Is the initial franchise fee for a Crave Express Restaurant refundable?

According to Crave's 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document, the initial franchise fee for a Crave Express Restaurant, which is $45,000, is generally not refundable. Item 7 states that in general, none of the expenses listed in the initial investment chart are refundable. This policy applies to the initial franchise fee, which is paid in a lump sum when the Franchise Agreement is signed.

This means that a prospective Crave franchisee should be aware that once the Franchise Agreement is signed and the initial franchise fee is paid, there is typically no way to get that money back. This is a standard practice in franchising, as the fee covers Crave's initial costs of granting the franchise, such as training, site selection assistance, and brand development.

However, the FDD does state that security deposits may be refundable. Therefore, it is important for a prospective franchisee to carefully review the Franchise Agreement and discuss the refundability of any fees or deposits with Crave before signing the agreement.