From the filings
Software purchasing decisions at The Local Fry appear to flow through a single decision-maker, with Kevin Irish listed as the agent for service of process, given the system's small size and lack of a named parent company. No mandated or legacy technology vendors are disclosed in the 2026 Franchise Disclosure Document. The addressable market is extremely limited: just 2 total units—1 company-owned and 1 franchised—with the only known location operating in Minnesota.
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.
11%of gross sales (FY2026)
15% reference
Franchisor behaviours
24 requirements the franchisor states in this filing, each in its own words; 5 explicit no's; 5 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?
YesItem 11
We will have independent access to the information generated and stored on your POS equipment and your Computer System.
Must the franchisee submit periodic financial statements (monthly, quarterly or annual) to the franchisor?
YesFranchise agreement
Franchisee shall, at its expense, provide to Franchisor, in a format specified by Franchisor, a complete annual financial statement (prepared according to generally accepted accounting principles, that includes a fiscal year-end balance sheet, an income statement of the Restaurant for such fiscal year reflecting all…
How the franchisor buys
Does the franchisor reserve the right to change designated suppliers or systems at any time?
YesItem 8
We reserve the right, at our option, to periodically re-inspect the facilities and products of any approved supplier and to revoke our approval if the supplier does not continue to meet any of our then-current criteria.
How much revenue did the franchisor and its affiliates earn from franchisee purchases in the last fiscal year?
0Item 8
In 2025 we did not derive any revenue, rebates or other material consideration based on the required purchases or leases.
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?
85Item 8
approximately 85% to 95% in the continuing operation of the Restaurant
Does the franchisor charge a fee to evaluate a proposed supplier?
YesItem 8
Either you or the proposed new supplier must pay us a charge of $1,000.
Can a franchisee propose a new supplier for the franchisor's approval?
YesItem 8
If you want to buy any products or any other items from an unapproved supplier, you first must submit to us a written request asking for our approval to do so.
Communications
Does the franchisor own or control the business telephone numbers, or take them over when the agreement ends?
YesFranchise agreement
In addition, Franchisee shall cease use of all telephone numbers, customer “loyalty” lists, and any domain names, websites, e-mail addresses, and any other identifiers, whether or not authorized by Franchisor, used by Franchisee while operating the Restaurant, and shall promptly execute such documents or take such…
Franchise management
Does the franchisor conduct periodic inspections, audits or evaluations of the franchised business?
YesFranchise agreement
Franchisee grants Franchisor and its agents the right to enter upon the Restaurant premises at any time for the purpose of conducting inspections, for among other purposes, preserving validity of the Proprietary Marks, and verifying Franchisee’s compliance with this Agreement and the policies and procedures outlined…
Can the franchisor change the operations manual and brand standards unilaterally?
YesFranchise agreement
Franchisor may from time to time revise the contents of the Manuals, and Franchisee expressly agrees to make corresponding revisions to its copy of the Manuals and to comply with each new or changed standard.
Must the franchisor approve the franchisee's site or location before opening?
YesItem 11
You must submit a site report, in the form specified by us, for the proposed site within the Area that meets our standard site selection criteria for demographic characteristics, traffic patterns, parking, character of neighborhood, competition from other businesses within the Area, the proximity of competing…
Marketing
Is the franchisee prohibited from operating its own website or social media accounts, or required to use pages the franchisor provides?
YesFranchise agreement
Franchisee agrees not to establish a Website or permit any other party to establish a Website that relates in any manner to Franchisee’s Restaurant or referring to the Proprietary Marks.
Is a minimum grand opening advertising spend required?
YesItem 11
In addition to the Advertising Contribution, you must spend between $3,000 and $5,000 for the Restaurant’s grand opening advertising program (the “Grand Opening Advertising Program”), according to our specifications for that program.
Is the franchisee required to spend a minimum amount on local advertising or marketing, as a percentage of sales or a fixed amount?
YesItem 11
You will be required to spend at least 1% of annual Adjusted Gross Sales on local advertising and promotion.
Must the franchisee participate in a customer loyalty or rewards program?
YesFranchise agreement
Franchisee shall offer discounts to customers and/or customer incentive programs in accordance with Franchisor’s standards.
Must the franchisee participate in a regional advertising cooperative when one exists?
YesItem 11
If a Cooperative Ad Fund for your area was established before you began to operate your Restaurant, then when you open your Restaurant, you must immediately join that Cooperative Ad Fund.
Operations
Must the franchisee buy products from a designated distributor?
