What support does Ella Cafe provide regarding hiring and training employees?
Ella_Cafe Franchise · 2024 FDDAnswer from 2024 FDD Document
After you open your business:
- B. Hiring and training employees. We will provide you with our suggested staffing levels (Section 5.2), suggested guidelines for hiring employees (Section 5.2), and operational instructions in the Manual which you can use as part of training new employees (Section 5.3). All hiring decisions, penalizing your employees, and conditions of employment are your sole responsibility.
Training classes will be scheduled in accordance with the needs of new franchisees. We anticipate holding training classes three to six times per year. Training will be held at our offices and business location in Plantation, Florida. We reserve the right to vary the length and content of the initial training program based on the experience and skill level of any individual attending the initial training program. You and your Principal Executive must satisfactorily complete the initial training before the opening of the Franchised Business. While we do not currently require you to attend additional training (except in the instance you or your Principal Executive did not satisfactorily complete the initial training), we do reserve the right to offer and require you and your Principal Executive to attend additional training or refresher courses with no less than 30 days' notice to you.
The instructional materials consist of the Operating Manual and other materials, lectures, discussions, and on-the-job demonstration and practice. Training classes will be led or supervised by our lead trainer Zack Foley with 26 years of experience in operating similar business lines. Classes may also be led another Ella designee with a minimum of six month of experience in the industry. If you are attending training under our MUDA, classes will be led by a certified area developer with a minimum of six months of experience in the industry.
There is no fee for up to 3 people to attend training. You must pay the travel, salary, food, and living expenses of people attending training. You must attend training. You may send any additional persons to training that you want (up to the maximum described above). You must complete training to our satisfaction at least four weeks before opening your business.
Your business must at all times be under your on-site supervision or under the on-site supervision of a general manager who has completed our training program. If you need to send a new general manager to our training program, or periodically, you, your general manager, or employee must attend a refresher-training program as we may designate to be conducted at our headquarters or another location we designate. We will charge a fee, which is currently $350 per training per person. Attendance at these programs will be at your expense. You do not have to attend more than one of these programs in any calendar year, and these programs will not exceed three days during any calendar year.
Source: Item 11 — FRANCHISOR'S ASSISTANCE, ADVERTISING, COMPUTER SYSTEMS, AND TRAINING (FDD pages 24–33)
What This Means (2024 FDD)
According to Ella Cafe's 2024 Franchise Disclosure Document, Ella Cafe offers support to franchisees in hiring and training employees after the franchise opens. Specifically, Ella Cafe will provide suggested staffing levels and guidelines for hiring employees. Additionally, the franchisor will provide operational instructions in the Operating Manual, which franchisees can use as part of training new employees. However, the FDD stipulates that all hiring decisions, penalizing of employees, and conditions of employment are the sole responsibility of the franchisee.
Ella Cafe also provides an initial training program that franchisees and their principal executive must satisfactorily complete before opening their franchised business. This training is held at Ella Cafe's offices in Plantation, Florida, and is scheduled based on the needs of new franchisees, typically three to six times per year. The training classes are led by Zack Foley, who has 26 years of experience, or another Ella designee with at least six months of experience in the industry. If attending training under a MUDA, classes will be led by a certified area developer with a minimum of six months of experience in the industry.
Up to three people can attend the initial training program without a fee, but the franchisee is responsible for covering their travel, salary, food, and living expenses. Furthermore, the franchisee's business must be under the on-site supervision of either the franchisee or a general manager who has completed Ella Cafe's training program. If a new general manager needs training, or periodically, the franchisee, general manager, or employee must attend a refresher-training program, which costs $350 per person per training. Franchisees are not required to attend more than one refresher program per calendar year, and these programs will not exceed three days in length.