What is a Crave franchisee prohibited from doing regarding standards and specifications?

According to Crave's 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document, franchisees must adhere strictly to the brand's standards and specifications. Specifically, a Crave franchisee is prohibited from deviating from the brand's established standards and specifications without prior written consent from Crave. This includes using or offering non-conforming items or differing amounts of any items in their food and beverage offerings.

This requirement ensures consistency across all Crave franchise locations, maintaining the quality and uniformity of products that customers expect. Franchisees must use only food and beverage items, ingredients, other products, materials, merchandise, supplies, and paper goods that meet Crave's standards. They must also prepare all menu items according to the recipes and procedures outlined in the manual or other written directives, including precise measurements of ingredients.

Crave retains the right to test samples from the franchisee's inventory to ensure compliance with these standards. Franchisees may be required to bear the cost of such testing if the supplier of the item has not been previously approved by Crave or if the sample fails to meet the brand's specifications. This provision allows Crave to maintain quality control and protect its brand reputation.

In practical terms, a prospective Crave franchisee needs to understand that they have limited flexibility in sourcing ingredients or modifying recipes. They must follow Crave's guidelines closely and obtain written approval for any deviations. This is a common practice in franchising, where brand consistency is a key factor in the success of the franchise system.