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From the filings
+80% units YoYHQ-led decisions
Tifa Foods International
Retail foodSoftware purchasing at Tifa Foods International is controlled at the headquarters level, with CEO Michael Ashamalla and CFO Denise Orr as key decision-makers. The franchise currently mandates Facebook, Homebase, and Yelp for its 9 locations. With an average unit volume of $547,112 and 80% year-over-year unit growth, the system is small but expanding rapidly.
For software vendors selling into US franchise brands.
Live signals
Total units
9
9 franchised
Unit growth YoY
+80%
vs prior filing
AUV
$547K
Item 19, 2024
Royalty
6%
of gross sales
Ad fund
1%
national + local
Initial fee
$48K
per unit
Investment range
$500K–$676K
all-in, Item 7
Procurement
Approved supplier
from the filing
Non-compete
2 years
from the filing
Item 19
Claims
from the filing
Ongoing fee load
What the operator pays every month
The recurring percentage of gross sales named in this filing, before rent, labour or any technology fee.
7%of gross sales (FY2025)
15% reference
Mandated & recommended tech
The systems vendors compete with
Systems named in Item 11 of this filing. None is recorded as mandated here, which is not the same as the filing mandating nothing. Read Item 11 before treating the category as open.
HomebaseHomebase
sent 0.5 3.0 Same time), Mission Statement and Explanation, Standards of Service, Appropriate Dimensions of Service Training: Technology, Basic Computer Skills, Clover POS System, Homebase, Basic Oper
YelpYelp
over POS System, Homebase, Basic Operations, Loyalty/Reward Programs, Purchasing and Receiving, Special Orders, Other, Tifa 5.0 0.5 Same Website, Social Media & Review Sites (e.g. Yelp), Outlook and O
Franchisor behaviours
What the franchisor requires
25 requirements the franchisor states in this filing, each in its own words; 3 explicit no's; 6 questions the text does not settle, which is not a no.
Accounting
Must the franchisee use an accounting or bookkeeping system designated or approved by the franchisor?
YesFranchise agreement
You agree to use the software we designate for your accounting system.
Does the franchisor have direct or independent electronic access to the franchisee's financial, sales or customer records?
YesItem 11
As with all computer and internet information we have complete access to all of the information at all times.
Must the franchisee submit periodic financial statements (monthly, quarterly or annual) to the franchisor?
YesFranchise agreement
within 15 days after the end of each calendar quarter, a profit and loss statement for the Tifa Chocolate & Gelato café for the immediately preceding calendar month and year-to-date and a balance sheet as of the end of such month;
How the franchisor buys
Is the franchisor or an affiliate itself a supplier of required products, services or systems?
YesItem 8
We or our affiliate Tifa, Inc. may be the only approved supplier for certain proprietary items.
Does the franchisor reserve the right to change designated suppliers or systems at any time?
YesItem 8
We reserve the right, under the Franchise Agreement, to require you to purchase certain items from us, our affiliate or an unaffiliated designated supplier.
How much revenue did the franchisor and its affiliates earn from franchisee purchases in the last fiscal year?
0Item 8
Except as described above, neither we nor any affiliate currently derive any revenue or other material consideration as a result of required purchases or leases, but we reserve the right to do so.
Does the franchisor or an affiliate receive rebates, commissions or other revenue from designated or approved suppliers?
YesItem 8
We may receive rebates from approved suppliers from time to time as part of our purchasing negotiations and auditing services.
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?
80Item 8
approximately eighty percent (80%) to ninety percent (90%) of all purchases and leases necessary to operate the franchised business after opening.
Does the franchisor charge a fee to evaluate a proposed supplier?
YesItem 8
We currently approve suppliers upon request submitted upon our “Supplier Approval Form” and payment of a supplier approval fee of One Thousand Dollars ($1,000.00).
Can a franchisee propose a new supplier for the franchisor's approval?
