EXHIBIT 10.28
FRANCHISE DEVELOPMENT
AGREEMENT
(Non-exclusive/Exclusive)
THIS FRANCHISE DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT
(“Agreement”) is made and entered into this
day of
,
200 , by and between EL POLLO LOCO,
INC., a Delaware corporation, with its principal place of
business at 3333 Michelson Drive, Suite 550, Irvine, California
92612 (referred to herein as “El Pollo Loco” or
“Franchisor”) and
, with its principal place of business at
(“Developer”).
RECITALS
A. Franchisor owns certain proprietary and other
property rights and interests in and to the “El Pollo
Loco” trademark and service mark, and such other trademarks,
service marks, logo types, insignias, trade dress designs and
commercial symbols as Franchisor may from time to time authorize or
direct Developer to use in connection with the operation of an
“El Pollo Loco” Restaurant (the “El Pollo Loco
Marks”). Franchisor has a distinctive plan for the operation
of retail outlets for the sale of flame-broiled food items and
related products, which plan includes but is not limited to the El
Pollo Loco Marks and the Operations Manual (the
“Manual”), policies, standards, procedures, employee
uniforms, signs, menu boards and related items, and the reputation
and goodwill of the El Pollo Loco chain of restaurants
(collectively, the “El Pollo Loco System”).
B. Developer represents that it is experienced
in and has independent knowledge of the nature and specifics of the
restaurant business. Developer represents that in entering into
this Agreement it has relied solely on its personal knowledge and
has not relied on any representations of Franchisor or any of its
officers, directors, employees or agents, except those
representations contained in any legally required disclosure
document delivered to Developer.
C. Developer desires to obtain development
rights from Franchisor within a specified geographical area (the
“Territory”) specified in Exhibit
“A” attached hereto and made a part
hereof.
D. Franchisor is willing to grant the
(non-exclusive/exclusive) right to develop and open El Pollo Loco
restaurants within the Territory referenced in Exhibit
“A.”
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual
covenants and obligations herein contained, the parties hereto
agree as follows:
|
1.
|
Development Rights in Territory
.
|
1.1 Franchisor hereby grants to
Developer, subject to the terms and conditions of this Agreement
(if 2.8 applicable add “, and specifically Section
2.8
1
hereof,”) and as long as Developer shall not be in default
of this Agreement or any other development, franchise or other
agreement between Developer and Franchisor, non-exclusive/exclusive
development rights to obtain franchises to establish and operate
franchised restaurants, and to use the El Pollo Loco System solely
in connection therewith, at specific locations to be designated in
separate franchise agreements (the “Franchise
Agreements”). (If exclusive agreement add
“Developer expressly acknowledges that the exclusive rights
granted herein apply only to the right to develop new restaurants
in the Territory, and no exclusive territory or radius protection
for the term of any franchise agreement is granted
herein.”) The Franchise Agreements executed in
accordance with this Agreement shall be in the form currently in
use by Franchisor at the time of approval of the specific
restaurant site by Franchisor.
1.2 Within thirty (30) days of the
date of execution of this Agreement, Developer shall meet with
Franchisor’s development representatives and begin
preparation of a market development plan for the Territory
(identifying specific key areas, key intersections and trade areas
in the Territory) and all development pursuant to this Agreement
shall be in accordance with this plan (the “Market
Plan”). The Market Plan shall include proposed radii of areas
where sites are to located, ranking and prioritization of site
locations and other information customarily used by market planners
in the restaurant industry. Developer shall propose the Market Plan
and Franchisor shall approve or disapprove the Market Plan in its
reasonable discretion within thirty (30) days thereafter. If
Franchisor disapproves the Market Plan, it shall provide written
comments to Developer to enable it to amend the Market Plan. In any
event, the initial Market Plan shall be completed and approved by
Franchisor and Developer no later than one hundred and twenty (120)
days from the date of execution of this Agreement (the
“Initial Planning Phase”). Developer acknowledges that
no extensions of time on the Development Schedule (as defined
below) shall be granted by Franchisor to Developer as a result of
Developer’s failure to complete a satisfactory Market Plan
with the Initial Planning Phase.
