Is the Ben Jerrys Operator required to pay a registration fee for the national convention?
Ben_Jerrys Franchise · 2025 FDDAnswer from 2025 FDD Document
- 7.27 OPERATOR (or a designated full time employee of OPERATOR) shall, at OPERATOR's sole expense, attend the first national convention organized by BEN & JERRY'S after execution of this Franchise Agreement and shall participate in any training programs and workshops offered at the convention.
BEN & JERRY'S has the right to require that OPERATOR pay a registration fee to BEN & JERRY'S for each convention.
Failure to attend the first national convention after execution of this Agreement, and failure to attend two (2) consecutive conventions thereafter shall constitute a default of this Agreement for which BEN & JERRY'S shall immediately terminate this Agreement pursuant to Section 15.2.13.
Source: Item 22 — CONTRACTS (FDD pages 133–134)
What This Means (2025 FDD)
According to Ben Jerrys's 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document, the operator, or a designated full-time employee, must attend the first national convention after the franchise agreement is executed. The operator is also expected to participate in any training programs and workshops offered at the convention, bearing the sole expense for attendance.
Ben Jerrys retains the right to mandate that the operator pay a registration fee for each convention. This means that while attendance is compulsory, the financial responsibility for a registration fee is conditional and at the discretion of Ben Jerrys.
Failure to attend the initial national convention or two consecutive conventions thereafter constitutes a default of the agreement, potentially leading to immediate termination by Ben Jerrys. Therefore, while a registration fee may not always be required, attendance is a critical obligation for maintaining the franchise agreement.