Under a Ben Jerrys Development Agreement, when is the Development Fee due?

According to Ben Jerrys' 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document, if you sign a Development Agreement, your initial investment will be in the form of a nonrefundable Development Fee. The timing of when this fee is due is not specified in the provided excerpts. However, Item 7 includes a table outlining various expenditures and their due dates, but it does not include the Development Fee.

While the FDD excerpts detail the amounts of the Development Fee, which vary depending on whether you are a new or existing franchisee and the number of Scoop Shops you plan to develop, it does not explicitly state when the Development Fee is due. For example, a new franchisee developing three Scoop Shops would pay a $20,000 Development Fee, while an existing franchisee developing three Scoop Shops would pay $15,000.

To fully understand the payment schedule for the Development Fee, a prospective Ben Jerrys franchisee should ask the franchisor directly about the specific timing of when the Development Fee is due under the Development Agreement. This information is crucial for financial planning and ensuring sufficient capital is available when required.