Does a Jersey Mike's franchisee have input on the Grand Opening Advertising program?
Jersey_Mikes Franchise · 2025 FDDAnswer from 2025 FDD Document
Opening Advertising. You must pay Company a nonrefundable $12,500 ($5,000 if you are purchasing an existing Restaurant or relocating your existing Restaurant with Company approval), all of which will be used to conduct a Grand Opening Advertising program for your Restaurant. The fee is due when you sign a lease for the Restaurant or upon Company approved transfer and must be paid via your automatic clearing house (ACH) a ccount as described above. Company will consult with you about the
program, which is described in Item 11, but Company retains full discretion over expenditures made and t
Source: Item 6 — OTHER FEES (FDD pages 15–24)
What This Means (2025 FDD)
According to Jersey Mike's 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document, franchisees have some input regarding the Grand Opening Advertising program. Jersey Mike's will consult with the franchisee about the program. However, Jersey Mike's retains full discretion over the expenditures and content of the program.
This means that while a franchisee can discuss the grand opening advertising with Jersey Mike's, the final decision on how the $12,500 (or $5,000 for existing Restaurant purchases or relocations) is spent and what the advertising consists of rests solely with Jersey Mike's. The fee is nonrefundable and is due when the franchisee signs a lease for the Restaurant or upon Company approved transfer and must be paid via automatic clearing house (ACH).
This arrangement is fairly common in franchising, where the franchisor controls marketing to ensure brand consistency and maximize the impact of advertising campaigns. Franchisees should clarify the extent of the consultation and understand the types of advertising typically included in the grand opening program to align their expectations.