Is Crave Cookies Franchising, LLC the only required supplier of proprietary boxes for Crave Cookies franchisees?
Crave_Cookies Franchise · 2025 FDDAnswer from 2025 FDD Document
Franchisee will purchase proprietary boxes from Crave Cookies Franchising, LLC.
Franchisee must purchase proprietary boxes, and items such as shirts, tumblers, gift cards and all other Crave merchandise from Crave Cookies, LLC. Purchasing products and services from us is exclusive and mandatory.
You must purchase the boxes you will use in the operation of the franchised business from Crave Cookies Franchising, LLC.
We estimate that the required purchases and leases to establish your business are 50% to 80% of your total purchases and leases to establish your business.
We estimate that the required purchases and leases of goods and services to operate your business are 50% to 80% of your total purchases and leases of goods and services to operate your business.
Source: Item 8 — RESTRICTIONS ON SOURCES OF PRODUCTS AND SERVICES (FDD pages 17–19)
What This Means (2025 FDD)
According to Crave Cookies's 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document, franchisees are required to purchase proprietary boxes from Crave Cookies Franchising, LLC. This means that Crave Cookies franchisees do not have the option to source these boxes from alternative suppliers unless specifically approved by the franchisor.
This requirement ensures brand consistency and quality control, as the proprietary boxes are a part of the Crave Cookies brand identity. While franchisees can request approval for alternative suppliers, Crave Cookies retains the right to grant or revoke such approvals based on their own criteria. The criteria for approving alternative suppliers are not disclosed to the franchisee.
Beyond proprietary boxes, franchisees must also purchase items such as shirts, tumblers, gift cards, and all other Crave merchandise from Crave Cookies, LLC. This purchasing requirement is exclusive and mandatory, further limiting the franchisee's choice of suppliers for branded merchandise. This is a fairly common practice in franchising, where franchisors seek to maintain uniformity and protect their brand standards.
Crave Cookies estimates that required purchases and leases account for 50% to 80% of the total purchases and leases necessary to both establish and operate the business. This indicates a significant portion of a franchisee's expenses will be directed toward approved or mandated suppliers, impacting their operational costs and potentially their profit margins.