Is a Buona franchisee prohibited from allowing employees to wear potentially offensive items?
Buona Franchise · 2025 FDDAnswer from 2025 FDD Document
- (b) Restrictions Against Potentially Offensive Items.
Franchisee is prohibited from displaying in the Franchised Business, or allowing any employees to wear, items that are potentially offensive to customers or other employees.
By way of example only and not limiting the scope or applicability of this provision, such items include those that express any religious, political, or personal views.
The Franchisor's determination in this regard shall be final.
Source: Item 22 — CONTRACTS (FDD page 78)
What This Means (2025 FDD)
According to Buona's 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document, franchisees are indeed prohibited from allowing employees to wear potentially offensive items. Specifically, Buona does not allow franchisees to display items that could be offensive to customers or other employees within the franchised business. This extends to preventing employees from wearing such items.
The restriction covers a broad range of items, including those that express religious, political, or personal views. Buona retains the final say in determining what constitutes a potentially offensive item. This policy is in place to maintain a consistent brand image and protect the goodwill of the Buona brand by ensuring a welcoming and respectful environment for all customers and employees.
This type of restriction is relatively common in franchising, particularly in the food service industry, where maintaining a family-friendly and inclusive atmosphere is important for attracting a broad customer base. Prospective Buona franchisees should be aware of this restriction and ensure that their employees comply with it to avoid any potential conflicts with the franchisor.