What is the name of the package that must be submitted with all requests for Ben Jerrys to evaluate a site?
Ben_Jerrys Franchise · 2025 FDDAnswer from 2025 FDD Document
Your site must be authorized during the Evaluation Period. We will not enter into Preliminary or Franchise Agreements for Shops with other parties in the Deposit Area under your Preliminary Agreement until the earlier to occur of the expiration of the Evaluation Period or our authorization of a site for your Shop. You must submit at least one potential site for your Shop. Depending on factors such as the availability of real estate and leasing requirements, we may require that you submit up to three potential sites for our review at the same time. A site evaluation package (the "SEP"), in a form prescribed by us, must be submitted with all requests for us to evaluate a site. We will have ten business days after we receive the complete SEP and materials from you to disapprove or authorize you to proceed forward, in our sole discretion, with the proposed site for the Shop. You must obtain our written authorization of the proposed site, including basic footprint review, before executing a lease or a binding agreement to purchase the proposed site. In evaluating potential sites, you may (but are not required to) use suppliers that we have approved for site consulting services. You must submit to us evidence that the lease or sublease will contain such terms and conditions for leasing or subleasing as are described in Item 8 of this Disclosure Document. The Deposit Area identified in the Preliminary Agreement is not the Territory assigned to the Scoop Shop. The Territory will be determined after the site is authorized and will typically be a smaller area. As described in Items 1 and 12, Satellite Shops will not have their own Territory, and will often be within the Territory of the primary Scoop Shop.
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 site evaluation package, referred to as the "SEP", must be submitted when requesting the franchisor to evaluate a potential site for a new Ben Jerrys location. Ben Jerrys will then have ten business days to either approve or disapprove the proposed site after receiving the complete SEP.
This requirement means that prospective Ben Jerrys franchisees must prepare a comprehensive package of information about any potential location they wish to have approved. This package has to be in a format prescribed by Ben Jerrys. Franchisees must receive written authorization of the proposed site, including a basic footprint review, before they can execute a lease or binding agreement to purchase the site.
Submitting a complete and well-prepared SEP is crucial for franchisees to move forward with their desired location. The franchisor's timely review period of ten business days provides a relatively quick turnaround for site approval, which can help in meeting deadlines and managing the overall timeline for opening a Ben Jerrys franchise.