What minimum equity/ownership interest in the franchise is required to be considered for the Ben Jerrys Manager-to-Franchisee Pathways Program?

For Ben & Jerry's Scoop Shop managers that are pursuing franchise ownership, we have a Manager-to-Franchisee Pathways Program that waives certain baseline requirements for franchise applicants and offers certain benefits and incentives, including a waiver or reduction of initial franchise fees, a period of royalty waivers, reimbursement for approved learning and development expenses, and customized training and support from our retail operations corporate team. Qualification for this program is evaluated on a case-by-case basis and managers must meet certain criteria to be considered for the program. As of the issuance date of this disclosure document, such criteria include (i) a minimum equity/ownership interest of 20% in the franchise; (ii) a minimum of 1-year experience as a Ben & Jerry's Scoop Shop manager; (iii) demonstrated System participation (e.g., attendance at Franchise Annual Meeting, participation in Systemwide calls, etc.); and (iv) a demonstrated commitment to and understanding of Ben & Jerry's three-part mission (as described in this Item 1, above). This program may be modified without notice at any time and we may establish and/or eliminate any benefits as we deem in the best interests of the System.

Source: Item 1 — THE FRANCHISOR AND ANY PARENTS, PREDECESSORS, AND AFFILIATES (FDD pages 9–16)