For Ben Jerrys franchisees who lease or sublease their premises, what aspects of the lease or sublease will Ben Jerrys review?
Ben_Jerrys Franchise · 2025 FDDAnswer from 2025 FDD Document
stance.**
Pre-Opening Obligations
We are required by the Preliminary Agreement, Franchise Agreement and Development Agreement to provide the following types of assistance to you before you open the Shop:
Preliminary Agreement
If you sign a Preliminary Agreement, we will provide the following types of assistance and services to you:
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- We will review your request for a location and preliminary design approval, if you will lease or sublease the premises. (Preliminary Agreement § 6)
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- We will also review the lease or sublease to ensure that the lease contains the provisions required in the Preliminary Agreement, and that the duration of the lease is the same as
the term of your Franchise Agreement. (Preliminary Agreement § 7) The current form of required Lease Rider appears as Exhibit J to this Disclosure Document.
Franchise Agreement
Before you open the Shop, we will provide the following types of assistance and services to you:
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, if a franchisee intends to lease or sublease their premises, Ben Jerrys will review the request for location and preliminary design approval. Ben Jerrys will also review the lease or sublease to ensure that it contains the provisions required in the Preliminary Agreement.
Specifically, Ben Jerrys checks that the duration of the lease is the same as the term of the Franchise Agreement. The current form of the required Lease Rider is available as Exhibit J to the Disclosure Document.
Before a franchisee executes a lease or binding agreement to purchase a proposed site, they must obtain written authorization of the proposed site from Ben Jerrys, including a basic footprint review. Franchisees must also submit evidence that the lease or sublease will contain terms and conditions for leasing or subleasing as described in Item 8 of the Disclosure Document.