Can a Ben Jerrys franchisee be required to be a member of more than one Cooperative?
Ben_Jerrys Franchise · 2025 FDDAnswer from 2025 FDD Document
If a mandatory Cooperative for the geographic area in which your Shop is located, you must become a member of the Cooperative within 30 days. In no event will your Shop be required to be a member of more than one Cooperative; however, if you own more than one Shop, and the Shops are in different areas, it is possible that your Shops will be in different Cooperatives. Each Cooperative will be organized and governed in a form and manner approved by us in writing, and will commence operations on a date specified or approved by us. Each Cooperative will be organized for the exclusive purpose of administering regional advertising programs, and developing, subject to our approval, standardized promotional materials for use by the members in local advertising and promotion.
Source: Item 11 — FRANCHISOR'S ASSISTANCE, ADVERTISING, COMPUTER SYSTEMS, AND TRAINING (FDD pages 43–60)
What This Means (2025 FDD)
According to Ben Jerrys's 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document, a franchisee is generally not required to be a member of more than one Cooperative. The document states that if a mandatory Cooperative exists for the area where a Ben Jerrys shop is located, the franchisee must become a member within 30 days. However, it explicitly notes that a shop will not be required to be a member of more than one Cooperative.
There is an exception to this rule. If a Ben Jerrys franchisee owns multiple shops located in different geographic areas, each with its own mandatory Cooperative, then each of those shops would be required to participate in its respective Cooperative. This means the franchisee, while only having each individual shop belong to one Cooperative, would overall be involved in multiple Cooperatives due to their multi-unit ownership.
These Cooperatives are designed to administer regional advertising programs and develop standardized promotional materials, subject to Ben Jerrys's approval, for local advertising and promotion. Each Cooperative's organization and governance must be approved in writing by Ben Jerrys, ensuring brand consistency and adherence to company standards across different regions.