Are the costs paid to Churchs Chicken refundable?
Churchs_Chicken Franchise · 2025 FDDAnswer from 2025 FDD Document
ion regarding the "Church's Texas Chicken" trademark.
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- All costs paid to us are non-refundable.
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- You can find additional details about these fees in Item 5 above.
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- When you sign the Franchise Agreement, you will pay $15,500 to us for Grand Opening Funds, to be used for the purpose of conducting a Grand Opening Advertising Campaign ("GO Campaign") beginning no earlier than the date the Restaurant opens and ending no later than 90 days after the opening of the Restaurant. We will use all of the Grand Opening Funds to cover the cost of design and placement of all creative materials for the GO Campaign. The Grand Opening Funds are fully earned by us when paid and are not refundable. After the completion of the GO Campaign, on your request, we will provide written proof that
Source: Item 7 — ESTIMATED INITIAL INVESTMENT (FDD pages 24–31)
What This Means (2025 FDD)
According to the 2025 Churchs Chicken Franchise Disclosure Document, all costs paid to Churchs Chicken are non-refundable. This means that fees such as the Development Fee, the Initial Franchise Fee, and the Grand Opening Marketing Funds, are not refundable.
Specifically, the Grand Opening Funds, which range from $15,500 to $25,000, are fully earned by Churchs Chicken upon payment and are not refundable. These funds are designated for the Grand Opening Advertising Campaign, which begins no earlier than the restaurant opening and ends no later than 90 days after.
While the FDD states that Churchs Chicken will provide written proof that the Grand Opening Funds were spent in their entirety upon request after the campaign, the initial payment is non-refundable, regardless of the campaign's success or the franchisee's satisfaction. This is a standard practice in franchising, as these initial fees cover the franchisor's costs in setting up the franchise and providing initial support.