Is prior approval needed from Aw Papa Ray's Pizza to relocate a franchise?
Aw Franchise · 2025 FDDAnswer from 2025 FDD Document
grand opening program must be approved by us. You must provide us evidence of your grand opening advertising expenditures within one hundred twenty (120) days after the opening of the Papa Ray's Pizza Restaurant.
4.8 Relocation. You may operate your Papa Ray's Pizza Restaurant only at the Premises and you may not relocate your Papa Ray's Pizza Restaurant without our prior written approval. We will grant permission for relocation of your Papa Ray's Pizza Restaurant to a location approved by us if: (1) your lease for the Premises terminates through no fault of yours, (2) the Premises are damaged, condemned or otherwise rendered unusable, (3) in the judgment of both the Company and you, there is either a change in the character of the location of your Papa Ray's Pizza Restaurant sufficiently detrimental to its business potential to warrant its relocation, or the Premises is no longer suitable to meet the full business potential of your P
Source: Item 12 — TERRITORY (FDD pages 29–30)
What This Means (2025 FDD)
According to Aw Papa Ray's Pizza's 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document, a franchisee must obtain prior written approval from Aw to relocate their Papa Ray's Pizza Restaurant. The FDD specifies that a franchisee may only operate their Papa Ray's Pizza Restaurant at the approved premises and cannot relocate without this approval.
Aw will consider granting permission for relocation if certain conditions are met. These conditions include the lease terminating through no fault of the franchisee, the premises being damaged or condemned, or if there is a significant change in the location's character that negatively impacts the business potential. Relocation may also be approved if the current premises are no longer suitable to meet the full business potential of the Papa Ray's Pizza Restaurant.
If Aw approves the relocation, the franchisee is responsible for all associated expenses. Additionally, the franchisee must pay Aw a relocation fee of $500, along with any travel expenses Aw incurs while visiting the proposed new site. This policy ensures that Aw maintains control over the location of its franchises and that any relocation is in the best interest of the brand and the franchisee, while also ensuring the franchisee bears the costs of relocation.