Must the franchisee use an accounting or bookkeeping system designated or approved by the franchisor?
YesItem 8
You must use the proprietary software of our parent, WC.
From the filings
Mandated tech stackHQ-led decisions
Winzer
Retail non foodWinzer runs 263 mobile industrial-supply routes -- 256 franchised, 7 company-owned -- under a 2026 FDD that requires every franchisee to run the proprietary order-entry software of its parent company, WC, on an iPad or PC. CEO John (Trey) B. Smart III leads HQ, and with all 256 mapped operators running a single route each, that software mandate is the clearest technology signal in the filing.
For software vendors selling into US franchise brands.
Live signals
Total units
263
256 franchised
Unit growth YoY
-4.12%
vs prior filing
AUV
—
Item 19, 2026
Royalty
8%
of gross sales
Ad fund
—
national + local
Initial fee
$4K
per unit
Investment range
$6K–$16K
all-in, Item 7
Procurement
Franchisor controlled
from the filing
Item 19
No claims
from the filing
Ongoing fee load
What the operator pays every month
The recurring percentage of gross sales named in this filing. It is a floor, not a total — the filing discloses one of the two headline fees.
8%+of gross sales (FY2026)
15% reference
Franchisor behaviours
What the franchisor requires
13 requirements the franchisor states in this filing, each in its own words; 9 explicit no's; 12 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 and WC, from time to time and at any time, may access the order entry device and all data and related information in the proprietary software, through the Internet or other means.
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 are the only suppliers for the Approved Winzer Products.
Does the franchisor reserve the right to change designated suppliers or systems at any time?
YesItem 8
We reserve the right to impose reasonable limits on the number of approved products at any time, and to designate sole suppliers for certain approved products.
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?
0Item 8
From approved suppliers 0% 0%
Can a franchisee propose a new supplier for the franchisor's approval?
YesItem 8
You may request in writing our approval of additional products.
Franchise management
Does the franchisor conduct periodic inspections, audits or evaluations of the franchised business?
YesFranchise agreement
On Winzer’s request, you must permit Winzer and its representatives to inspect or audit your Business Records (including those Business Records kept by your Permitted Representatives) during regular business hours.
Can the franchisor change the operations manual and brand standards unilaterally?
YesFranchise agreement
Winzer will send you updates to the Manual in Winzer’s sole discretion.
Marketing
Is the franchisee prohibited from operating its own website or social media accounts, or required to use pages the franchisor provides?
YesFranchise agreement
You must use Winzer’s approved web site.
Operations
Must the franchisee buy products from a designated distributor?
YesItem 8
We or our affiliate are the only suppliers for the Approved Winzer Products.
Point of sale
Must the franchisee use a specific point-of-sale system designated or approved by the franchisor?
YesItem 11
In the operation of the franchised business, you must use an order entry device (iPad or PC) with adequate memory, speed and storage to run the proprietary software of our parent, WC (“proprietary software”) (described below).
Does the franchisor have independent access to the data in the franchisee's POS or computer system?
YesItem 11
We and WC, from time to time and at any time, may access the order entry device and all data and related information in the proprietary software, through the Internet or other means.
Training
Can the franchisor charge the franchisee for additional, refresher or remedial training?
YesFranchise agreement
If you request additional training or assistance, Winzer has the right to charge you reasonable fees for the training or assistance, ranging from $100 to $750 per occurrence, which fees are subject to reasonable increases, and to seek reimbursement from you for the reasonable travel expenses Winzer incurs in…
The filing answers no to 9 questions
- Does the franchisor or an affiliate receive rebates, commissions or other revenue from designated or approved suppliers?Item 8
- Does the franchisor charge a fee to evaluate a proposed supplier?Item 8
- Must the franchisor approve the franchisee's site or location before opening?Item 11
- Is a minimum grand opening advertising spend required?Item 7
- Is the franchisee required to spend a minimum amount on local advertising or marketing, as a percentage of sales or a fixed amount?Item 11
- Must the franchisee participate in a regional advertising cooperative when one exists?Item 6
- Must equipment be purchased from designated or approved suppliers?Item 8
- Must the franchisee use a CRM system designated or approved by the franchisor?
