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What is the relationship between the territory granted to a Buona franchisee in Item 12 and the franchisee's obligations as outlined in Item 9?

Buona Franchise · 2025 FDD

Answer from 2025 FDD Document

[Item 12: TERRITORY]

If you default in your obligations under the Development Schedule, we may, in our sole discretion, do any one or more of the following: (i) immediately terminate the Area Development Agreement and all rights granted under to you without affording you any opportunity to cure the default effective by delivery to you of a written notice from us; (ii) reduce the number of Buona Restaurants which you have the right to establish and open pursuant to the Development Agreement; or (iii) exercise any other rights and remedies which we may have under applicable law. Otherwise, we do not alter your territorial rights.

As you develop each Buona Business under the Area Development Agreement, the Protected Area granted under each Franchise Agreement will be based on our then-current standards for granting protected areas, which may differ from standards for protected areas granted to franchisees under this Disclosure Document.


[Item 12: TERRITORY]

ITEM 12 TERRITORY

We will grant you the right to operate a Buona Business under the Marks at one specific location approved by us ("Approved Location"). Once a site is selected by you and approved by us, you may not relocate your Buona Business without our prior written approval, which approval will not be unreasonably withheld provided you are not then in default under the Franchise Agreement or any other agreement between you and us or any of our affiliates. Our approval for relocation is based on the same standards we use to approve new Buona Business sites.

For the single brand Buona Business, you will be granted an exclusive territory, referred to as the "Protected Area." During the term of the Franchise Agreement, provided Franchisee or any of its affiliated companies is not in default of the Franchise Agreement or any agreement with us, a parent, subsidiary or affiliate, we will not establish, nor grant another the right to establish a Buona Restaurant within the Protected Area that will be described in Exhibit C to the Franchise Agreement. Once the Approved Location has been determined, we shall complete Exhibit A to the Franchise Agreement with the description of the Protected Area. The Protected Area will be a ½ mile radius from the Approved Location in an urban area, and otherwise will have a minimum population of 60,000.

If you are establishing a Dual Brand Business, you will have a Protected Area of a ½ mile radius from the Approved Location in an urban area, and otherwise will have a minimum population of 60,000 for the Buona Business. You will not be granted a Protected Area for The Original Rainbow Cone. For the Original Rainbow Cone business, you will not receive an exclusive territory. You may face competition from other franchisees, from outlets that we own, or from other channels of distribution or competitive brands that we control.


[Item 9: FRANCHISEE'S OBLIGATIONS]

Obligation Section in Franchise Agreement Disclosure Document Item
a. Site selection and acquisition/lease Sections 1.1, 6.2, 6.3 9.2(b), and 16.2(a) Exhibit A Item 11
b. Pre-opening purchases/leases Sections 6.3 and 10.3 Items 5 and 7
c. Site development and other pre-opening Sections 1.1, 5.5, 6.1 – Items 5, 6, 7, 8 and
requirements 6.4, 8.2, and 8.3 11
d. Initial and ongoing training Article VIII Item 11
e. Opening Section 6.5 and 16.2(a) Items 8 and 11
f. Fees Sections 2.2, Article III, 4.7, 6.6, 8.2, 8.3, 8.4, 8.5, 8.6, 9.7, 10.3, 12.3, 15.3, 15.4 16.6, 16.9 and 24.11 ADA – Sec. 2 Items 5 and 6
g. Compliance with standards and policies/Operating Manual Article VII and Section 10.2 Items 8 and 11
h. Trademarks and proprietary information Article V ADA – Sec. 6 Items 13 and 14
i. Restrictions on products/services offered Section 4.1 and Article X Item 16
j. Warranty and customer service requirements Section 10.12 Item 11
k. Territorial development and sales quotas Section 14.1 ADA – Sec. 3 Item 12
l. Ongoing product/service purchases Section 10.3 Item 8
Obligation Section in Franchise Agreement Disclosure Document Item
---- -------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------- -----------------------------
m. Maintenance, appearance and remodeling requirements Sections 10.1 and 10.8 Item 11
n. Insurance Article XII Item 8
o. Advertising Section 1.6, 10.5 and Article XI Item 11
p. Indemnification Sections 10.1, 12.4, 15.6, 16.8 and 19.3 Item 6
q. Owner's participation/management/staffing Sections 6.1, 10.6, 10.7, 10.12 and 14.1 Item 15
r. Records/reports Article IV Item 11
s. Inspections/audits Sections 4.7, 9.4, 10.15 and 10.16 Item 8
t. Transfer Article XV ADA – Sec. 8 Item 17
u. Renewal Sections 2.2 and 2.3 Items 6 and 17
v. Post-termination obligations Section 17.2 ADA - Sec. 7.4 Item 17
w. Non-competition covenants Article XIV ADA – Sec. 9 Items 14, 15 and 17
x. Dispute resolution Article XXIV ADA – Sec. 12 Item 17
Obligation Section in Franchise Agreement Disclosure
--- --- --- ---
Document Item
y. Other: Guaranty Section 6.1(a) and
Exhibit F
ADA – Sec. 15 and
Exhibit C

