Does Minnesota law allow Cinnaholic franchisees to be required to litigate disputes outside of Minnesota?

According to Cinnaholic's 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document, Minnesota law protects franchisees from being forced to litigate disputes outside of the state. Specifically, Minnesota Statute 80C.21 and Minnesota Rule 2860.4400(J) explicitly prohibit Cinnaholic from requiring franchisees to conduct litigation outside of Minnesota. This provision ensures that Cinnaholic franchisees can pursue legal action within their home state, avoiding the increased costs and logistical challenges of out-of-state litigation.

This protection extends to ensuring that nothing in the franchise disclosure document or any agreements can diminish a franchisee's rights under Minnesota Statute 80C or their access to procedures, forums, or remedies provided by Minnesota law. This means that Cinnaholic cannot use the franchise agreement to circumvent Minnesota's legal protections for franchisees.

In practical terms, this addendum ensures that if a Cinnaholic franchisee in Minnesota has a dispute with the franchisor that leads to litigation, the franchisee will have the right to pursue that litigation in Minnesota courts. This provision provides a significant benefit to Minnesota franchisees by ensuring a local venue for resolving legal disputes, which can save time and money.