Does Cream generally own or lease sites to franchisees?
Cream Franchise · 2025 FDDAnswer from 2025 FDD Document
business (Franchise Agreement – Section 2.C).
Site Selection
You are responsible for selecting a site for your Premises and obtaining our approval of that site. Neither we nor our affiliates generally own the sites for Jeni's Ice Creams Scoop Shops or lease any such sites to franchisees. If you have not located a site for the Premises when you sign the Franchise Agreement, we will identify a site selection area in your Franchise Agreement, and unless you have our prior written approval, you will not be permitted to search for a site outside of that site selection area. You must send us all of the information we require to evaluate each proposed site. You must obtain our approval of you site within 120 days after signing the Franchise Agreement. We will make all determinations about whether to approve a site based on our then-current criteria, including visibility, size, layout, adjacent uses, parking, demographics, local competition, and other factors. If we elect to visit any site in person, we will not charge a fee in connection with the first site evaluation visit; however, if we require or if you request any additional site evaluation visits (with respect to the same site or alternative sites), you must pay us $2,000 per site evaluation visit, plus reimburse the outof-pocket costs and expenses. Currently, we estimate that we will provide notice of our decision to approve or
Source: Item 11 — FRANCHISOR'S ASSISTANCE, ADVERTISING, COMPUTER SYSTEMS, AND TRAINING (FDD pages 28–35)
What This Means (2025 FDD)
According to Cream's 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document, franchisees are responsible for selecting their own sites, and Cream must approve the site. Cream does not generally own the sites for Cream Scoop Shops or lease sites to franchisees.
Cream will identify a site selection area in the Franchise Agreement if a franchisee has not located a site when signing the agreement. Unless the franchisee has prior written approval from Cream, they are not permitted to search for a site outside of the specified site selection area. The franchisee must provide Cream with all required information to evaluate each proposed site and must obtain Cream's approval within 120 days of signing the Franchise Agreement.
Cream will base its decision on whether to approve a site based on factors such as visibility, size, layout, adjacent uses, parking, demographics, and local competition. Cream may visit the site in person, and the first site evaluation visit is free. However, additional site evaluation visits will cost the franchisee $2,000 per visit, plus reimbursement of out-of-pocket costs and expenses. Cream estimates that it will provide notice of its decision to approve or disapprove a proposed site within 30 days of receiving the request.