1.3 The parties hereto recognize
that demographics, market economics, real estate values,
competition and other conditions may change in the Territory over
the term of this Agreement and that such changes may impact the
Market Plan. Therefore, the parties agree that it is in their
respective best interests to review the Market Plan periodically
throughout the term of this Agreement. On the first anniversary of
the approval of the initial Market Plan and at least once annually
thereafter, Developer and Franchisor shall review the Market Plan
and make such revisions as are required to maximize the successful
development of the El Pollo Loco System in the
Territory.
|
2.0
|
Limitation on Development
Rights.
|
2.1 Developer must open to the
public the number of El Pollo Loco restaurants each calendar year
as required on the Development Schedule, all as set forth on
Exhibit “B” attached hereto and made a
part hereof.
2
2.2 For purposes of the Development
Schedule in Exhibit “B” , no credit will
be given for the development of El Pollo Loco restaurants outside
the Territory, regardless of the fact that Developer may, upon
proper application, obtain from Franchisor an El Pollo Loco
Franchise Agreement (“Franchise Agreement”) for any
such development.
2.3 Although this Agreement affords
the Developer the right to develop and open El Pollo Loco
restaurants within the Territory, as set forth on Exhibit
“A” , all restaurants developed under this
Agreement must be duly licensed through individual Franchise
Agreements. Developer will execute El Pollo Loco’s then
standard Franchise Agreement in use at the time of execution for
each restaurant developed under this Agreement, and agrees to pay
Franchisor the current fees, royalties and other required payments
in accordance with the Uniform Franchise Offering Circular then in
effect. Execution of the appropriate Franchise Agreement and
payment of the initial franchise fee and/or any other required fees
must be accomplished prior to the commencement of construction at
any site.
2.4 Developer must satisfy all
Franchisor’s financial and operational criteria then in
effect prior to El Pollo Loco’s execution of each standard
Franchise Agreement issued pursuant to this Agreement. Developer
shall provide Franchisor with current information pertaining to
Developer’s financial condition and the financial condition
of the majority and managing members/partners/shareholders of
Developer at any time upon El Pollo Loco’s request and in no
event less than once annually. Developer acknowledges that, among
other things, it will be required to submit annual financial
statements of Developer and personal financial statements of each
of its principal owners and Managing Members to be eligible for
financial approval by El Pollo Loco. In the event any of the
majority owners of Developer shall also be the Managing Members
and/or majority owners of any other entity which is a franchisee of
El Pollo Loco, then each such franchisee entity must be
operationally and financially approved by Franchisor before
approval for expansion will be granted to any one franchisee
entity. “Managing Members” shall be any individuals who
are designated as the primary decision makers or general managers
of the franchisee entity and those individuals who (individually or
collectively) own at least 51% interest in the franchisee
entity.
2.5 Developer shall submit a
proposed site for each franchised unit to be developed under this
Agreement for acceptance by Franchisor’s Real Estate Site
Approval Committee (“RESAC”), together with such site
information as may be reasonably required by Franchisor to evaluate
the proposed site. Franchisor shall, provided there exists no
default by Developer under this Agreement or any other development,
franchise or other agreement between Franchisor and Developer,
evaluate each site proposed for which Developer has provided all
necessary evaluation information, and shall promptly, but not more
than sixty (60) days after receipt of Developer’s proposal,
send to Developer written notice of acceptance or non-acceptance of
the site. Site approval does not assure that a Franchise Agreement
will be executed. Execution of the Franchise Agreement is
contingent upon Developer purchasing or leasing the proposed
site.
