Can an Apricot Lane franchisee operate the Franchised Business at a location other than the one specified in the Franchise Agreement without Country Visions' agreement?
Apricot_Lane Franchise · 2025 FDDAnswer from 2025 FDD Document
tive brands franchisor controls.
You may operate the Franchised Business only at the location specified in the Franchise Agreement unless we agree otherwise. If applicable, you may operate any temporary, seasonal, kiosk, cart or other adjunct operation only from a location approved by COUNTRY VISIONS. You also may not sell APRICOT LANE Store merchandise through any other distribution channel without our prior written approval.
You may relocate your Franchised Business at your sole expense within your Territory, but only with our prior written consent. COUNTRY VISIONS shall have the right to charge you for any costs incurred by us, and a reasonable fee for our services, in any relocation of the Franchised Business. If your lease expires or terminates and you are not at fault, or the site is destroyed, condemned or in any manner made unusable, if you are unwilling or unable to relocate the Franchised Business, COUNTRY VISIONS is not required to refund any fees or costs paid to COUNTRY VISIONS.
If you relocate the Franchised Business, you will conform the new store location to COUNTRY VISIONS' then-current standards for store design; close the old location at the same time you open the new location; and remove and obliterate any visible signs, graphics and advertising materials displaying any of our names, Marks and slogans. These changes must be completed within 7 business days of the opening of the new location.
Continuation of your Territory is not dependent on the achievement of a certain sales volume, market penetration or other contingency.
COUNTRY VISIONS does not have to permit you to open any additional Stores in your Territory or elsewhere. If you are approved for an additional Store, you will sign the Franchise Agreement then in use for new franchisees and pay the franchise fee for additional stores described in Item 5 of this Disclosure Document.
You may request an option, effective for a 12-month period, to develop an additional Store at a location that you have identified. If we in our sole discretion grant this option, you will sign the Location Option Agreement attached to the Franchise Agreement as Exhibit B and pay us an option fee of $15,000 upon signing. The option may be exercised only in that 12-month period by signing the then-current form of Franchise Agreement for the additional store, which must be preceded by securing the location for that store.
Source: Item 12 — TERRITORY (FDD pages 30–32)
What This Means (2025 FDD)
According to Apricot Lane's 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document, a franchisee cannot operate their business at a location different from the one specified in the Franchise Agreement unless they obtain approval from Country Visions. The FDD states that the franchisee may operate temporary setups like kiosks or carts only from approved locations.
Relocating the Apricot Lane store within the designated territory is possible, but it requires prior written consent from Country Visions and the franchisee will bear all expenses associated with the relocation. Country Visions also has the right to charge the franchisee for any costs incurred by them, including a reasonable fee for their services during the relocation process.
If the lease expires, terminates without fault, or the site becomes unusable, Apricot Lane is not obligated to refund any fees or costs paid to Country Visions if the franchisee is unwilling or unable to relocate. When relocating, the new store must meet Country Visions' current design standards, the old location must close when the new one opens, and all signs displaying Apricot Lane's branding must be removed from the old location within 7 business days of the new store's opening.
Additionally, franchisees must sell merchandise only from the approved premises unless Country Visions provides written authorization for another location or distribution channel. Franchisees are restricted from soliciting or accepting orders outside their territory or engaging in sales through other channels like mail order or electronic commerce without prior written consent, although qualifying franchisees may participate in Apricot Lane's e-commerce platform programs.