The Habit Burger Grill

The vendor opportunity at The Habit Burger Grill

The Habit Burger Grill operates 383 quick-service restaurants, with a heavy tilt toward corporate control—301 units are company-owned, and only 82 are franchised. This structure concentrates technology purchasing power at the brand’s Irvine, California headquarters. With an average unit volume of $1,869,000 and a 34.4% year-over-year unit growth rate, the chain is in active expansion mode, creating a rolling need for scalable operational software. For a SaaS vendor, the addressable market is the entire 383-unit system, but the sales motion is a single-threaded HQ deal, not a fragmented franchisee sell-in.

Who controls software purchasing

The buying center is led by Steven “Mike” Repetti, Jr., the Chief Digital and Technology Officer. He is the named executive responsible for technology strategy and digital operations. The broader leadership team that may influence or approve major software investments includes CEO Shannon Hennessy and CMO Jack Hinchliffe. Jonathan Trapesonian, Sr. Director of Franchise & Real Estate, is the primary liaison for the franchise system but is not a technology buyer. Vendors should direct all initial outreach to the CDTO’s office. The franchisee base is small—59 mapped operators, 13 of whom are multi-unit—and none operate more than 9 locations. This operator profile suggests limited independent technology evaluation; franchisees are likely to adopt HQ-mandated systems without a separate procurement process.

Mandated and current tech stack

The only technology system explicitly mandated in the 2026 FDD is the Habit POS. No other operational, back-of-house, HR, inventory, or delivery management vendors are listed as required or recommended. This does not mean other systems are absent—it means the franchisor has not codified them in the disclosure document. For a vendor, this is a critical signal: the POS is locked, but adjacent categories (labor scheduling, catering, loyalty, data analytics, supply chain) may be open for evaluation. Any pitch must demonstrate seamless integration with the Habit POS environment.

Procurement, renewals, and timing

The FDD does not provide an Item 8 extract, so the formal procurement model—whether the brand uses a designated supplier program, an approved vendor list, or an open purchasing policy—is not publicly disclosed. Vendors should clarify this early in a discovery conversation. On the renewal front, franchise agreements run for an initial 10-year term and can be renewed for one additional 10-year period, contingent on a remodel to then-current standards and execution of the then-current franchise agreement. This renewal trigger, combined with 34.4% unit growth, means the brand is continuously opening new locations and refreshing older ones, creating natural windows for technology evaluation and deployment.

How to read The Habit Burger Grill FDD

The 2026 Franchise Disclosure Document is the authoritative source for understanding the brand’s technology mandates, purchasing restrictions, and financial performance. Key sections for software vendors include Item 11 (the franchisor’s obligations around required technology), Item 8 (restrictions on sources of products and services), and Item 19 (financial performance representations, if any). The full FDD is embedded below for your review. When you are ready to prioritize franchise brands by technology fit and decision-maker accessibility, FranCloud can generate a ranked target list for your specific software category.