YesFranchise agreement
If you want to propose a new supplier of Tifa Chocolate & Gelato café Materials or Operating Assets, you agree to submit to us, on our “Supplier Approval Form” and pay us a Supplier Approval Fee of $1,000 at the time you submit the “Supplier Approval Form”, sufficient written information about the proposed new…
Communications
Does the franchisor own or control the business telephone numbers, or take them over when the agreement ends?
YesFranchise agreement
You further appoint an officer of Franchisor as your attorney in fact, to direct the telephone company and any listing agencies to transfer any telephone numbers and listing to us should you fail to voluntarily do so, and the telephone company and all listing agencies shall accept such direction of this Agreement as…
Franchise management
Must the franchisee participate in a customer-satisfaction or net-promoter survey program?
YesFranchise agreement
You agree to present to your customers such evaluation forms that we periodically prescribe and to participate and/or request your customers to participate in any surveys performed by us or on our behalf.
Does the franchisor conduct periodic inspections, audits or evaluations of the franchised business?
YesFranchise agreement
We have the right at any time during your business hours to inspect and audit, or cause to be inspected and audited, your (if you are a Business Entity) and the Tifa Chocolate & Gelato café business, bookkeeping and accounting records, purchasing records, advertising and marketing records and expenditures, sales and…
Can the franchisor change the operations manual and brand standards unilaterally?
YesItem 8
We have the right under the Franchise Agreement, to change standards, specifications and procedures applicable to the operation of the Franchise, including those for equipment, furniture, fixtures, signs, products, new techniques, use of new or modified logos, trade names, service marks, new food items, or…
Must the franchisor approve the franchisee's site or location before opening?
YesItem 11
We will approve the location of your business and provide a territory surrounding the site of your business where we will not place another Tifa Chocolate & Gelato franchisee (Franchise Agreement - Section 4).
Marketing
Is the franchisee required to spend a minimum amount on local advertising or marketing, as a percentage of sales or a fixed amount?
YesFranchise agreement
During the first three (3) years from the opening of the Tifa Chocolate & Gelato café to the public, you are required to spend 2% of your Monthly Gross Revenue, as defined herein, for local advertising approved by us.
Operations
Must the franchisee buy products from a designated distributor?
YesItem 8
Supplies We reserve the right, under the Franchise Agreement, to require you to purchase certain items from us, our affiliate or an unaffiliated designated supplier.
Must equipment be purchased from designated or approved suppliers?
YesItem 8
You must use signs, furnishings, supplies, fixtures and equipment which comply with our standards and specifications.
Payments
Are royalties and other fees collected by automatic bank debit (ACH or electronic funds transfer) from the franchisee's account?
YesFranchise agreement
We require you to pay all payments of the License Fee or any other amounts due us under this Agreement to us by electronic funds transfer.
Must the franchisee participate in a gift card program?
YesFranchise agreement
20 j. days and hours of operation and items served at the Tifa Chocolate & Gelato café; k. participation in market research and testing and product and service development programs and customer satisfaction programs; l. acceptance of credit cards, corporate and other franchisee issued gift certificates, coupons…
People
Does the franchisor require minimum staffing levels or specific roles?
YesFranchise agreement
& Gelato café must be under the direct supervision of you (or your Operating Partner) and a management-level employee who has satisfactorily completed our Initial Training Program or otherwise been trained by you if you have received our Training Certificate for Initial Training and meets our qualifications for a…
Point of sale
Must the franchisee use a specific point-of-sale system designated or approved by the franchisor?
YesFranchise agreement
We currently require you to use the Clover Point of Sale system.
Does the franchisor have independent access to the data in the franchisee's POS or computer system?
YesItem 11
In order to maintain high quality standards, we reserve the right to audit and monitor each of our franchisee’s locations at any time through physical or electronic access to all information of your computer systems, POS, FOS, surveillance and website systems and information referenced in this Item 11 and we reserve…
Training
Can the franchisor charge the franchisee for additional, refresher or remedial training?
YesFranchise agreement
We, or our designee, will also provide additional or refresher training programs for you and your employees as we deem appropriate.
Is attendance at an annual convention or conference mandatory for the franchisee?
