Is a prospective Cinnaholic franchisee required to review the exhibits and schedules attached to the Development Agreement and Franchise Agreement?

According to Cinnaholic's 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document, prospective franchisees are expected to carefully review all agreements, including the exhibits attached to the Development Agreement and Franchise Agreement. The Receipt in Exhibit L states that the Disclosure Document summarizes provisions of the development agreement, the franchise agreement and other information in plain language, and it explicitly advises potential franchisees to read the Disclosure Document and all agreements carefully.

Furthermore, Exhibit I includes a Franchisee Disclosure Questionnaire that the franchisee must sign the same day they sign the Development Agreement and/or Franchise Agreement and pay their development and/or franchise fee. This questionnaire aims to confirm that the franchisee has not received any unauthorized or misleading statements and that they understand the limitations on claims related to the franchise. The questionnaire emphasizes the importance of honest responses to ensure the franchisee is properly represented and informed.

In addition, several addenda included in the FDD for specific states such as Virginia, Maryland, and Illinois, highlight the importance of the franchisee's understanding of all documents, including exhibits and schedules. For example, the Illinois addendum states that any provision disclaiming reliance on the franchise disclosure document, including any exhibit, is unenforceable. Similarly, the Virginia addendum notes that its terms govern if there are inconsistencies between the addendum and the agreement, exhibits, or schedules. These clauses reinforce the necessity of reviewing all components of the franchise agreement to fully understand the terms and conditions.