Is there a fee for Ella Cafe to review or approve an alternate supplier?

If you propose to purchase from an unapproved source any items for use in your Coffee House for which we have identified, designated, or approved supplier(s), you must request our approval in writing. We will grant or revoke approvals of suppliers based on criteria appropriate to the situation, which may include evaluations of the supplier's capacity, quality, financial stability, reputation, and reliability; inspections; product testing, and performance reviews. Our criteria for approving suppliers are not available to you. We permit you to contract with alternative suppliers who meet our criteria only if you request our approval in writing, and we grant approval. There is no fee for us to review or approve an alternate supplier. We will provide you with written notification of the approval or disapproval of any supplier you propose within 30 days after receipt of your request. We may grant approvals of new suppliers or revoke past approvals of suppliers upon written notice to you, or by updating our Manual.

You may purchase items and services for which we have not identified approved suppliers from any supplier, if the items and services meet our specifications. These specifications may include brand requirements. If brand requirements have been identified, you may purchase and use only approved brands.

Source: Item 8 — RESTRICTIONS ON SOURCES OF PRODUCTS AND SERVICES (FDD pages 18–22)