For an Auntie Annes franchise, who is responsible for employing a licensed architect and engineers to prepare the Architectural Plans?
Auntie_Annes Franchise · 2024 FDDAnswer from 2024 FDD Document
e our endorsement of your architect or render us liable for your architect's performance or your architect's compliance with professional design standards or adherence to local codes.
- B. Compliance with Legal Requirements. You must, before we approve the Architectural Plans, have your architect or you certify to us that the Architectural Plans comply
with the Americans with Disabilities Act (the "ADA"), the architectural guidelines under the ADA, and all other federal, state, and local statutes, rules, regulations, ordinances, and codes (collectively, "Laws") that apply to the Franchised Business.
- C. Submission of Plans. You must submit to us, by the deadline specified in Section 6.5.B. (Construction Start Deadline), a complete set of final Architectural Plans. We will promptly review the Architectural Plans and will either accept the Architectural Plans or provide comments to you on changes we require. After our initial review of your Architectural Plans at no cost and our review of one revised set of Architectural Plans that incorporate our required changes at no cost, we may charge a fee of $1,000 for each set of drawings we review that include any other modifications from the plans that we have previously accepted.
Source: Item 22 — CONTRACTS (FDD page 106)
What This Means (2024 FDD)
According to Auntie Anne's 2024 Franchise Disclosure Document, the franchisee is responsible for employing a licensed architect and engineers to prepare the Architectural Plans. The franchisee must submit a complete set of final Architectural Plans to Auntie Anne's by the deadline specified in Section 6.5.B (Construction Start Deadline).
Auntie Anne's will review the Architectural Plans and either accept them or provide comments on required changes. The company offers an initial review at no cost, as well as a review of one revised set of plans incorporating their required changes, also at no cost. However, Auntie Anne's may charge a fee of $1,000 for each subsequent set of drawings reviewed that include modifications from previously accepted plans.
The review of the Architectural Plans by Auntie Anne's is limited to ensuring compliance with their standards and does not assess structural integrity or compliance with applicable laws. The franchisee cannot begin construction until Auntie Anne's has accepted the final Architectural Plans in writing. On completion of construction, any architect and General Contractor the franchisee employs must provide Auntie Anne's with a certificate stating that the as-built plans comply with the ADA, architectural guidelines under the ADA, and all other applicable laws.