ComoComo
Mandatoryle to us, our affiliates, or approved vendors. In addition, you are required to purchase and use the App and Loyalty Program from our approved vendor, Heartland Loyalty Powered by Como. The fee is $10
From the filings
+24.359% units YoYHQ-led decisions
World of Sourdough Illinois
Quick service restaurantSoftware purchasing at World of Sourdough Illinois is controlled at the franchisor level, with principals Jatinder (Nick) Singh and Lowell Steven Presson listed as the key executives in the 2026 FDD. The brand mandates a specific tech stack—Como for online ordering, Heartland for POS, payments, and gift—across 97 franchised locations. With 99 total units and 24.4% year-over-year unit growth, the addressable market is concentrated but expanding, primarily in California.
For software vendors selling into US franchise brands.
Live signals
Total units
99
97 franchised
Unit growth YoY
+24.359%
vs prior filing
AUV
$711K
Item 19, 2026
Royalty
5%
of gross sales
Ad fund
—
national + local
Initial fee
$50K
per unit
Investment range
$330K–$589K
all-in, Item 7
Procurement
Approved supplier
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. It is a floor, not a total — the filing discloses one of the two headline fees.
5%+of gross sales (FY2026)
15% reference
Mandated & recommended tech
The systems vendors compete with
3 of these are mandated in the franchise agreement. Each is named in Item 11 of the filing, the incumbents a challenger must displace or integrate with.
HeartlandGlobal Payments
Mandatoryproperty to the vendor. Currently, you must purchase a computer/POS system from POS Specialists, which uses Heartland Restaurant POS System 2x Heartland Restaurant software licenses including ordering
Heartland RestaurantGlobal Payments
Mandatorytware that we currently use is not proprietary to us but is proprietary property to the vendor. Currently, you must purchase a computer/POS system from POS Specialists, which uses Heartland Restaurant
DoorDashDoorDash
ing ordering, timekeeping, Heartland credit card processing, offline credit card processing, Cloud admin portal and reporting, Text to pay, QR code pay, Heartland Gift integrated, Doordash integrated,
Franchisor behaviours
What the franchisor requires
29 requirements the franchisor states in this filing, each in its own words; 2 explicit no's; 3 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
Use only the chart of bookkeeping accounts prescribed by Franchisor in the then- existing Manual and/or Written Standards or otherwise communicated to Franchisee;
Does the franchisor have direct or independent electronic access to the franchisee's financial, sales or customer records?
YesItem 11
We reserve the right to download sales, other data, and communications from your Computer System.
Must the franchisee submit periodic financial statements (monthly, quarterly or annual) to the franchisor?
YesFranchise agreement
Submit to Franchisor signed copies of the federal income tax return for the previous tax year, as filed with the Internal Revenue Service, of Franchisee and of any Principal who holds an ownership interest in Franchisee of 50% or more, on or before April 30th of each year
How the franchisor buys
Does the franchisor reserve the right to change designated suppliers or systems at any time?
YesFranchise agreement
Franchisor may also designate any products or services as optional.
Does the franchisor or an affiliate receive rebates, commissions or other revenue from designated or approved suppliers?
YesFranchise agreement
Franchisee acknowledges and agrees that Franchisor and/or its Affiliate(s) may receive fees, commissions, rebates, or other consideration from approved suppliers based upon sales to Franchisee.
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?
90Item 8
We estimate that your purchases from approved suppliers will represent approximately 90% to 100% of your total purchases in establishing the Franchised Restaurant, and approximately 90% - 100% in the continuing operation of the Franchised Restaurant.
Does the franchisor charge a fee to evaluate a proposed supplier?
YesItem 6
Actual Costs. You must reimburse us for Evaluation of As incurred proposed alternate our actual costs in supplier. evaluating a proposed alternate supplier.
Can a franchisee propose a new supplier for the franchisor's approval?
YesItem 8
If you desire to purchase any item from an unapproved supplier (except for Proprietary Products, which are discussed below), you must submit a written request for approval to us or shall request the supplier itself to do so.
Communications
Does the franchisor own or control the business telephone numbers, or take them over when the agreement ends?
YesFranchise agreement
At Franchisor’s option, assign to Franchisor or Franchisor’s designee all of Franchisee’s right, title and interest in and to, or cancel any and all (i) telephone numbers used for the Franchised Restaurant or otherwise listed under the Trade Name or any of Franchisor’s other trademarks, trade names, service marks or…
Franchise management
Does the franchisor conduct periodic inspections, audits or evaluations of the franchised business?
YesFranchise agreement
Franchisor may designate an independent evaluation service to conduct a “mystery shopper” quality control and evaluation program with respect to Franchisor or affiliate-owned and/or franchised SDCO Franchised Restaurants.
Can the franchisor change the operations manual and brand standards unilaterally?
YesFranchise agreement
Accordingly, Franchisee agrees to comply with each and every System Standard, as periodically modified and supplemented by Franchisor in its sole and absolute discretion, during the term of this Agreement.
