# Codebook: data/emerging_brands.csv (emerging-franchise-brands, 2026-10-08)

One row per brand (259). Source documents: the Minnesota CARDS FDD linked in `mn_document_url`. Blank = not
stated in the FDD (or not applicable). Built by `scripts/04_build_dataset.py` from the reading pass, the published
259-brand sample (`franchise-royalty-rates/data/fdd_fees.csv`) and published Item 20 counts
(`franchise-closure-rates/data/item20_counts.csv`). Reading rules: `data/extraction_reader_instructions.md`.
Logged reading decisions: `data/reading_corrections.csv`. Hand-check: `data/handcheck*.csv`, `data/handcheck_score.json`.

| Field | Meaning |
|---|---|
| brand, franchisor, sector, sector_label, fdd_issue_date, mn_file_number, mn_document_id, mn_document_url | From the published sample |
| first_franchise_year | Earliest year Item 1 says the franchisor or a named predecessor/parent/affiliate began offering franchises for this concept (published closure-rates value, confirmed by reading; see corrections) |
| first_franchise_basis | franchisor, predecessor or parent/affiliate (published) |
| first_franchise_quote | Deciding Item 1 words, max 25 words |
| years_franchising | FDD issue year minus first_franchise_year (calendar years) |
| business_start_year | Earliest year Item 1 says the franchisor, a predecessor, parent/affiliate or founder began conducting the type of business the franchisee operates; entity formation dates do not count |
| business_start_basis | franchisor, predecessor, parent/affiliate, founder, "none stated as operated" (Item 1 says the group has not operated it), or blank |
| business_start_quote | Deciding words, max 25 words |
| years_operated_before_franchising | first_franchise_year minus business_start_year (can be 0 or negative when the earliest stated operating year belongs to a recent affiliate) |
| t1_year | Latest fiscal year in Item 20 Table 1 |
| franchised_end, company_end | End-of-year franchised and company-owned (incl. affiliate-owned) outlets in t1_year; several Table 1s summed, area developer/master tables excluded |
| total_end | franchised_end + company_end |
| total_row_disclosed | The printed Total Outlets end-of-year figure |
| total_row_mismatch | 1 if the printed total differs from total_end |
| franchised_share_pct | 100 x franchised_end / total_end |
| company_owned_any_year | 1 if Table 1 shows a company-owned outlet at the start or end of any year shown |
| company_end_first_year | Company-owned outlets at the end of the first year shown in Table 1 |
| t1_note | How multiple Table 1s were combined |
| states_listed_n, states_listed | Number and names of states in the State Effective Dates table (any entry: date, Pending, blank, Exempt, Not Registered). Not proof of registration |
| states_dated_n | States with an actual effective date. Indicative only; readers treated undated "Effective"/"On File" entries inconsistently, so it is not published in the report |
| emerging_age_under5, emerging_size_under50, emerging_either, emerging_both | 1/0 flags for the two emerging tests |
| item20_fiscal_year, years_franchising_item20 | Published closure-rates fiscal year and age basis (fiscal year minus first franchise year) |
| item20_start_3yr | Franchised outlets at the start of each of the 3 fiscal years, summed (published Table 3) |
| transfers_3yr, terminations_3yr, nonrenewals_3yr, reacquired_3yr, ceased_3yr, exits_3yr | 3-year sums from published Tables 2 and 3; exits = terminations + non-renewals + reacquired + ceased |
| read_confidence, read_notes | Reader's confidence and notes |
| corrected_fields | Fields changed by data/reading_corrections.csv |

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