How do the restrictions on suppliers in Crave's Item 8 relate to the franchisor's assistance in Item 11?
Crave Franchise · 2025 FDDAnswer from 2025 FDD Document
pan id="page-25-1">You must purchase or lease and install all fixtures, furnishings, equipment (including point-of-sales system and associated hardware and software), décor items, signs and related items we require, all of which must conform to the standards and specifications stated in our Confidential Operations Manual (the "Manual") or otherwise in writing, unless you have first obtained our written consent to do otherwise. You may not install or permit to be installed on the Restaurant premises, or on or in the Food Truck, any fixtures, furnishings, equipment, décor items, signs, games, vending machines or other items without our written consent or that do not comply with our specifications.
To make sure that the highest degree of quality and service is maintained, you must operate the Franchised Business in strict conformity with the methods, standards, and specifications that we prescribe in the Manual or otherwise in writing. You must maintain in sufficient supply and use and sell at all times only those food and beverage items, ingredients, products, materials, supplies and paper goods that meet our standards and specifications. All menu items must be prepared in accordance with the recipes and procedures specified in the Manual or other written materials. You must not deviate from these standards and specifications by the use or offer of non-conforming items, or differing amounts of any items, without obtaining our written consent first. We can, and expect to, modify our standards and specifications as we deem necessary. We will provide you notice in the Manual or otherwise in writing (such as via email) of any changes in our standards and/or specifications.
You must permit us or our agents, during normal business hours, to remove a reasonable number of samples of food or non-food items from your inventory or from the Franchised Business free of charge for testing by us or by an independent laboratory to determine whether the samples meet our then-current standards and specifications. In addition to any other remedies we may have, we may require you to reimburse our costs for the testing if we have not previously approved the supplier of the item or if the sample fails to conform to our specifications.
You must obtain all food and beverage items, ingredients, supplies, materials, fixtures, furnishings, equipment (including point-of-sale system and the associated hardware and software, and communication systems), and other products used or offered for sale at the Franchised Business solely from suppliers who demonstrate, to our continuing reasonable satisfaction, the ability to meet our then-current standards or in accordance with our standards and specifications. A complete list of our approved products and suppliers will be included in the Manual and is subject to change over time. We will provide you notice in the Manual or otherwise in writing (such as via email) of any changes to the lists of approved products and approved suppliers.
If you choose to install a self-serve beer tap wall, our sole approved supplier for the required selfserve beer tap wall equipment and installation services and for the support and maintenance of the beer wall in your Restaurant is PourMyBeer based in Chicago, Illinois. If you choose to install a self-serve beer tap wall, you must purchase all non-beer tap wall equipment, and all furniture and small wares from our designated supplier for these products, Burkett Restaurant Equipment & Supplies in Perrysburg, Ohio. You must also purchase or lease the eight-valve legacy system (bag-in-box) soda dispensing machine from The Coca-Cola Company, and it must include the dispenser for Gold Peak Tea. Food Truck businesses are not required to have a soda dispensing machine. If you choose to install a self-serve beer tap wall, you must use the Untappd App, through the designated supplier Untappd, in operating your Restaurant in order to update the tap beers on the beer wall and to communicate with the local beer community. Use of this app is not required for Food Truck or Express Restaurant businesses. All furniture must be purchased through East Coast Chair and Barstool in Mercer, PA.
You must use the Clover point-of-sale system, including all associated hardware and software, and Clover Network, Inc. in Sunnyvale, California, is our designated supplier for this system and for the Abreeze Reporting App.
What This Means (2025 FDD)
According to Crave's 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document, Item 8 outlines the restrictions on sources of products and services, which directly relates to the assistance Crave provides as detailed in Item 11. Crave requires franchisees to purchase or lease fixtures, furnishings, equipment, and other items that conform to their standards and specifications. This is to ensure quality and consistency across all franchise locations. Crave can modify these standards and specifications as deemed necessary, providing notice of any changes in the manual or in writing.
To ensure compliance with these standards, Crave or its agents can take samples of food and non-food items from the franchisee's inventory for testing. If a supplier hasn't been previously approved or if the samples fail to meet Crave's specifications, the franchisee may have to reimburse Crave for the testing costs. Crave also has the right to negotiate purchase arrangements with suppliers for the benefit of franchisees and the system. They may establish strategic alliances or preferred vendor programs, potentially limiting the number of approved suppliers franchisees can use.
Item 11 notes that Crave may provide advice and written materials concerning techniques of managing and operating the Franchised Business, including new developments and improvements in equipment, food products, packaging, and preparation. This assistance ensures franchisees are aware of any changes to required products or suppliers. By controlling the supply chain and offering support, Crave aims to maintain brand consistency and quality across all franchise locations. However, the FDD states that Crave is not required to provide franchisees with any assistance except as listed in Item 11.