Must the franchisor approve the franchisee's site or location before opening?
YesItem 11
You may not develop a Restaurant at any site unless we have communicated our approval of the site in writing.
Marketing
Is the franchisee prohibited from operating its own website or social media accounts, or required to use pages the franchisor provides?
YesItem 11
Except as we approve in advance in writing, you may not establish or maintain a separate website or otherwise maintain a presence or advertise on the Internet or any other public computer network in connection with your Franchised Restaurant.
Is a minimum grand opening advertising spend required?
YesFranchise agreement
Franchisee shall be obligated to expend at least Seven Thousand Five Hundred and No/100 ($7,500.00) on marketing Franchisee’s Grand Opening (the “Minimum Grand-Opening Expenditure”).
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
Currently, you must spend 1% of your Gross Revenues per month on your own local advertising.
Must the franchisee participate in a customer loyalty or rewards program?
YesItem 16
You must participate in any gift certificate or gift card program or rewards program we establish.
Must the franchisee participate in a regional advertising cooperative when one exists?
YesItem 11
If we establish a Cooperative applicable to your Franchised Restaurant at any later time during the term of your Franchise Agreement, you must become a member of such Cooperative no later than thirty (30) days after the date on which the Cooperative commences operations.
Operations
Must the franchisee buy products from a designated distributor?
YesFranchise agreement
Franchisee shall purchase all signs, equipment, food, non-alcoholic drinks, inventory, supplies, and other products, materials, and services required for the operation of the Franchise solely from suppliers (including manufacturers, distributors, wholesalers, and brokers) who have been approved or designated by…
Must equipment be purchased from designated or approved suppliers?
YesFranchise agreement
Franchisee shall purchase all signs, equipment, food, non-alcoholic drinks, inventory, supplies, and other products, materials, and services required for the operation of the Franchise solely from suppliers (including manufacturers, distributors, wholesalers, and brokers) who have been approved or designated by…
Payments
Must the franchisee use a payment processor or merchant-services provider designated or approved by the franchisor?
YesItem 11
Currently, you must purchase a computer/POS system from POS Specialists, which uses Heartland Restaurant POS System 2x Heartland Restaurant software licenses including ordering, timekeeping, Heartland credit card processing, offline credit card processing
Are royalties and other fees collected by automatic bank debit (ACH or electronic funds transfer) from the franchisee's account?
YesItem 6
Royalty fees shall be payable only to us and collected by us through electronic transfer with direct deposit to us from your account.
Must the franchisee participate in a gift card program?
YesItem 16
You must participate in any gift certificate or gift card program or rewards program we establish.
People
Does the franchisor require minimum staffing levels or specific roles?
YesItem 15
The Franchised Restaurant must at all times be under the on-site supervision of a manager.
Must employees wear uniforms specified by the franchisor?
YesItem 16
You must comply with all our standards and specifications relating to the purchase and/or lease, use and sale of all products, kitchen equipment, supplies, furnishings and fixtures, technology items, uniforms, software, signage, and décor items, printed advertising materials and other items to be used, sold, or…
Point of sale
Must the franchisee use a specific point-of-sale system designated or approved by the franchisor?
YesItem 11
Currently, you must purchase a computer/POS system from POS Specialists, which uses Heartland Restaurant POS System 2x Heartland Restaurant software licenses including ordering, timekeeping, Heartland credit card processing, offline credit card processing, Cloud admin portal and reporting, Text to pay, QR code pay…
Does the franchisor have independent access to the data in the franchisee's POS or computer system?
YesItem 11
We reserve the right to download sales, other data, and communications from your Computer System.
Sales and CRM
Must the franchisee use a CRM system designated or approved by the franchisor?
YesFranchise agreement
Franchisee shall lease and/or purchase its Communication and Information System only from such vendor or supplier that Franchisor has approved in writing pursuant to the provisions of Section 7.5 above.
Training
Can the franchisor charge the franchisee for additional, refresher or remedial training?
YesFranchise agreement
Franchisor may charge Franchisee a fee for any additional training, in an amount set forth in the then-existing Manual and/or Written Standards.
Is attendance at an annual convention or conference mandatory for the franchisee?
YesFranchise agreement
Franchisee (or if Franchisee is other than an individual, the Designated Individual), at least biennially, must attend a national meeting of SDCO Franchisees at a location designated by Franchisor.
The filing answers no to 2 questions
- Is the franchisor or an affiliate itself a supplier of required products, services or systems?Item 8
- Must the franchisee participate in a customer-satisfaction or net-promoter survey program?Franchise agreement
Who buys here
The buyer at this brand
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 franchisor's owner/CEO decides; an ops or franchise-development lead may evaluate.
VP SalesHead of SalesCROSales Director
- 41.9% of quick service brands mandate no POS system, leaving a massive blind spot in your target list.By instantly identifying the 452 brands with no POS mandate, you replace weeks of manual FDD research and focus your pipeline on high-fit displacement targets, cutting customer acquisition cost by over 60%.
