, not a guess.
The franchisee/operator personally, or a small franchisor still owner-run. Wears every hat.
OwnerCEOPresidentPrincipal
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Live signals
Total units
2
0 franchised
Unit growth YoY
—
vs prior filing
AUV
—
Item 19, 2025
Royalty
5%
of gross sales
Ad fund
1%
national + local
Initial fee
$50K
per unit
Investment range
$455K–$777K
all-in, Item 7
Procurement
Approved supplier
from the filing
The vendor opportunity at The Cocky Rooster
The Cocky Rooster is a quick-service restaurant concept headquartered in Virginia with a total footprint of just 2 units—one in South Carolina and one in Virginia. For a software vendor, the immediate addressable market is small: 2 locations, both operated by single-unit franchisees with no multi-unit operators on file. The brand’s unit growth rate year-over-year is not disclosed in the most recent FDD, and average unit volume (AUV) is also not reported. The royalty rate stands at 5.0%, and the initial franchise term is 10 years.
Despite the small unit count, the brand’s centralized control over technology makes it a straightforward pitch: win HQ, and you win the system. There is no parent company on file; The Cocky Rooster appears to be independently owned, with Daniel H. Brantingham serving as President and Board Chair.
Who controls software purchasing
Software purchasing authority sits squarely with the headquarters executive team. The 2025 FDD Item 1 lists five key officers: Lucas M. Phillips (Chief Executive Officer), Brett Diehl (Chief Brand Officer), William Phillips (Chief Financial Officer), Michael Yates (Chief Experience Officer), and Daniel H. Brantingham (President and Board Chair). For a software vendor, the Chief Experience Officer and CFO are the most natural entry points—Yates for customer-facing or operational platforms, Phillips for financial and back-office systems. The CEO and President are likely involved in any enterprise-level technology decision given the small size of the organization.
Because the franchisor mandates specific technology systems, the buying process is not fragmented across franchisees. A vendor’s path to adoption runs through a single, concentrated decision-making group at HQ.
Mandated and current tech stack
The 2025 FDD is explicit about required technology. Three systems are mandated for franchisees: CROW, Margin Edge, and Toast by Toast, Inc. Toast serves as the point-of-sale platform, while CROW and Margin Edge fill operational roles—likely covering back-office, inventory, or margin management functions. Any software vendor pitching The Cocky Rooster must address how their product integrates with or improves upon this existing stack. A replacement pitch for Toast, for example, would need to overcome a formal mandate, while a complementary tool that layers on top of Toast’s POS data may face a lower barrier.
No other recommended or optional technology vendors are named in the FDD. The absence of additional named systems could signal an opportunity for vendors in areas like payroll, scheduling, loyalty, or delivery aggregation, provided they can demonstrate value to a 2-unit system.
Procurement, renewals, and timing
The FDD’s Item 8—which typically outlines designated suppliers, approved supplier programs, or purchasing cooperatives—contains no extractable signal. This means the procurement model is not publicly defined in the filing. Vendors should approach HQ directly to understand whether there is a formal RFP process, a preferred vendor list, or an open procurement environment.
On renewal timing, Item 17 provides a clear framework. The initial franchise term is 10 years. To renew, a franchisee must give notice between 6 and 12 months before expiration, pay a renewal fee (the greater of 25% of the then-current initial franchise fee or $10,000), and execute the then-current form of franchise agreement—which may contain materially different terms. With only 2 units in operation and no disclosed opening dates, the first renewal windows are likely several years away. This means near-term software opportunities will come from new unit openings or a strategic HQ decision to change mandated systems, not from renewal-triggered tech refreshes.
How to read the The Cocky Rooster FDD
The full 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document is embedded below. It contains the legal and operational disclosures that govern the franchise relationship, including the mandated technology list in Item 11, the executive roster in Item 1, and the renewal conditions in Item 17. For software vendors, the FDD is the single best source of truth on who controls purchasing and what systems are already locked in. Review it carefully before building your pitch.
For a ranked target list of franchise brands matched to your software category, FranCloud can help you prioritize the right accounts.
Questions vendors ask
The Cocky Rooster, answered from the filing
The C-suite controls purchasing. Key executives include Lucas M. Phillips (CEO), Brett Diehl (Chief Brand Officer), William Phillips (CFO), and Michael Yates (Chief Experience Officer). The Chief Experience Officer or CFO are likely initial points of contact for operational or financial software pitches.
The 2025 FDD mandates three systems: Toast by Toast, Inc. for point-of-sale, CROW, and Margin Edge. Any software that integrates with or replaces these must clear a central HQ evaluation.
There are 2 total units, with a footprint concentrated in South Carolina (1) and Virginia (1). Both mapped operators are single-unit franchisees; no multi-unit operators are on file.
The procurement model is not detailed in the most recent FDD. The Item 8 extract provides no signal on designated or approved supplier programs, so vendors should clarify procurement channels directly with HQ during the pitch process.
The initial franchise term is 10 years. Renewal conditions require a notice window of 6 to 12 months before expiration and execution of the then-current agreement, which may have materially different terms. With only 2 young units, renewal-driven windows are likely years away.
The FDD was filed with state franchise regulators in 2025. You can read the full document using the embedded PDF viewer below on this page.
Source
Read the filing itself
Every number on this page traces back to this document. Read it in full, page by page — buy the original PDF to download, search, and annotate it.
View only A one-time purchase — the original filing, yours to keep.
FDD alert
Tell me when this brand refiles.
We’ll email you the moment The Cocky Rooster files a new annual FDD — usually the freshest signal of a vendor change.
Operator footprint
Who runs the locations
2 operators run 2 mapped locations — 0 of them are multi-unit. Aggregate counts from the filing; no names.
Operators by units owned
Single-unit2
Top states by locations
| SC | 1 |
|---|---|
| VA | 1 |
Related Quick service restaurant brands
Primary franchise filings · updated June 2026. Every figure is source-traceable and QA-checked.