[Item 12: TERRITORY]

We do not pay compensation for soliciting or accepting orders inside your Protected Area.

We retain the rights, among others, without any compensation to you:

    1. To use, and to license others to use, the Marks and the System for the operation of Buona Businesses at any location outside of your Protected Area;
    1. To establish ourselves or through an affiliate or grant a franchise for a Buona Business at a Non-Traditional Site within your Protected Area;
    1. establish company-owned or franchisee-operated businesses that sell similar products and/or services under different trade names or trademarks other than the Marks or System;
    1. to sell products or services under the Marks, or any other marks, through any other wholesale or retail outlets;
    1. to use the Marks or the System to sell any products, including products that are the same or similar to those which you will sell, within and outside of your Protected Area, through any alternative channels of distribution, regardless of their proximity to your location or their impact on your existing or potential customers. This includes without limitation grocery stores, convenience stores, club or warehouse stores, other retail outlets, direct marketing sales, and other channels of distribution such as television, direct mail, mail order, catalog sales, telemarketing, or over the internet. We exclusively reserve the internet, including computerized or remote entry ordering systems, as a channel of distribution for us, and you may not independently market on the internet or conduct e-commerce unless you have received our prior written permission (which we may withhold in our sole discretion) or unless such activities are expressly authorized by the Manual;
    1. To acquire, merge with, or be acquired by any other business, including a business that operate or license businesses that compete directly with your Buona Business; and
    1. To implement multi-area marketing programs, including internet and regional or national accounts, which may allow us or others to solicit or sell to customers anywhere. We reserve the right to issue mandatory policies to coordinate these multi-area marketing programs.

You will not receive the right to acquire additional franchises or additional Buona Businesses, or a right of first refusal on the sale of existing franchises under the Franchise Agreement.

Continuation of your rights to the Protected Area is not dependent upon achieving a certain sales volume, market penetration or other or market penetration or other contingency. We cannot alter your territorial rights.

What This Means (2025 FDD)

According to Buona's 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document, Item 12 outlines the territory granted to a franchisee, while Item 9 details the franchisee's obligations. The FDD indicates that if a franchisee defaults on their obligations under the Development Schedule, Buona may terminate the Area Development Agreement, reduce the number of Buona Restaurants the franchisee can establish, or exercise other legal remedies. The franchisee's obligations, as detailed in Item 9, encompass various aspects of operating the franchise, including site selection, pre-opening requirements, training, fee payments, compliance with standards, and adherence to policies outlined in the operating manual. These obligations are directly linked to specific sections within the Franchise Agreement and other Items in the Disclosure Document.

For a single-brand Buona Business, the franchisee receives an exclusive territory, known as the "Protected Area," typically a ½ mile radius from the Approved Location in an urban area, or a minimum population of 60,000 otherwise. To maintain this Protected Area, the franchisee must remain in compliance with the Franchise Agreement and any other agreements with Buona or its affiliates. Failure to meet the obligations listed in Item 9, such as maintaining standards, paying fees, or adhering to operational requirements, could result in the loss of territorial exclusivity.

Buona also retains certain rights within the Protected Area, including the right to establish or franchise Buona Businesses at Non-Traditional Sites, sell products through alternative channels, and implement multi-area marketing programs. The franchisee's compliance with the Franchise Agreement, as detailed in Item 9, is crucial for maintaining the territorial rights granted in Item 12. However, Buona's retention of certain rights means that even a compliant franchisee may face some internal competition within their Protected Area.

Disclaimer: This information is extracted from the 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document and is provided for research purposes only. It does not constitute legal or financial advice. Consult with a franchise attorney before making any investment decisions.