Does the Buona questionnaire ask if you signed a receipt for the Franchise Disclosure Document indicating the date you received it?

According to Buona's 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document, the Franchise Acknowledgement Questionnaire does include a question about signing a receipt for the Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD). Specifically, the questionnaire asks franchisees if they signed a receipt indicating the date they received the FDD. This is a standard practice in franchising to ensure that franchisees acknowledge they received the FDD within the legally required timeframe.

This acknowledgement is important because franchise regulations require franchisors to provide the FDD to prospective franchisees at least 14 days before they sign any binding agreements or make any payments. By signing a receipt, the franchisee confirms they received the document in a timely manner, which helps protect both the franchisee and the franchisor. The Buona questionnaire also asks if the receipt for the FDD identified the franchise sellers with whom the applicant had discussions about the franchise opportunity.

However, the FDD also notes that prospective franchisees who reside in, or intend to operate the franchised business in the state of California, should not complete the questionnaire or respond to any of the questions contained within it. This may be due to specific franchise regulations in California that require a different process or form of acknowledgement.

Overall, the inclusion of this question in Buona's Franchise Acknowledgement Questionnaire indicates the importance of adhering to franchise disclosure regulations and ensuring that franchisees are fully informed before entering into a franchise agreement. Prospective franchisees should carefully review the FDD and all related documents, and honestly respond to all questions in the questionnaire.