Where will all mediation proceedings take place in disputes involving Aunt Millies Bakeries?

According to Aunt Millies Bakeries' 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document, all mediation proceedings will occur in the county where the distributor's principal place of business is located. This means that if a dispute arises between Aunt Millies Bakeries and a distributor that requires mediation, the proceedings will be held in the county where the distributor's main business operations are based.

This arrangement could benefit the franchisee, as it minimizes travel costs and inconvenience associated with attending mediation sessions. It also ensures that the mediation takes place in a location familiar to the distributor, potentially providing a more comfortable and equitable environment for resolving disputes. This is a fairly common practice in franchising, as it aims to balance the power dynamic between the franchisor and franchisee by holding proceedings in the franchisee's locality.

It is important for prospective franchisees to understand this clause, as it dictates where they will need to participate in mediation if a dispute arises. While the location is set, the expenses of the mediation service itself will be equally shared between Aunt Millies Bakeries and the distributor, while other expenses related to the mediation will be borne by the party that incurs them.