franchisedata-mcp

Radial Cross-Brand Location Proximity Search

franchise_search_near

Read-onlyIdempotent

Find nearby US franchise restaurant locations by coordinates, radius, and category across 500 chains, returning distance and brand details.

Instructions

PAID ($0.005). Radial coordinate-based proximity search (up to 50 miles) across all 500 US restaurant franchise chains. Returns geocoded locations, distance, and brand classification. Atomically debits $0.005 from prepaid balance. Requires 'fc_live_...' API key. Returns 402 if balance is insufficient. WHEN TO USE: Use for geographic competitive landscape queries, local market density analysis, and finding nearby restaurants across multiple brands. WHEN NOT TO USE: Do not use for single-brand McDonald's lookups by city/zip (use 'mcdonalds_locations') or brand catalog metadata (use 'search_brands'). ALTERNATIVES: Use 'mcdonalds_locations' for dedicated McDonald's filters; use 'get_local_share_of_choice' for delivery shelf share.

Input Schema

TableJSON Schema

Name	Required	Description
`lat`	Yes	Center latitude coordinate in decimal degrees (e.g. 41.8781)
`lng`	Yes	Center longitude coordinate in decimal degrees (e.g. -87.6298)
`category`	No	Optional category filter (e.g. 'Burger', 'Coffee', 'Pizza', 'Chicken')
`radius_miles`	No	Search radius in statute miles (default 10, max 50)

Output Schema

TableJSON Schema

Name	Required	Description
`center`	Yes
`results`	Yes	List of nearby restaurant store records across indexed brands
`balance_remaining_usd`	Yes	Remaining API credit balance in USD

Schema Changelog

Changes observed during successful MCP inspections.

Changed5 schema fields changedv1.0.1Oct 6, 2026

changedInput schema / properties / category / description

Previous value: -"Optional filter (e.g. 'Burger', 'Coffee', 'Pizza')"New value: +"Optional category filter (e.g. 'Burger', 'Coffee', 'Pizza', 'Chicken')"

changedInput schema / properties / lat / description

Previous value: -"Center latitude"New value: +"Center latitude coordinate in decimal degrees (e.g. 41.8781)"

changedInput schema / properties / lng / description

Previous value: -"Center longitude"New value: +"Center longitude coordinate in decimal degrees (e.g. -87.6298)"

changedInput schema / properties / radius_miles / description

Previous value: -"Search radius in miles (default 10)"New value: +"Search radius in statute miles (default 10, max 50)"

changedOutput schema / (root)

Previous value: -nullNew value: +{
+  "properties": {
+    "balance_remaining_usd": {
+      "description": "Remaining API credit balance in USD",
+      "type": "string"
+    },
+    "center": {
+      "properties": {
+        "lat": {
+          "type": "number"
+        },
+        "lng": {
+          "type": "number"
+        },
+        "radius": {
+          "type": "number"
+        }
+      },
+      "required": [
+        "lat",
+        "lng",
+        "radius"
+      ],
+      "type": "object"
+    },
+    "results": {
+      "description": "List of nearby restaurant store records across indexed brands",
+      "items": {
+        "properties": {
+          "address": {
+            "type": "string"
+          },
+          "brand_id": {
+            "type": "string"
+          },
+          "city": {
+            "type": "string"
+          },
+          "id": {
+            "type": "string"
+          },
+          "latitude": {
+            "type": "number"
+          },
+          "longitude": {
+            "type": "number"
+          },
+          "name": {
+            "type": "string"
+          },
+          "state": {
+            "type": "string"
+          }
+        },
+        "type": "object"
+      },
+      "type": "array"
+    }
+  },
+  "required": [
+    "center",
+    "results",
+    "balance_remaining_usd"
+  ],
+  "type": "object"
+}

First observedv1.0.0Oct 1, 2026

TDQS

A4.7/5.0

Behavior5/5

Does the description disclose side effects, auth requirements, rate limits, or destructive behavior?

Goes well beyond the readOnlyHint/idempotentHint/openWorldHint annotations by disclosing cost ($0.005), that the debit is atomic, the required 'fc_live_...' API key, and the 402 failure mode on insufficient balance. The $0.005 metering debit is a billing side effect of a read-only data operation, so it is consistent with readOnlyHint rather than contradicting it.

Agents need to know what a tool does to the world before calling it. Descriptions should go beyond structured annotations to explain consequences.

Conciseness5/5

Is the description appropriately sized, front-loaded, and free of redundancy?

Front-loads cost and operation, then layers usage, exclusions, and alternatives in scannable labeled blocks. Every sentence carries routing or behavioral information with no filler.

Shorter descriptions cost fewer tokens and are easier for agents to parse. Every sentence should earn its place.

Completeness5/5

Given the tool's complexity, does the description cover enough for an agent to succeed on first attempt?

An output schema exists, so return values need no prose. For a paid, authenticated search tool the description covers cost, auth, error behavior, scope limits, and sibling routing — everything an agent needs to call it correctly.

Complex tools with many parameters or behaviors need more documentation. Simple tools need less. This dimension scales expectations accordingly.

Parameters3/5

Does the description clarify parameter syntax, constraints, interactions, or defaults beyond what the schema provides?

Schema description coverage is 100% and the schema already documents all four parameters with examples and defaults (radius default 10, max 50). The description restates the 50-mile cap and category use case but adds no syntax or format detail beyond the schema, so the baseline 3 applies.

Input schemas describe structure but not intent. Descriptions should explain non-obvious parameter relationships and valid value ranges.

Purpose5/5

Does the description clearly state what the tool does and how it differs from similar tools?

States a specific verb and resource — a radial coordinate proximity search across 500 US restaurant franchise chains — plus scope (up to 50 miles) and return contents (geocoded locations, distance, brand classification). It is clearly distinguishable from siblings like mcdonalds_locations and search_brands.

Agents choose between tools based on descriptions. A clear purpose with a specific verb and resource helps agents select the right tool.

Usage Guidelines5/5

Does the description explain when to use this tool, when not to, or what alternatives exist?

Provides explicit WHEN TO USE (geographic competitive landscape, market density, multi-brand nearby search), WHEN NOT TO USE with named alternatives for each case (mcdonalds_locations for single-brand, search_brands for catalog metadata), and a dedicated ALTERNATIVES line including get_local_share_of_choice.

Agents often have multiple tools that could apply. Explicit usage guidance like "use X instead of Y when Z" prevents misuse.

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