Clearly, franchises (especially nationally recognized ones) can be a huge asset to any development due to their ability to generate traffic, visibility and, hopefully, juicy percentage rents.
However, if you have ever had the opportunity to work on a lease or development agreement with a franchisee or franchisor of a national powerhouse, you quickly realize that there are numerous issues (other than leverage) which are unique to this type of business and, if addressed correctly, will prove to be a benefit to both the landlord and tenant over the long haul. I think the most complex issue I ever addressed was the unfortunate demise of the franchisee.
This gets really ugly especially when the franchise is a good one with a stellar reputation but failed primarily due to the incompetency of the franchisee. The last thing the franchisor wants is a very visible and public closing which could be a publicity nightmare.
I represented the developer in that case and fortunately I was lucky enough to have astute parties involved so, while it took some time to get a new franchisee on board, both the developer and the franchisor absorbed some of the costs to resolve the matter. They both took a long-term approach to the viability of the project and it worked out well.
This is not always the case, so both parties need to address, at the outset, as many contingencies as possible to assure a favorable outcome. Here is my list of important issues in a franchise lease, I am sure that you will find it useful.
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