YesItem 11
Each person who signs the franchise agreement must attend our on-site Opening training session and any Conferences scheduled from time to time as we may determine to be necessary, at our company headquarters in California, or at a different location of our choosing.
The filing answers no to 3 questions
- Is the franchisee prohibited from operating its own website or social media accounts, or required to use pages the franchisor provides?Franchise agreement
- Is a minimum grand opening advertising spend required?Franchise agreement
- Must the franchisee participate in a regional advertising cooperative when one exists?Item 11
The vendor opportunity at Tifa Foods International
Tifa Foods International is a retail food franchise based in California. The brand operates 9 franchised locations, with no company-owned units disclosed in the 2025 FDD. Average unit volume is $547,112, and the system grew 80% year-over-year, signaling a small but active expansion phase. Franchisees pay a 6% royalty and sign a 10-year initial term. For software vendors, the immediate addressable market is just 9 units, but the rapid growth and franchisor-mandated tech stack create openings for solutions that can scale with the brand.
Who controls software purchasing
Software purchasing is centralized at headquarters. The FDD lists four executives: Michael Ashamalla (CEO), Denise Orr (CFO), Shawn Orr (Chief Sales Officer), and Candace Rono (Chief Creative Officer). The CEO and CFO are the most likely approvers for technology expenditures, given their financial and operational remits. There is no designated CIO or VP of IT, so the buying center is small and executive-driven. The franchisor’s mandate of specific tools means unit-level staff have little autonomy over tech choices, so vendors must pitch the leadership team.
Mandated and current tech stack
The franchise agreement requires franchisees to use Facebook, Homebase, and Yelp. Facebook serves as the primary social media and marketing platform, Homebase handles employee scheduling and time tracking, and Yelp manages customer reviews and local search. These are not point-of-sale or back-office systems, leaving room for vendors to propose complementary solutions in areas like POS, inventory, or loyalty. No other operational systems are named in the FDD, and there is no indication of a preferred POS provider.
Procurement, renewals, and timing
Item 8 of the FDD does not contain a procurement extract, so the official supplier approval process is not publicly documented. This may mean an open or loosely defined model, but vendors should confirm directly with the franchisor. The initial franchise term is 10 years, and renewal is available for franchisees in good standing who comply with remodeling and location standards set by the franchisor. The renewal term is not specified in the FDD. With 80% unit growth, the system is likely adding new franchisees, and existing ones may approach renewal windows, creating periodic opportunities for software pitches.
How to read the Tifa Foods International FDD
The 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document is filed with state franchise regulators. The embedded PDF below includes the full legal text, searchable for key provisions like Item 11 (franchisor’s obligations), Item 17 (renewal), and the list of mandated suppliers. For a structured analysis of the tech stack and buying center, FranCloud extracts the relevant data points and monitors franchise systems for changes.
FranCloud helps software vendors prioritize franchise targets by analyzing FDD data, executive contacts, and tech mandates. Explore the platform to build a ranked list of franchise systems ready for your solution.
Questions vendors ask
Tifa Foods International, answered from the filing
The leadership team, including CEO Michael Ashamalla and CFO Denise Orr, makes technology decisions. The franchisor mandates specific software, indicating centralized control.
The FDD lists Facebook, Homebase, and Yelp as mandated or recommended systems. No POS vendor is specified.
There are 9 franchised locations in the US, all operated by franchisees. The brand has no disclosed company-owned units.
The FDD does not disclose a specific procurement model in Item 8. It is unclear if suppliers are designated or approved.
Franchise agreements have a 10-year initial term. With 80% unit growth, contract renewals and new openings may create periodic opportunities.
The 2025 FDD is filed with state franchise regulators. View the embedded PDF below or contact the franchisor directly for the full document.
Source
Read the filing itself
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FDD alert
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Operator footprint
Tifa Foods International’s FDD on file does not disclose a franchisee directory.
Related Retail food brands
Primary franchise filings · updated August 2026. Every figure is source-traceable and QA-checked.