When does a Crave franchisee sign the Franchise Agreement for the first Franchised Business?

According to Crave's 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document, the timing of signing the Franchise Agreement depends on whether the franchisee is an individual franchisee or a multi-unit developer. Individual franchisees sign the Franchise Agreement before opening their Crave Restaurant or Food Truck. The FDD estimates the time between signing the Franchise Agreement and opening the business to be three to six months for a Food Truck and four to eight months for a Restaurant. This timeframe allows for site selection, financing, permitting, construction, and preparation. Franchisees must open their business within six months (Food Truck) or twelve months (Restaurant) of signing the Franchise Agreement, or Crave has the right to terminate the agreement or extend the opening period.

For multi-unit developers, the process is slightly different. These franchisees sign the Franchise Agreement for their first Franchised Business at the same time they sign the Multi-Unit Development Agreement. This agreement grants them the right to develop multiple Crave locations within a specific geographic area. Subsequent Franchise Agreements for additional locations under the Multi-Unit Development Agreement will be based on Crave's then-current Franchise Agreement, which may differ from the original agreement.

In both scenarios, Crave requires franchisees to secure necessary approvals before proceeding with key steps. Franchisees must obtain Crave's approval of the site or municipality for their business before signing any contracts or leases. Additionally, construction plans for Restaurants must be approved by Crave to ensure compliance with brand standards and specifications. These requirements aim to protect Crave's brand identity and ensure consistency across all franchise locations.