YesItem 8
You must buy all products, ingredients, supplies, materials, and other products used or offered for sale at the Restaurant only from suppliers (including manufacturers, distributors, and other sources) that meet our specifications in the Manual and/or we have approved in writing.
Must equipment be purchased from designated or approved suppliers?
YesItem 8
You must buy all products, ingredients, supplies, materials, and other products used or offered for sale at the Restaurant only from suppliers (including manufacturers, distributors, and other sources) that meet our specifications in the Manual and/or we have approved in writing.
People
Does the franchisor require minimum staffing levels or specific roles?
YesFranchise agreement
Franchisee agrees to maintain a competent, conscientious, trained staff in numbers sufficient to promptly service customers, including at least one (1) manager on duty at all times
Must employees wear uniforms specified by the franchisor?
YesFranchise agreement
To promote a uniform System image, Franchisee shall require all of its Restaurant personnel to dress during business hours in the attire specified in the Manuals.
Point of sale
Must the franchisee use a specific point-of-sale system designated or approved by the franchisor?
YesItem 8
You must purchase computer hardware and software that meets our specifications and you must purchase your POS system from Toast or from another supplier we may approve.
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 generated and stored on your POS equipment and your Computer System.
Training
Can the franchisor charge the franchisee for additional, refresher or remedial training?
YesItem 11
We may require that any or all of the Highly Trained Personnel attend refresher courses, seminars, and other training programs periodically.
Is attendance at an annual convention or conference mandatory for the franchisee?
YesFranchise agreement
In addition, Franchisee or such of the Highly Trained Personnel as Franchisor may require, may be required to attend Franchisor’s annual convention for up to three (3) days per year.
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 Local Fry presents a micro-cap sales opportunity. With 2 total units—split evenly between franchise and company-owned—and a single known operator, the total addressable market is 2 locations in Minnesota. Year-over-year unit growth was not disclosed in the 2026 FDD, and no average unit volume (AUV) figure is provided. For a software vendor, this is not a volume play; it is a relationship play targeting a nascent brand with a long contractual horizon: a 20-year initial term and the potential for up to 10 years of renewals in two 5-year increments.
The royalty stands at 6.0% of gross sales, but without revenue disclosure, calculating total software spend potential is guesswork. Vendors should approach The Local Fry understanding they are selling into a founder-led operation where every dollar of technology spend will be scrutinized against immediate operational necessity.
Power is not diffuse here. The 2026 FDD lists a single individual in Item 1: Kevin Irish, identified as the agent for service of process. No parent company exists, and no separate CIO, CTO, or procurement officer is named. In a 2-unit system, this typically means the owner-operator holds all purchasing authority. There are no multi-unit franchisees to create a secondary buying center; the single mapped operator is not a multi-unit player (0 mapped in the 2-9 unit band). Your pitch lands on one desk.
The 2026 FDD is silent on technology mandates. No POS provider, online ordering platform, payroll system, or back-of-house solution is named or recommended. This absence is a double-edged signal: it means there is no entrenched incumbent to displace, but also no proof that the franchisor values standardized technology. A vendor must build the business case from scratch, demonstrating operational lift for both the company-owned store and the single franchisee.
Item 8 offers no guidance on designated or approved suppliers—no extract was captured from the FDD. This likely indicates a fully open procurement model. The renewal structure, outlined in Item 17, provides for two additional 5-year terms under the Franchise Agreement, but no right to renew exists for any Development Agreement term. Extensions on a development schedule are at the franchisor's sole discretion and in full-month increments. This framing suggests the brand is protective of its growth timeline and willing to gatekeep expansion tightly. A software contract window is most likely to open alongside any decision to begin scaling, but with zero YoY growth reported, no immediate trigger is visible.
The complete 2026 Franchise Disclosure Document is embedded below. Vendors should focus first on Item 1 to confirm the absence of a broader leadership team, then review Item 17 for the full renewal and termination language. Because no technology is mandated, Items 11 and 8 will feel thin—this is information in itself. It tells you the franchisor has not yet industrialized its tech stack, making early-stage vendor conversations about education as much as sales. For a ranked target list of franchise systems matched to your software category, FranCloud maps the full Item 1 and tech mandate data you need.
Questions vendors ask
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
We’ll email you the moment The Local Fry files a new annual FDD, usually the freshest signal of a vendor change.
Operator footprint
1 operators run 1 mapped locations. 0 of them are multi-unit. Aggregate counts from the filing; no names.
Operators by units owned
Top states by locations
| MN | 1 |
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Related Quick service restaurant brands
Primary franchise filings · updated August 2026. Every figure is source-traceable and QA-checked.