If attendance at a Gold Star training program is optional, who pays the standard fee?
Gold_Star Franchise · 2025 FDDAnswer from 2025 FDD Document
Gold Star may at its option make available or require attendance of you and/or key employees at, refresher or other additional training programs as it deems appropriate. The location, duration and content of the programs will be as determined by Gold Star in its sole discretion. No fee will be charged by Gold Star for any of these additional training programs at which attendance of you or any of your employees or other representatives is designated by Gold Star as mandatory. You must pay Gold Star for attendance of any optional attendee at any mandatory program and for attendance of any attendee at any optional training program made available by Gold Star the standard fee then charged by Gold Star to other Franchisees for the programs. Gold Star did not charge a fee for these programs during the year ended December 31, 2024. You must pay all travel, lodging, meal and other related or incidental expenses you or your employees or other representatives incur in attending or otherwise regarding these programs.
Although Gold Star is not obligated to provide any additional training programs, Gold Star has offered additional "refresher" training programs each year, which usually are repeated for a total of 4 times per year in various regions and usually is of 2-4 (up to 8 hours) hours in duration. Past sessions usually have been conducted at a hotel or similar site located as centrally as practicable to other Franchisees in the region in which the program is offered. Past topics have included customer service, shift management, recruitment and selection, goal setting and team building, and past instructional materials and procedures have included video, group activities, handouts and manuals. Past programs have been conducted by the (Field Training Manager) Training Coordinator. Attendance at past programs has not been mandatory. There is no guarantee that future programs will be similar to past programs.
Source: Item 11 — Franchisor's Assistance, Advertising, Computer Systems, and Training (FDD pages 26–36)
What This Means (2025 FDD)
According to the 2025 Gold Star FDD, if Gold Star offers additional training programs, attendance may be either mandatory or optional. If Gold Star designates attendance as mandatory, there is no fee for the franchisee or their employees to attend. However, if attendance at a mandatory program is optional, or if the entire training program itself is optional, the franchisee must pay Gold Star the standard fee charged to other franchisees for the program. Gold Star did not charge a fee for these programs during the year ended December 31, 2024.
In addition to the training program fees, the franchisee is responsible for all travel, lodging, meal, and other related expenses incurred by themselves or their employees when attending these training programs. This applies regardless of whether the training program or the attendee's participation is mandatory or optional.
Gold Star has offered additional "refresher" training programs each year, typically repeated four times annually in various regions, lasting 2-4 hours (up to 8 hours). These past sessions covered topics such as customer service, shift management, recruitment, goal setting, and team building, using video, group activities, handouts, and manuals. While attendance at these past programs has not been mandatory, Gold Star provides no guarantee that future programs will follow the same pattern.