- Is attendance at an annual convention or conference mandatory for the franchisee?Item 11
The vendor opportunity at Winzer
Winzer runs 263 mobile industrial-supply routes -- 256 franchised, 7 company-owned -- and franchised outlets fell 4.1% year over year. The 2026 FDD centers its technology requirement on a single proprietary system owned by Winzer's parent company, giving a vendor a narrow but clear picture of where the mandate sits.
Who controls software purchasing
CEO John (Trey) B. Smart III, President Cody Patterson, EVP Paul A. Seibert, CFO John M. Bacon, and COO Dan Wooten lead Winzer, part of GradeEight Holdings. All 256 mapped operators run a single route each, concentrated in California (36), Texas (29), Florida (22), Pennsylvania (17), and Georgia (14) -- with no multi-unit operators, the software mandate reaches the entire route network directly from HQ.
Tech named in the FDD, and what is actually required
Every franchisee must use an order-entry device -- an iPad or PC with adequate memory, speed, and storage -- running the proprietary software of Winzer's parent company, WC. The device must have a high-speed broadband connection and battery charging equipment.
Procurement, renewals, and timing
Item 8 designates suppliers only: Winzer or its affiliate is the sole supplier of Approved Winzer Products, and WC is the only approved supplier of sales-reporting, inventory-control, billing, collection, shipping, and quality-assurance services, as well as the proprietary software, and Winzer is the only approved supplier of order and invoice forms. Franchisees may request written approval of additional products. The initial term runs 5 years, with a matching 5-year renewal available to franchisees in good standing who give at least 90 days' notice, pay all money owed, and sign the then-current agreement. The FDD makes no financial performance representation under Item 19.
How to read the Winzer FDD
The embedded PDF viewer below holds the full 2026 Winzer Franchise Disclosure Document. Talk to FranCloud for a ranked target list across the retail franchise landscape.
Questions vendors ask
Winzer, answered from the filing
CEO John (Trey) B. Smart III leads Winzer's HQ team; the FDD requires every franchisee to run the proprietary order-entry software of Winzer's parent company, WC, on their own iPad or PC, so that core decision is made corporately.
Item 11 of the FDD requires every franchisee to use an order-entry device -- an iPad or PC -- running the proprietary software of Winzer's parent, WC, with a high-speed broadband connection.
263 total mobile distribution routes as of the 2026 FDD -- 256 franchised and 7 company-owned -- in the retail (non-food) segment.
Item 8 designates suppliers only: Winzer or its affiliate is the sole source for Approved Winzer Products, sales-reporting and billing services, proprietary software, and order forms, and franchisees may request written approval of additional products.
The initial term runs 5 years, with a matching 5-year renewal for franchisees in good standing who give 90 days' notice and sign the then-current agreement. Franchised outlets fell 4.1% year over year, a signal worth watching alongside the renewal cycle.
The embedded PDF viewer below holds Winzer's 2026 Franchise Disclosure Document in full.
Source
Read the filing itself
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FDD alert
Tell me when this brand refiles.
We’ll email you the moment Winzer files a new annual FDD, usually the freshest signal of a vendor change.
Operator footprint
Who runs the locations
256 operators run 256 mapped locations. 0 of them are multi-unit. Aggregate counts from the filing; no names.
Operators by units owned
Single-unit256
Top states by locations
| CA | 36 |
|---|---|
| TX | 29 |
| FL | 22 |
| PA | 17 |
| GA | 14 |
Ownership
The portfolio behind Winzer
unknown of gradeeight holdings.
Related Retail non food brands
Primary franchise filings · updated September 2026. Every figure is source-traceable and QA-checked.