Is the initial franchise fee for Antioch Pizza Shop refundable?
Antioch_Pizza_Shop Franchise · 2025 FDDAnswer from 2025 FDD Document
[Item 5: Initial Fees]
You must pay the entire initial franchise fee in a lump sum when the Franchise Agreement is signed. The entire initial fee is deemed fully earned by us when paid and is nonrefundable except as described below if the type of franchise you will develop changes.
If you sign a Franchise Agreement and pay an initial franchise fee for a particular type of franchise and you subsequently request a change in the type of franchise to be developed based on availability of sites or other factors, either we will refund you the difference between what you paid and the initial franchise fee for the type of franchise you will be developing or you will pay us the difference between the initial franchise fee you paid and the amount of the fee for the type of franchise you will be developing.
Multi-Unit Development Fee
If you are a Developer, you must sign the Franchise Agreement for your first Antioch Pizza Shop franchise and pay the initial franchise fee for the first franchise to be developed at the same time as you sign the Multi-Unit Development Agreement. In addition, you must pay a non-refundable Development Fee when you sign the Multi-Unit Development Agreement. The Development Fee is the total of the initial franchise fees that will be due for the additional Antioch Pizza Shop Businesses to be developed. The franchise fee for the additional franchises after the first franchise will be discounted by 20%, so the initial franchise fee paid for additional Dine-In Restaurant and Take-Out/Delivery Restaurants developed under a Multi-Unit Development Agreement will be $32,000, the initial franchise fee for additional Express Restaurants to be developed under a Multi-Unit Development Agreement will be $28,000.
For example, if you sign a Multi-Unit Development Agreement for 2 Dine-In or Take-Out/Delivery Restaurants, you will pay us $72,000 when you sign the Multi-Unit Development Agreement. If you sign a Multi-Unit Development Agreement for 5 Dine-In or Take-Out/Delivery Restaurants, you will pay us $168,000.
When you sign the Franchise Agreement for the additional franchises, a portion of the Development Fee will be applied against the initial franchise fee for the franchise, so no initial franchise fee will be due.
Source: Item 5 — Initial Fees (FDD pages 12–13)
What This Means (2025 FDD)
According to Antioch Pizza Shop's 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document, the initial franchise fee is generally nonrefundable. Item 5 states that the initial fee is deemed fully earned upon payment. However, there is an exception: if a franchisee initially signs an agreement for one type of Antioch Pizza Shop franchise (e.g., a Dine-In Restaurant) and subsequently requests to develop a different type of franchise (e.g., an Express Restaurant) due to site availability or other factors, a refund of the difference in initial franchise fees may be provided, or additional payment may be required to cover the difference.
For franchisees entering into a Multi-Unit Development Agreement, a non-refundable Development Fee is required upon signing. This fee covers the initial franchise fees for additional Antioch Pizza Shop locations to be developed. While this Development Fee is non-refundable, it is credited towards the initial franchise fees for the additional franchises as they are developed. This means that when the franchisee signs the Franchise Agreement for these additional locations, a portion of the Development Fee is applied, effectively covering the initial franchise fee for those locations.
In summary, the initial franchise fee for a single-unit Antioch Pizza Shop franchise is generally nonrefundable, with a specific exception for changes in the type of franchise being developed. For multi-unit developers, the Development Fee is nonrefundable but functions as a pre-payment for future franchise fees. Prospective franchisees should carefully consider these conditions and understand the implications before signing any agreements and paying fees to Antioch Pizza Shop.