Can a Carvel franchisee begin construction of the Franchised Business before receiving written acceptance of the final Architectural Plans from Carvel?
Carvel Franchise · 2025 FDDAnswer from 2025 FDD Document
bmission of Plans. You must submit to us at least 30 days before the Construction Start Deadline (as defined in Section 6.5.B. (Construction Start Deadline)) a complete set of final Architectural Plans. We will promptly review the Architectural Plans and will either accept the Architectural Plans or provide comments to you on changes we require. After our initial review of your Architectural Plans at no cost and our review of one revised set of Architectural Plans that incorporate our required changes at no cost, we may charge a fee of $2,500 for each set of drawings we review that include any other modifications from the plans that we have previously accepted. Our review of the Architectural Plans is limited to ensuring your compliance with our Standards and is not designed to assess structural integrity or compliance with applicable Laws. You may not begin construction of the Franchised Business until we have accepted the final Architectural Plans in writing.
- 6.3 Construction, Inspection, and Government Approvals.
Source: Item 23 — Receipts (FDD pages 100–353)
What This Means (2025 FDD)
According to Carvel's 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document, a franchisee cannot begin construction of their franchised business until Carvel has provided written acceptance of the final Architectural Plans. The franchisee must submit a complete set of final Architectural Plans to Carvel at least 30 days before the Construction Start Deadline. Carvel will then review the plans and either accept them or provide comments on required changes.
Carvel's review of the Architectural Plans is limited to ensuring compliance with their standards and does not assess structural integrity or compliance with applicable laws. It is the franchisee's responsibility to ensure the plans comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and all other federal, state, and local statutes, rules, regulations, ordinances, and codes. The franchisee's architect must certify compliance before Carvel approves the plans.
This requirement ensures that all Carvel franchise locations adhere to the brand's standards and legal requirements before construction begins. Failing to obtain written acceptance of the final Architectural Plans before starting construction could result in delays, additional costs, and potential non-compliance issues, as well as potential termination of the franchise agreement.