What is the initial franchise fee for a Belocal Franchised Business?
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, the initial franchise fee for a Franchised Business is $735. However, Belocal is waiving this fee for franchises offered or entered into on or after the Issuance Date of the disclosure document, specifically those that facilitate the publishing of a new publication. This waiver is in effect unless the disclosure document is amended to reflect otherwise.
Belocal reserves 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. This means that if a franchisee takes over an existing publication that was previously managed under a different arrangement (a "Bridge Publication"), the initial franchise fee may apply.
The FDD notes that last year, Belocal uniformly waived the initial franchise fee for both new publications and Bridge Publications. If the initial franchise fee is charged, it is non-refundable and due in a lump sum payment. Prospective franchisees should confirm with Belocal whether the fee is currently being waived and under what conditions it might be charged.