Who is responsible for travel, lodging, and meal expenses during the Chocolate Bash pre-opening training?

According to Chocolate Bash's 2024 Franchise Disclosure Document, the franchisee is responsible for covering their own travel, lodging, meal, and other out-of-pocket expenses incurred during the pre-opening training program. Chocolate Bash itself does not charge any fee for the pre-opening training. The training is made available to the Principal Executive and up to 2 other employees at Chocolate Bash's headquarters or at a designated Chocolate Bash business.

This means that while the initial training itself is provided without a direct fee, franchisees must budget for and cover all associated costs to attend the training. These costs can include transportation to the training location, accommodation expenses, food, and any other incidental costs incurred during the training period.

This is a fairly standard practice in the franchise industry, where franchisees typically bear the costs of their own training-related travel and living expenses. Franchisees should factor these expenses into their initial investment calculations to ensure they have sufficient capital to complete the training and properly prepare for opening their Chocolate Bash franchise.