Is there a cost to Black Bear Diner for providing certified financial statements?

According to the 2025 Black Bear Diner Franchise Disclosure Document, an accounting of the operation of the Marketing Fund will be prepared annually and made available to the franchisee upon request. Black Bear Diner reserves the right to require that such annual accounting include an audit of the operation of the Marketing Fund prepared by an independent certified public accountant selected by Black Bear Diner and prepared at the expense of the Marketing Fund.

This means that while an annual accounting of the Marketing Fund is provided to franchisees, if Black Bear Diner opts to have this accounting audited by an independent CPA, the cost of that audit is borne by the Marketing Fund itself, not directly by Black Bear Diner or the franchisee unless it impacts the marketing fund.

This is a fairly standard practice in franchising, where marketing funds are often subject to audit to ensure proper use of funds. The key takeaway for a prospective Black Bear Diner franchisee is understanding how the Marketing Fund is managed and the potential for audit expenses to be deducted from it.