You can identify the owner or corporate parent of a franchise system by reviewing the brand's official corporate website, examining its mandatory Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD) filed under Item 1, or checking state business registry databases where limited liability companies (LLCs) are registered. For local franchise locations, public county clerk records, local fictitious business name filings, or corporate store locators can reveal whether a unit is corporate-owned or operated by an independent local franchisee.