The Paterson Center

The vendor opportunity at The Paterson Center

The Paterson Center operates 98 total units—88 franchised and 10 company-owned—with a year-over-year unit growth rate of 22.2%. For software vendors, the immediate addressable market is 98 locations, concentrated in at least Florida and Connecticut based on the operator footprint. The franchise network is young: the initial term is 3 years, and renewal terms run 1 year at a time, contingent on annual fees and good standing. No average unit volume (AUV) or royalty percentage is disclosed in the 2025 FDD. The operator base is small and non-multi-unit, with 2 mapped operators across approximately 2 located units, all in the 1-unit band. This means nearly every location decision flows through headquarters, not through large franchisee groups.

Who controls software purchasing

Purchasing authority sits at HQ. The 2025 FDD Item 1 lists four executives: Jason Baker (CEO and Partner), Zach Miller (CFO and Partner), Stacey Pearson (Chief of Client Success and Partner), and DeAnza Jarrett (President of Paterson Center). For a software vendor, the likely entry points are the CEO for strategic tools, the CFO for financial and operational platforms, and the Chief of Client Success for customer-facing or service-delivery technology. There is no parent company on file; the brand appears independently owned, which keeps the buying center compact and potentially more accessible than in a layered corporate structure.

Mandated and current tech stack

The 2025 FDD mandates Paterson systems. No other named technology vendors appear in the disclosure. This suggests a closed or heavily prescribed tech environment where any new software must integrate with or replace Paterson systems. Vendors pitching complementary or alternative solutions should be prepared to address compatibility and migration from the incumbent mandated stack. The absence of additional named systems in the FDD does not mean none exist, but it does mean the franchisor has chosen to disclose only Paterson systems as required technology.

Procurement, renewals, and timing

Item 8 of the 2025 FDD contains no procurement extract, so the franchisor’s model—whether designated supplier, approved supplier, or open—is not publicly signaled. This lack of disclosure means vendors should approach procurement as HQ-controlled until proven otherwise. Renewal conditions, outlined in Item 17, state that after completing required training and certification, a franchisee may pay an annual membership fee to retain the right to deploy the franchisor’s IP, provided they are in good standing and the franchisor is still offering and selling new franchises. The initial term is 3 years, and renewals are 1 year. With 22.2% unit growth, the system is in active expansion, which may create natural openings for software evaluation as new locations come online and existing agreements approach their 3-year mark.

How to read the The Paterson Center FDD

The 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document is the primary source for understanding The Paterson Center’s technology mandates, purchasing controls, and contractual rhythms. The embedded PDF viewer below contains the full filing. Key sections for software vendors include Item 1 (executives and ownership), Item 11 (mandated systems—here, Paterson systems), Item 8 (procurement restrictions, though none are extracted here), and Item 17 (renewal and term structure). Because the operator base consists entirely of single-unit franchisees, the FDD’s description of franchisee obligations effectively describes the technology requirements for the entire network. For a ranked target list of franchise systems aligned to your software category, FranCloud can help.