What support and services will GoTo Foods be providing to Carvel franchisees?
Carvel Franchise · 2025 FDDAnswer from 2025 FDD Document
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We participate in the SBA's Franchise Directory. We may modify the Franchise Agreement, if necessary, to comply with SBA requirements for you to participate in certain SBA loan programs.
ITEM 11
FRANCHISOR'S ASSISTANCE, ADVERTISING, COMPUTER SYSTEMS AND TRAINING
Except as listed below, we are not required to provide you with any assistance.
As noted in Item 1, we have entered into a management agreement with GoTo Foods for it to provide certain support and services to Carvel franchisees. GoTo Foods may delegate certain of these responsibilities to CL, the previous franchisor of Carvel franchises, or other affiliates. However, we remain responsible for all of the support and services required under the Franchise Agreement.
1. Site Selection Review. We will review the location you select for your Shoppe and accept it if it meets our minimum site criteria, at which point it will become the Accepted Location. You may not acquire the Accepted Location until we have accepted it. If you and we have not agreed on an Accepted Location at the time we sign the Franchise Agreement, you must select a location that complies with our site selection criteria within a geographic area that we specify. For any proposed site, we may require you to obtain a site selection analysis from an Approved Supplier, which may include an analysis of such factors as traffic patterns, demographics, and competitors within the market, and provide us with a copy of this analysis. We estimate the cost for this site selection analysis will be $2,500 to $5,000. We consider the following factors in determining whether to accept sites: population density and demographics, traffic flow, pedestrian traffic counts, visibility, parking, access, household income, and local competition, including other Shoppes. There is no time limit for us to approve or disapprove of a site. (Franchise Agreement, Section 5.1)
While we may assist you in selecting a proposed site, we are not obligated to do so. We or our affiliates typically do not lease or sublease locations for Shoppes, but we may do so from time to time. (Franchise Agreement, Section 5.2)
We expect you to retain an independent expert to evaluate the suitability of a proposed site and to conduct your independent investigation of the site. We disclaim any responsibility for the suitability of the Accepted Location. Our acceptance of the site is based on the site satisfying our minimum site selection criteria only and will not be construed as a representation or warranty that
the Shoppe located at the Accepted Location will be successful. (Franchise Agreement, Section 5.3)
- 2. Site Agreement. You must deliver a copy of the signed lease, sublease, or other rental agreement for the location (the "Lease") or purchase agreement for the location (the "Purchase Agreement" and, collectively with the Lease, the "Site Agreement") to us with all material terms specified therein. You will be solely responsible for negotiation of the terms of the Site Agreement and performance under the Site Agreement. We will have the right, but not the obligation, to review your Site Agreement prior to its execution to verify its compliance with our requirements. (Franchise Agreement, Section 5.4)
- 3. Evaluate Co-branding and Hosted Express Shoppes. We will evaluate any request to (i) co-brand an Express Shoppe with another business, (ii) operate a Hosted Express Shoppe in a Host Facility, or (iii) change the Host Facility for a Hosted Express Shoppe, and you must obtain our consent in connection with your request.
- 4. General Contractor. We will designate or pre-approve one or more licensed and insured general contractors (a "General Contractor") that you must engage, at your own expense, to complete your buildout, unless we, in our sole discretion, agree in writing to accept a General Contractor that you propose. Our designation, pre-approval, or acceptance of a General Contractor will not in any way be our endorsement of such General Contractor or render us liable for such General Contractor's performance. (Franchise Agreement, Section 6.1.A.)
- 5. Architect. We will designate or pre-approve one or more licensed architects (an "Architect") that you must engage, at your own expense, to develop architectural plans, unless we, in our sole discretion, agree in writing to accept an Architect that you propose. Our designation, pre-approval, or acceptance of an Architect will not in any way be our endorsement of such Architect or render us liable for such Architect's performance or such Architect's compliance with professional design standards or adherence to local codes. You also must engage, at your expense, licensed engineers (e.g., mechanical, electrical, plumbing, or structural engineers), as necessary or appropriate. (Franchise Agreement, Section 6.2.A.(i))
- 6. Plans and Build-out. We will provide a sample layout and specifications for the Shoppe. We will review the Architectural Plans developed by your Architect and engineers. 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. 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. We must accept your Architectural Plans in writing prior to you submitting them for permits and beginning construction. During the construction process, we may inspect your Shoppe or photographs that you provide to verify that it complies with the Architectural Plans and our Standards, and we may charge you a $2,500 on-site inspection fee if we conduct two or more on-site inspections. You may not open the Shoppe until we provide our consent in writing. (Franchise Agreement, Sections 6.2, 6.3, and 6.5)
- 7. Goods.
Source: Item 21 — Financial Statements (FDD page 99)
What This Means (2025 FDD)
According to Carvel's 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document, GoTo Foods provides certain support and services to Carvel franchisees through a management agreement with the franchisor. These services can be delegated to CL, the previous franchisor, or other affiliates, but Carvel remains responsible for ensuring all support and services outlined in the Franchise Agreement are fulfilled.
GoTo Foods' support includes site selection review, where Carvel will review and accept the franchisee's chosen location if it meets the minimum site criteria. While Carvel may assist in site selection, it is not obligated to do so. Franchisees may be required to obtain a site selection analysis from an Approved Supplier, costing between $2,500 and $5,000. Carvel considers factors such as population density, traffic flow, visibility, parking, household income, and local competition when evaluating potential sites.
GoTo Foods also provides supply chain management through its indirect subsidiary, GoTo Supply. GoTo Supply handles procurement, distribution, logistics, and quality assurance for Carvel and other franchise systems within the GoTo Foods Portfolio. They aim to leverage the collective buying power of these systems to provide value. GoTo Supply recovers costs by collecting a per-case distribution fee from Appointed Distributors. In fiscal year 2024, GoTo Systems and FSC collectively collected approximately $8,453,083 in distribution case fees and logistics savings for all franchise systems within the GoTo Foods Portfolio.
Additionally, GoTo Foods Rewards, another indirect subsidiary, administers the gift card program for Carvel Shoppes and other brands in the GoTo Foods Portfolio. In fiscal year 2024, GoTo Rewards collected $6,301 from providing products or services to franchisees in connection with the Gift Card and Loyalty Program. GoTo Systems also guarantees Carvel's performance of obligations under the franchise agreements.