If a Buona franchisee or their supplier requests approval, approximately how long will Buona take to notify the franchisee of approval or disapproval?
Buona Franchise · 2025 FDDAnswer from 2025 FDD Document
If you desire to purchase any such items from an unapproved supplier, you or the supplier must submit to us a written request for approval. We may require, as a condition of approval, that our representatives be permitted to inspect the supplier's facilities, and that samples from the supplier be delivered either to us or an independent laboratory we designate for testing prior to granting approval. Either you or the supplier must pay a charge not to exceed our reasonable cost of inspection and the actual cost of testing. We will notify you of approval or disapproval of a supplier within approximately 30 days. We do not provide our criteria for approving suppliers to our franchisees. We may re-inspect the facilities and products of any approved supplier at any time and revoke our prior approval upon failure of such supplier to continue to meet our criteria for supplier approval.
Source: Item 8 — RESTRICTIONS ON SOURCES OF PRODUCTS AND SERVICES (FDD pages 32–34)
What This Means (2025 FDD)
According to Buona's 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document, if a franchisee or their supplier submits a written request for approval to purchase items from an unapproved supplier, Buona will notify the franchisee of approval or disapproval within approximately 30 days.
Buona may require inspection of the supplier's facilities and testing of samples before granting approval. The franchisee or supplier is responsible for covering the costs associated with these inspections and tests. Buona does not disclose the specific criteria used for approving suppliers to its franchisees.
Buona retains the right to re-inspect approved suppliers at any time and can revoke prior approval if the supplier fails to continue meeting Buona's standards. This ongoing evaluation ensures that suppliers consistently meet Buona's requirements, which helps maintain quality and consistency across the franchise system. This is a fairly standard practice in franchising, as franchisors need to maintain quality control over their brand.