The agreement requires mandatory arbitration. Ask: have you ever had a dispute with the franchisor — how was it handled? Did you feel you had recourse?

Franchisees who've been through disputes. Understand if the arbitration process felt fair or heavily stacked toward the franchisor.

Cure period is only 10 days. Ask: have you ever received a default notice? How did the franchisor handle it — were they reasonable?

A short cure period combined with aggressive enforcement is a serious risk. Look for franchisees who feel supported vs. managed by threat.

How responsive is your franchisor rep — do they actually help when you have a problem, or are they just checking boxes?

Specific stories (not just vague positives). Ask about a time they needed help urgently — response time matters.

If you decided to sell your franchise tomorrow, how easy would that be? Has the franchisor ever blocked or delayed a transfer you wanted?

Transfer fee surprises, right-of-first-refusal complications, or franchisor demanding upgrades before approving a sale.

Item 2 shows recent leadership changes. Ask current franchisees: has the change in leadership affected support quality, speed of decisions, or the culture of the system?

Whether the new leadership has franchise operations experience. Disruption in field support after leadership transitions is common.

What did your revenue look like in year 1 vs. year 2 vs. now? When did you reach breakeven?

Year 1 revenue is typically well below Item 19 averages (which often exclude ramp-up units). Expect 12-24 months to reach average.