Can Buona grant other licenses for the Buona marks?
Buona Franchise · 2025 FDDAnswer from 2025 FDD Document
ment being offered by us on the date of execution of this Agreement, except that an addendum to the Franchise Agreement shall be entered into to incorporate terms of this Agreement relating to payments due under each Franchise Agreement. The terms and conditions of each such Franchise Agreement shall control the establishment and operation of such Buona Restaurant.
- 1.3 Except as otherwise provided in this Agreement, and as long you are in compliance with the Development Schedule and otherwise in compliance with this Agreement, we shall not establish, nor license anyone other than Developer the right to establish any Buona Restaurant in the Development Area prior to the expiration of the Development Schedule set forth in Exhibit B. As an alternative to a contiguous Development Area in which all Franchised Restaurants will be developed, we may designate a separate Development Area for each Franchised Restaurant to be developed and each specified Development Area will expire according to the development deadlines for that particular Franchised Restaurant as set forth in Exhibit B. We (and any affiliate) reserve the right to:
- (a) distribute products and services which comprise, may in the future comprise or which do not comprise, a part of the System through any alternative distribution channels including, but not limited to, supermarkets and other retail facilities, wholesale sale, catalogs, direct marketing, the Internet or similar electronic media, using the Marks ("Alternate Distribution Channels");
- (b) establish businesses which are franchised, licensed or owned by Franchisor or any affiliate at any locations Franchisor deems appropriate or distribute products or services which are similar to the products and services offered under the System under trade names, trademarks, service marks, trade dress or other commercial symbols other than the Marks.
- (c) to acquire or be acquired by a Franchisor establishing businesses identical or similar to the Buona Restaurant, even if the other business operates, franchises, and/or licenses competitive businesses anywhere, including the Protected Area; and
- (d) to implement and maintain multi-area marketing programs at any time, including internet and regional or national accounts. Franchisor reserves the right to establish mandatory policies and procedures for these multi-area marketing programs; and
- (e) to engage in any other business activities not expressly prohibited by this Agreement.
- 1.4 This Agreement is not a Franchise Agreement, and you shall have no right to use in any manner the System or the Marks by virtue of entering into this Agreement.
- 1.5 Developer shall have no right under this Agreement to license others to operate a business or use the System or the Marks.
2. FEES
2.1 Concurrent with the execution of this Agreement, you must execute a Franchise Agreement for the first Buona Restaurant to be developed and pay the initial franchise fees of Forty Thousand Dollars ($40,000.00) due under said Franchise Agreement. The initial franchise fee for the remaining Franchise Agreements shall be Thirty-Two Thousand Dollars ($32,000.00) on the condition that, at the time you sign any additional Franchise Agreement under this Agreement, you are currently in compliance with the
| ADA 2025 | - 2 - |
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| FRANCHISOR INITIALS | DEVELOPER INITIALS |
Development Schedule. If you are not in compliance with the Development Schedule at the time of signing any additional franchise agreement, you will pay the then-current initial franchise fee being charged to new franchisees if it is greater than Thirty-Two Thousand Dollars ($32,000.00).
2.2 Upon the execution of this Development Agreement, you shall pay a fee ("Development Fee") in the amount of Sixteen Thousand Dollars ($16,000.00) times the number of additional Buona Restaurants to be developed after the one for which Developer is signing a Franchise Agreement contemporaneously with this Development Agreement. The Development Fee is consideration for this Development Agreement, is fully earned by Franchisor upon execution of this Development Agreement and is non-refundable, notwithstanding any provision to the contrary contained in any Franchise Agreement. However, we will credit Sixteen Thousand Dollars ($16,000.00) of the Development Fee against the Initial Franchise Fee for each additional Franchise Agreement for a Buona Restaurant executed pursuant to, and in accordance with, this Development Agreement.
Source: Item 22 — CONTRACTS (FDD page 78)
What This Means (2025 FDD)
According to the 2025 Buona Franchise Disclosure Document, Buona can license others to establish Buona restaurants within a developer's development area, but only after the developer's exclusive rights to that area have expired. Specifically, if a developer is in full compliance with the Development Agreement, Buona must first offer the developer the option to establish additional Buona Restaurants under the then-current terms and conditions before licensing others. Buona will provide written notice of their intent, a general description of the proposed Buona Restaurant, a copy of the current Franchise Disclosure Document and Franchise Agreement, and any other necessary documents. The developer then has 30 days to exercise their option by executing the Franchise Agreement and paying the initial fee.
However, Buona's obligation to offer this right of first refusal is subject to certain exceptions. If agreements with a third party, lease restrictions, or other circumstances prevent the developer from operating the additional Buona Restaurant or restrict Buona from offering these rights, Buona is not obligated to offer the developer the right to establish or operate the additional location.
Furthermore, the FDD states that a developer has no right to license others to operate a business or use the Buona system or marks. This means that while Buona may grant licenses to others under certain conditions, the developer themselves cannot sublicense the rights they have been granted. This is a fairly standard practice in franchising, as the franchisor typically wants to maintain control over who is using their brand and system.