The Counter

The vendor opportunity at The Counter

The Counter is a quick-service restaurant brand headquartered in Arizona. According to its 2026 Franchise Disclosure Document, the system consists of only 8 total units—6 franchised and 2 company-owned. This represents a very small addressable market for software vendors, with just 6 franchised locations as potential accounts. The brand's year-over-year unit growth was -25%, indicating contraction rather than expansion. Average unit volume stands at $2,311,053, with a 6.0% royalty rate on a 10-year initial term. For vendors, the opportunity is narrow but concentrated: a small, HQ-controlled system where a single deal could cover the entire franchise footprint.

Who controls software purchasing

Purchasing authority at The Counter sits at the corporate level. The FDD's Item 1 lists Eric Lefebvre as Chief Executive Officer, Renee St-Onge as Chief Financial Officer, and Al Hank as Chief Operating Officer. Jeff Smit serves as Chief Operating Officer of Kahala Brands, and Jenny Moody is Chief Legal Officer. Given the mandated nature of the technology stack, any software pitch should target the CFO and COO, who are most likely to evaluate operational and financial systems. There is no multi-unit operator footprint mapped in our corpus, reinforcing that all technology decisions flow through HQ rather than individual franchisees.

Mandated and current tech stack

The 2026 FDD explicitly mandates three core systems. Ctuit Restaurant Management Software is required for back-of-house and operational management. Micros by Oracle Corporation serves as the mandated point-of-sale system. Olo by Olo Inc. is mandated for digital ordering and off-premise channels. Additionally, the brand uses KTEC Online and QuickBooks by Intuit Inc., though these are not listed as mandated. Vendors offering complementary or replacement solutions should be aware that displacing a mandated system requires a compelling ROI case presented directly to HQ leadership.

Procurement, renewals, and timing

Item 8 of the FDD did not yield an extract describing the procurement model, so it remains unclear whether The Counter uses designated suppliers, an approved supplier list, or an open procurement process. Renewal and successor term conditions are detailed in Item 17. Franchisees may renew for a single 5-year term if they provide 210 days' notice, are not in default, and meet other conditions including signing a general release and paying a renewal fee. A successor term may be available afterward at the franchisor's sole discretion. With only 6 franchised units and a contracting system, software contract windows will be rare and likely tied to these renewal cycles or HQ-driven system overhauls.

How to read the The Counter FDD

The full 2026 Franchise Disclosure Document is embedded below. It contains the complete Item 1 executive roster, Item 11 technology mandates, Item 17 renewal and successor term conditions, and unit performance data cited throughout this page. Reviewing the source document is essential for verifying decision-maker names, contractual obligations, and any procurement details not captured here. For software vendors building a ranked target list of franchise systems, FranCloud can help prioritize opportunities based on tech stack gaps, unit growth, and decision-maker concentration.