Terms of Service

1. Agreement to Terms

By accessing or using the NorthStar Synergy platform ("Service"), you agree to be bound by these Terms of Service ("Terms"). If you do not agree to these Terms, do not use the Service. These Terms constitute a legal agreement between you and NorthStar Synergy LLC ("NorthStar," "we," "us").

2. Description of Service

NorthStar Synergy provides a restaurant website platform that includes:

• Custom restaurant website design and hosting
• Online ordering system with payment processing
• Menu management tools
• SEO optimization and Google integration
• Analytics and business dashboard
• Customer support

3. Account Registration

To use the Service, you must create an account and provide accurate, complete information. You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your account credentials and for all activities under your account.

You must be at least 18 years old and have the legal authority to bind your restaurant business to these Terms.

4. Subscription and Payment

Plans: We offer Starter, Growth, and Pro subscription plans. Plan details and pricing are available at northstarsynergy.org/pricing.

Billing: Subscriptions are billed monthly or annually in advance. All fees are in US dollars and non-refundable except as described in Section 5.

Payment: Payment is processed through Stripe. You authorize us to charge your payment method on file for recurring subscription fees.

Price Changes: We may change pricing with 30 days' written notice. Existing subscriptions continue at their current rate until renewal.

Late Payment: If payment fails, we will attempt to retry for 14 days. After 14 days of non-payment, online ordering may be disabled. After 30 days, your site may be deactivated.

5. Cancellation and Refunds

Cancellation: You may cancel your subscription at any time from your admin dashboard. Your site will remain active until the end of your current billing period.

Refunds: We do not provide refunds for partial billing periods. If you cancel within 14 days of your initial subscription, we will provide a full refund.

Data After Cancellation: We retain your data for 30 days after cancellation. After 30 days, all data including your website, menu, and customer data will be permanently deleted.

6. Your Responsibilities

You agree to:

• Provide accurate restaurant information (menu, hours, contact details)
• Comply with all applicable food safety and labeling laws
• Ensure menu items and prices are accurate and current
• Respond to customer orders in a timely manner
• Not use the Service for any illegal or unauthorized purpose
• Not upload content that infringes on third-party intellectual property

7. Intellectual Property

Your Content: You retain ownership of all content you provide (menu items, photos, descriptions, branding). You grant us a license to display and distribute this content as part of operating your website.

Our Platform: The NorthStar platform, including its design, code, and features, is our intellectual property. Your subscription grants you a license to use the platform, not ownership of it.

8. Service Level Agreement

Uptime: We target 99.9% uptime for all hosted websites. Scheduled maintenance will be communicated in advance.

Support: We provide email support with a target response time of 4 business hours. Emergency support (site down) is available 24/7.

Remedies: If we fail to meet the 99.9% uptime target in a given month, you may request a service credit of 10% of that month's fee for each additional 0.1% of downtime, up to a maximum of one month's fee.

9. Limitation of Liability

To the maximum extent permitted by law, NorthStar Synergy shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages, including loss of profits, data, or business opportunities.

Our total liability for any claim arising from these Terms or the Service shall not exceed the total amount paid by you in the 12 months preceding the claim.

10. Indemnification

You agree to indemnify and hold NorthStar Synergy harmless from any claims, damages, or expenses arising from your use of the Service, your content, or your violation of these Terms.

11. Data Portability

Upon request, we will provide an export of your data in a standard format (CSV or JSON) including:

• Menu items and categories
• Customer contact information and order history
• Business profile and settings

Export requests will be fulfilled within 10 business days. We recommend requesting a data export before cancelling your subscription. After cancellation, data exports are available during the 30-day retention period.

12. DMCA and Copyright

If you believe that content hosted on a NorthStar-powered website infringes your copyright, please submit a DMCA takedown notice to our designated agent:

DMCA Agent: NorthStar Synergy LLC
Email: legal@northstarsynergy.org
Woodinville, WA

Your notice must include: (1) identification of the copyrighted work, (2) identification of the infringing material and its location, (3) your contact information, (4) a statement of good faith belief that the use is unauthorized, and (5) a statement under penalty of perjury that the information is accurate and you are authorized to act on behalf of the copyright owner.

13. Food Safety and Allergen Disclaimer

NorthStar Synergy is a technology platform and does not prepare, handle, or deliver food. Menu information, allergen data, and dietary labels displayed on restaurant websites are provided by the restaurant and are the restaurant's sole responsibility.

NorthStar makes no warranties regarding the accuracy of menu descriptions, allergen information, or dietary classifications. Customers with food allergies should contact the restaurant directly before placing orders.

14. Dispute Resolution

Informal Resolution: Before filing any formal claim, you agree to contact us at legal@northstarsynergy.org and attempt to resolve the dispute informally for at least 30 days.

Binding Arbitration: If we cannot resolve the dispute informally, either party may elect to resolve the dispute through binding arbitration administered by the American Arbitration Association (AAA) under its Commercial Arbitration Rules. Arbitration will take place in King County, Washington.

Class Action Waiver: All claims must be brought in the parties' individual capacity and not as a plaintiff or class member in any class or representative proceeding.

Small Claims Exception: Either party may bring qualifying claims in small claims court in King County, Washington.

Opt-Out: You may opt out of this arbitration provision by notifying us in writing within 30 days of first accepting these Terms.

15. Governing Law

These Terms are governed by the laws of the State of Washington, without regard to conflict of law principles.

16. Force Majeure

Neither party shall be liable for delays or failures in performance resulting from causes beyond its reasonable control, including acts of God, natural disasters, pandemics, war, terrorism, riots, government actions, power failures, internet disruptions, or third-party service outages.

17. Changes to Terms

We may update these Terms with 30 days' notice. Continued use of the Service after the effective date constitutes acceptance of the updated Terms. If you do not agree to the updated Terms, you may cancel your subscription before they take effect.

18. Severability

If any provision of these Terms is found to be unenforceable, the remaining provisions will continue in full force and effect. The unenforceable provision will be modified to the minimum extent necessary to make it enforceable.

19. Contact

NorthStar Synergy LLC
Woodinville, WA
legal@northstarsynergy.org