Is the initial franchise fee refundable for an Amorino franchise?
Amorino Franchise · 2025 FDDAnswer from 2025 FDD Document
ng the Franchise Agreement |The initial franchise fee is not refundable.
The fees listed in this Item 5 are uniform for all prospective franchisees considering a franchise within the same period of time and are nonrefundable upon payment. However, following an increase in one or more fees, we may offer the lower fee to you for 30 days from the date an amended disclosure document with the increased fees is effective in your state. We will only offer the lower fee to you if we had delivered our prior disclosure document to you before the fee increase and you were actively considering the purchase of a franchise, in compliance with any applicable franchise sale laws or regulations.
Inventory to Begin Operating
To begin operating, you must purchase an inventory of Proprietary Products including gelato and sorbet from us or our affiliate. For a traditional Store or a kiosk outlet, you must purchase $20,000 to $69,500 in inventory to begin operating. For a mobile structure outlet, you must purchase $17,000 to $24,500 in inventory to begin operating.
Extension Fees
In the event you fail to purchase or lease an approved Franchised Location within ninety (90) days of the Effective Date of the Franchise Agreement, you must pay a fee of Three Thousand Five Hundred Dollars ($3,500) on the ninetieth (90th day), to extend the Site Selection Date by an additional one hundred eighty (180) days, for a total of two hundred seventy (270) days after the Effective Date.
Source: Item 5 — INITIAL FEES (FDD pages 15–17)
What This Means (2025 FDD)
According to Amorino's 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document, the initial franchise fee is generally not refundable. The FDD states clearly that the initial franchise fee is nonrefundable upon payment. This means that once a prospective franchisee pays the initial franchise fee to Amorino, they cannot get that money back under normal circumstances.
However, there is a specific situation where a fee is refundable. If a franchisee pays $3,500 to extend the site selection date, that extension fee will be refunded if the franchisee opens their Amorino business within 270 days of the Franchise Agreement's effective date. This provides a limited exception to the general non-refundability of fees.
It's fairly standard in the franchise industry for initial franchise fees to be nonrefundable, as these fees cover the franchisor's initial costs of evaluating and onboarding a new franchisee. The Amorino FDD does mention a 30-day window where a lower fee might be offered if an amended disclosure document increases fees, but this is a conditional exception based on the timing of the disclosure and the franchisee's active consideration of the franchise.