Is Buona obligated to provide opening assistance to the franchisee?
Buona Franchise · 2025 FDDAnswer from 2025 FDD Document
Franchisor will continue its reasonable efforts to assist Buona Businesses in maintaining high and uniform standards of quality, cleanliness, appearance and service, to protect and enhance the reputation of the System and the demand for the products and services of the System.
Franchisor will establish uniform criteria for approving suppliers and make every reasonable effort to disseminate its standards and specifications to prospective suppliers of Franchisee upon written request of Franchisee.
However, Franchisor may elect not to make available to prospective suppliers the standards and specifications for such formulae or equipment designs deemed by Franchisor in its sole discretion to be confidential.
Franchisor may conduct periodic inspections of the business premises and evaluations of the products used and sold at the Franchised Business.
- 11.3 Grand Opening Advertising and Marketing. Beginning sixty (60) days prior to the opening of the Franchised Business and continuing through the first ninety (90) days of operation of the Franchised Business, Franchisee must spend a minimum of Twenty Thousand Dollars ($20,000.00) conducting an advertising and marketing campaign to promote the grand opening of the Franchised Business. Grand opening monies will be spent on social media, print, radio, digital advertising and/or other advertising or promotions that Franchisor and Franchisee agree is best suited for Franchisee's grand opening campaign. The grand opening advertising and marketing shall be conducted in accordance with the Manual and/or other written guidelines Franchisor may issue on initial advertising and promotion.
- 11.4 Co-operative Advertising. Franchisee shall join and participate in any local advertising cooperative which has been or may be formed consisting of franchisees and/or Franchisor-owned or Affiliateowned Buona Businesses in Franchisee's area or region. Franchisee agrees to contribute to the cooperative in the amount and manner agreed upon by a majority of the members of the cooperative. Contributions made by you to the cooperative will be credited to your local advertising expenditure requirements in Section 11.2 above. Each Buona Business in the cooperative, whether franchised or company-owned or affiliate-owned, shall have one vote in the cooperative. Franchisor assumes no direct or indirect liability or obligation to Franchisee or to any local co-operative with respect to the maintenance, direction, or administration of the co-operative, including without limitation, any failure by any franchisees to make any contributions to the co-operative.
Source: Item 23 — RECEIPTS (FDD pages 78–356)
What This Means (2025 FDD)
According to Buona's 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document, Buona will continue its reasonable efforts to assist Buona Businesses in maintaining high and uniform standards of quality, cleanliness, appearance and service, to protect and enhance the reputation of the System and the demand for the products and services of the System. Buona will establish uniform criteria for approving suppliers and make every reasonable effort to disseminate its standards and specifications to prospective suppliers of Franchisee upon written request of Franchisee. However, Buona may elect not to make available to prospective suppliers the standards and specifications for such formulae or equipment designs deemed by Franchisor in its sole discretion to be confidential. Buona may conduct periodic inspections of the business premises and evaluations of the products used and sold at the Franchised Business.
Buona requires the franchisee to spend a minimum of $20,000 for advertising and marketing for 60 days prior to opening and continuing through the first 90 days of operation. These grand opening monies will be spent on social media, print, radio, digital advertising and/or other advertising or promotions that Buona and Franchisee agree is best suited for Franchisee's grand opening campaign. The grand opening advertising and marketing shall be conducted in accordance with the Manual and/or other written guidelines Buona may issue on initial advertising and promotion.
Buona also requires the franchisee to join and participate in any local advertising cooperative which has been or may be formed consisting of franchisees and/or Franchisor-owned or Affiliateowned Buona Businesses in Franchisee's area or region. Franchisee agrees to contribute to the cooperative in the amount and manner agreed upon by a majority of the members of the cooperative. Contributions made by you to the cooperative will be credited to your local advertising expenditure requirements. Each Buona Business in the cooperative, whether franchised or company-owned or affiliate-owned, shall have one vote in the cooperative. Buona assumes no direct or indirect liability or obligation to Franchisee or to any local co-operative with respect to the maintenance, direction, or administration of the co-operative, including without limitation, any failure by any franchisees to make any contributions to the co-operative.