3
Within ninety (90) days after Franchisor’s
site acceptance, Developer shall:
|
|
a)
|
Submit in
writing to Franchisor, satisfactory proof to Franchisor that
Developer;
|
|
|
(ii)
|
has leased the
site for a term which, with renewal options is not less than the
initial term of the Franchise Agreement; or
|
|
|
(iii)
|
has entered
into a written agreement to purchase or to lease the approved site
on terms provided herein, subject, only to obtaining necessary
governmental permits.
|
|
|
(iv)
|
If Developer
has leased the site, the lease shall contain the provisions
required in Section 4.2 of the Franchise Agreement.
|
2.6 Franchisor shall retain the
right to:
a) Open and operate El Pollo Loco
restaurants or franchise others to open and operate El Pollo Loco
restaurants, at all universities, colleges, hospitals, municipal
facilities, public transportation facilities, shopping malls,
stadiums, amusement parks and similar locations of a
“non-standard” nature, regardless of location within
the Territory;
b) Open and operate or franchise
others to open and operate non-standard El Pollo Loco restaurants
within the Territory under the El Pollo Loco System (e.g., within
drug stores, supermarkets, department stores, truck stops, hotel or
motel chains, stadiums, etc.); and
c) Open and operate or franchise
others to open and operate El Pollo Loco restaurants located within
the Territory which have been acquired by El Pollo Loco on or after
the date of this Agreement.
2.7 The purpose of this Agreement is
to promote orderly incremental growth within the El Pollo Loco
System. The acquisition of existing El Pollo Loco restaurants by
Developer does not represent incremental growth and, therefore,
does not satisfy the terms of this Agreement pertaining to
development.
2.8 (To be added where there
are existing restaurants in the territory) Developer acknowledges
that Franchisor (i) is operating a unit or (ii) has granted
franchise rights in or (iii) approved a new site for development
for those locations identified in Exhibit “C” attached
hereto and incorporated herein by this reference. Developer further
acknowledges that Franchisor retains discretion to approve or
disapprove any proposed location for development under this
Agreement if, in Franchisor’s reasonable judgment, such
proposed location is not suitable for an El Pollo Loco restaurant
or such proposed location will have a material adverse effect on
the profitability of another existing El Pollo
Loco
4
location (or approved site) in the Territory.
Developer covenants to use its reasonable best efforts to avoid
selecting proposed locations that would adversely impact
pre-existing locations in the Territory. Franchisor covenants to
advise Developer of any new site approved or proposed closures of
El Pollo Loco restaurants in the Territory during the term of this
Agreement.
Developer shall pay to Franchisor a
non-refundable deposit equal to Ten Thousand Dollars ($10,000.00),
in immediately available funds, for the first restaurant to be
developed under this Agreement. For each subsequent restaurant to
be developed under this Agreement, Developer shall pay Franchisor a
deposit equal to Five Thousand Dollars ($5,000.00). This deposit
shall be paid upon the execution of this Agreement. The
$10,000/$5,000 deposit, whichever is applicable, for each
restaurant shall be applied against the initial franchise fee
payable upon the execution of the Franchise Agreement applicable to
each restaurant. If this Agreement is terminated pursuant to
Section 9.0 or 10.0 below, all deposits, or any unused portion
thereof, shall be forfeited to Franchisor in consideration of the
rights granted in the Territory up to the time of
termination.
|
4.0
|
Term of
Development Agreement.
|
This Agreement shall commence on the
date specified in Exhibit “B”. Unless
terminated pursuant to Section 9.0 or 10.0 below, it shall expire
upon the earlier of the date specified in Exhibit
“B” or upon the opening of the last restaurant
listed in the Development Schedule.
5.1 Any continued operation of a
restaurant operated by Franchisor or a franchisee of Franchisor
within the Territory on or before the date of this Agreement shall
not be considered to constitute a breach of this
Agreement.
5.2 The rights granted Developer in
this Agreement are subject to any prior territorial rights of other
franchisees which may now exist in the Territory, whether or not
those rights are currently being enforced. In the event of a
conflict in territorial rights, whether under a Franchise Agreement
or separate territorial or development agreement, the earlier in
time shall prevail. Developer shall be free to negotiate with any
person, corporation or other entity, which claims territorial
rights adverse to the rights granted under this Agreement, for the
assignment of those prior territorial rights. For this purpose,
Franchisor agrees to approve any such assignment not in conflict
with the other terms of this Agreement, subject to the condition of
any Franchise Agreements involved, and current policies pertaining
to assignments, including, but not limited to, satisfaction of all
past due debts owed to Franchisor and the execution of a General
Release.
5