- 82.3% of brands mandate no accounting system, signaling a wide-open market for tech vendors.FranCloud surfaces the 888 brands without an accounting mandate so your team can prioritize outreach before competitors even know they exist, turning a manual research cost center into a predictable revenue engine.
- Only 17 out of 1,079 quick service brands mandate a CRM, yet unit counts and AUVs prove these are high-value accounts.Instead of spending 40+ hours manually combing FDDs to find CRM-needy brands, FranCloud delivers the 17 mandate-holders and their financials in one query, letting your team close deals 10x faster.
The vendor opportunity at World of Sourdough Illinois
World of Sourdough Illinois is a quick-service restaurant concept with 99 total units—97 franchised and 2 company-owned—and a 24.4% year-over-year unit growth rate. For software vendors, the immediate addressable market is the 97 franchised locations, all of which operate under a tightly mandated tech stack. The brand is concentrated in California (45 units), with smaller footprints in Florida (5), Nevada (5), Georgia (4), and Texas (4). No multi-unit operators appear in the FDD; all 88 mapped operators run a single location. This fragmented operator base means no franchisee has independent purchasing scale, reinforcing HQ’s control over technology decisions.
Who controls software purchasing
The 2026 FDD lists two principals: Jatinder (Nick) Singh and Lowell Steven Presson. With no parent company on file and a fully franchised system, these individuals represent the buying center for any software vendor. The absence of multi-unit operators and the breadth of mandated systems—covering POS, payments, online ordering, and guest engagement—signal that technology procurement is centralized. Vendors should direct outreach to the HQ level, framing value in terms of system-wide compliance, operational consistency, and scalability across a growing footprint.
Mandated and current tech stack
The FDD mandates a specific, narrow set of systems. Heartland provides the core operational backbone: Heartland Restaurant software for POS, Heartland credit card processing, and Heartland Gift for stored-value programs. Como is mandated for online ordering. Two additional guest-facing payment methods—QR code pay and text to pay—are also required, though the underlying processor for these is not separately named beyond the Heartland mandate. This stack leaves little room for displacement at the POS or payments layer, but adjacent categories—labor scheduling, inventory, catering, loyalty beyond gift cards, or data analytics—may represent greenfield opportunities if not covered by the existing mandates.
Procurement, renewals, and timing
Item 8 of the FDD does not provide an extract describing procurement or supply-chain requirements, so the formal purchasing model—whether designated supplier, approved supplier, or open—is not disclosed. Similarly, Item 17 offers no extract on renewal terms or contract windows. The initial franchise term length is also not stated in the available data. However, with 24.4% unit growth, new store openings are a recurring event. Each new location likely triggers an onboarding cycle for the mandated tech stack, creating periodic opportunities for vendors whose products integrate with or complement the existing Heartland/Como environment.
How to read the World of Sourdough Illinois FDD
The 2026 Franchise Disclosure Document is the authoritative source for understanding the franchisor’s requirements, fees, and obligations. For software vendors, the critical sections are Item 11 (franchisor’s assistance, advertising, computer systems, and training), which details the mandated technology, and Item 8 (restrictions on sources of products and services), which defines procurement constraints. The embedded PDF viewer below contains the full document. Review it to confirm the scope of existing mandates and identify any unaddressed operational needs before building a pitch.
For a ranked target list of franchise systems aligned to your software category, FranCloud can help.
Questions vendors ask
World of Sourdough Illinois, answered from the filing
Principals Jatinder (Nick) Singh and Lowell Steven Presson are the listed executives in the 2026 FDD. As a heavily mandated system with no multi-unit operators, purchasing authority sits at HQ.
The 2026 FDD mandates Heartland Restaurant software for POS, Heartland for credit card processing and gift, plus Como for online ordering, QR code pay, and text to pay.
99 total units: 97 franchised and 2 company-owned. All 88 mapped operators are single-unit, with top states CA (45), FL (5), NV (5), GA (4), and TX (4).
The FDD does not disclose a designated or approved supplier framework in Item 8. The procurement model is not detailed in the available extract.
The FDD does not disclose initial term length or renewal windows in Item 17. With 24% unit growth, new location openings may create recurring onboarding opportunities.
The 2026 FDD is filed with state franchise regulators. You can review it directly in the embedded PDF viewer below.
Source
Read the filing itself
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FDD alert
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Operator footprint
Who runs the locations
88 operators run 88 mapped locations. 0 of them are multi-unit. Aggregate counts from the filing; no names.
Operators by units owned
Single-unit88
Top states by locations
| CA | 45 |
|---|---|
| FL | 5 |
| NV | 5 |
| GA | 4 |
| TX | 4 |
Related Quick service restaurant brands
Primary franchise filings · updated June 2026. Every figure is source-traceable and QA-checked.