If Belocal charges an initial franchise fee, is it due in a lump sum?
Belocal Franchise · 2025 FDDAnswer from 2025 FDD Document
The initial franchise fee for a Franchised Business is $735. However, we are waiving the initial franchise fee for franchises offered or entered into on or after the Issuance Date of this disclosure document that facilitate the publishing of a new publication, unless this disclosure document is amended to reflect otherwise.
We reserve the right to charge the initial franchise fee of $735 if the franchise is for the management of a publication that was formerly a Bridge Publication.
If we were to charge a franchise fee, the fee would be non-refundable and due in a lump sum. Last year, we uniformly waived the initial franchise fee for both new publications and Bridge Publications.
Source: Item 5 — INITIAL FEES (FDD pages 13–14)
What This Means (2025 FDD)
According to Belocal's 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document, if the initial franchise fee of $735 is charged, it is due in a lump sum. However, Belocal is waiving the initial franchise fee for franchises offered or entered into on or after the issuance date of the disclosure document, specifically for those that facilitate the publishing of a new publication. This waiver is in effect unless the disclosure document is amended to reflect otherwise.
Belocal retains the right to charge the initial franchise fee of $735 if the franchise involves managing a publication that was previously a Bridge Publication. The FDD also notes that last year, Belocal uniformly waived the initial franchise fee for both new publications and Bridge Publications.
For a prospective Belocal franchisee, this means that under current conditions, they may not have to pay the initial franchise fee. However, it is important to verify whether the waiver is still in effect at the time of signing the franchise agreement and whether the franchise qualifies for the waiver, as Belocal reserves the right to charge the fee under certain circumstances.