Can a Marble Slab Creamery 'Traditional Restaurant' also have other Franchisor-approved co-branded businesses located in it?
Marble_Slab_Creamery Franchise · 2025 FDDAnswer from 2025 FDD Document
If we grant you the right to develop on a "Protected Rights" basis, we will not operate, or license to anyone else the right to operate, a "MARBLE SLAB CREAMERY®" "Traditional Restaurant" (defined below) at any venue other than a "Non-Traditional Venue/Excluded Venue" (defined below) in the Development Area during the term of your Multi-Unit Restaurant Agreement. A "Traditional Restaurant" is a business premises that exists primarily as a "MARBLE SLAB CREAMERY®" restaurant, excluding any "MARBLE SLAB CREAMERY®" restaurant at a Non-Traditional Venue/Excluded Venue, however, which Traditional Restaurant may also have other types of Franchisor-approved co-branded businesses located in it, but in such case the MARBLE SLAB CREAMERY restaurant is the primary business. A "Non-Traditional Venue/Excluded Venue" means a site, venue or location within another primary business or in conjunction with other businesses or at institutional settings, including, toll roads, highway travel plazas, hotels and motels, casinos and casino adjacent locations, airports, sports arena, stadiums, bus stations, train stations, theme parks, amusement facilities, military and other governmental facilities, movie theaters, hospitals, grocery stores, supermarkets, convenience stores, schools, college and university campuses, piers, gyms, offices or in-plant food service facilities, shopping mall food courts operated by a master concessionaire, and any site for which the lessor, owner or operator has indicated its intent to prefer or limit the operation of its food service facilities to a master concessionaire or contract food service provider.
Source: Item 12 — TERRITORY (FDD pages 62–68)
What This Means (2025 FDD)
According to the 2025 Marble Slab Creamery Franchise Disclosure Document, a 'Traditional Restaurant' can incorporate other franchisor-approved co-branded businesses, provided the Marble Slab Creamery remains the primary business. A 'Traditional Restaurant' is defined as a business premises that exists primarily as a Marble Slab Creamery restaurant, excluding locations at Non-Traditional Venues/Excluded Venues.
This allowance for co-branded businesses within a traditional Marble Slab Creamery restaurant offers franchisees the potential to diversify their revenue streams and attract a broader customer base. However, it's crucial to understand that any co-branded business must be approved by Marble Slab Creamery, ensuring that it aligns with the brand's overall image and operational standards. The FDD specifies that the Marble Slab Creamery restaurant must remain the primary business, indicating that the co-branded element should be secondary in terms of focus and revenue generation.
Prospective franchisees should carefully evaluate the potential benefits and challenges of incorporating a co-branded business into their Marble Slab Creamery restaurant. This includes assessing the market demand for the co-branded concept, the operational complexities of managing multiple businesses within a single location, and the financial implications of the co-branding arrangement. It would be prudent to discuss potential co-branding opportunities with Marble Slab Creamery during the due diligence process to ensure alignment and feasibility.