Under what circumstances is the Initial Fee for a Marble Slab Creamery franchise refundable?
Marble_Slab_Creamery Franchise · 2025 FDDAnswer from 2025 FDD Document
Initial Franchise Fees.
If we grant you a franchise for a Traditional Restaurant, then when you sign the Franchise Agreement, you must pay us an initial franchise fee ("Initial Fee") of $25,000. The Initial Fee for a Non-Traditional Restaurant is $25,000.
Adjustments. Under certain circumstances, we will agree to waive or reduce some or all of the Initial Fee and may accept payment in installments, interest free, over a period of from one to 18 months. Also, as described below, if you are signing the Franchise Agreement pursuant to a Multi-Unit Restaurant Agreement, you may be entitled to a credit against the Initial Fee. The Initial Fee is fully earned by us when paid and is not refundable under any circumstances.
Under a separate disclosure document, our affiliate, GAC, offers franchises for its "Great American Cookies" business, including a co-branded version that can be added to a "Marble Slab Creamery" restaurant with our consent. If we allow you to do so, you will sign a Franchise Agreement with GAC and a Co-brand Addendum with us (Exhibit B-1). We do not charge you any fee to add a co-branded "Great American Cookies"restaurant, but GAC charges, among other fees, an initial franchise fee of $25,000 for the right to do so, as disclosed in its separate disclosure document.
Under a separate disclosure document, our affiliate, RTP, offers franchises for its "Round Table Pizza" business, including a co-branded version that can be added to a "Marble Slab Creamery" restaurant with our consent. If we allow you to do so, you will sign a Franchise Agreement with RTP and a Co-brand Addendum with us (Exhibit B-1). We do not charge you any fee to add a co-branded "Round Table Pizza" restaurant, but RTP charges, among other fees, an initial franchise fee of $25,000 for the right to do so, as disclosed in its separate disclosure document.
We do not offer financing for the Franchise Fee. Except for any special programs or periodic discounts we may offer or as otherwise described in this Item 5, the Initial Fee is uniform for all franchisees.
Source: Item 5 — INITIAL FEES (FDD pages 21–23)
What This Means (2025 FDD)
According to Marble Slab Creamery's 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document, the initial franchise fee is generally not refundable. For a traditional or non-traditional restaurant, the initial fee is $25,000. This fee is considered fully earned by Marble Slab Creamery once it is paid.
The FDD states that the development fee paid under a Multi-Unit Restaurant Agreement is also non-refundable. This fee is calculated by multiplying $25,000 by the number of Marble Slab Creamery restaurants the franchisee commits to open. A portion of this development fee may be credited against the initial franchise fee for each restaurant as sites are approved, typically at a rate of $25,000 per franchise agreement, until the entire development fee is credited.
While the initial fee is typically non-refundable, Marble Slab Creamery may, under certain circumstances, waive or reduce the initial fee. They might also accept payment in installments, interest-free, over a period of one to 18 months. Additionally, Marble Slab Creamery may waive all or a portion of these fees for affiliates, existing franchisees purchasing new restaurants, or other entities. They may also negotiate the financial and other terms of Franchise Agreements and Multi-Unit Restaurant Agreements but generally only in connection with large transactions. However, the document explicitly states that except as described in Item 5, the initial fee is fully earned when paid and is not refundable under any circumstances.