Before signing a lease or sublease for an Apricot Lane store, what is the required action?
Apricot_Lane Franchise · 2025 FDDAnswer from 2025 FDD Document
You must send us for approval any lease or sublease for the Store before you sign it. The lease must contain the terms and provisions that are reasonably acceptable to us (See Item 11). You may not relocate the Store without our approval (See Items 6 and 12). Your lease must provide for certain rights of COUNTRY VISIONS. We may require you to sign a Lease Addendum attached to the Franchise Agreement as Exhibit E. It provides that we can take over the lease under certain circumstances.
Source: Item 8 — RESTRICTIONS ON SOURCES OF PRODUCTS AND SERVICES (FDD pages 17–20)
What This Means (2025 FDD)
According to Apricot Lane's 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document, before a franchisee signs a lease or sublease for their store, they must submit it to Apricot Lane for approval. The lease terms must be reasonably acceptable to Apricot Lane.
Apricot Lane also requires that the lease contains terms and provisions that are reasonably acceptable to them. The FDD mentions that Item 11 provides further details on lease requirements. Additionally, franchisees cannot relocate their store without Apricot Lane's approval, as detailed in Items 6 and 12 of the FDD.
The lease agreement must also provide certain rights to Country Visions, Apricot Lane's parent company. Apricot Lane may also require franchisees to sign a Lease Addendum, attached as Exhibit E to the Franchise Agreement, which allows Country Visions to take over the lease under specific circumstances. This is a significant provision, as it gives Apricot Lane considerable control over the store's location and could impact a franchisee's investment should Country Visions choose to exercise this right.