What documentation may Noodles & Company require from franchisees to demonstrate that they have spent their FMF on acceptable Field Marketing activities?
Noodles_Company Franchise · 2025 FDDAnswer from 2025 FDD Document
We may require documentation from you demonstrating that you have spent your FMF on acceptable Field Marketing activities as approved by Noodles & Company in its sole discretion for each of your fiscal quarters. You must pay directly the vendors or partners in the marketing program as the program is implemented and must provide documentation regarding all payments on the 15th day of each month to Noodles & Company upon our written request. If you do not spend the required FMF, we may collect the funds from you and spend them on Field Marketing on your behalf. We may also organize a number of advertising cooperatives in the future. If we require you to contribute to a cooperative in the future, we will credit your contribution toward your required FMF expenditure. If we provide you and your cooperative 30 days' notice of a special promotion, you must participate and pay any special promotion fees we assess. These fees will be in addition to your Field Marketing requirement.
Source: Item 6 — OTHER FEES (FDD pages 19–22)
What This Means (2025 FDD)
According to Noodles & Company's 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document, Noodles & Company may require franchisees to provide documentation demonstrating that they have spent their Field Marketing Funds (FMF) on acceptable field marketing activities, as approved by Noodles & Company. This documentation is required for each of the franchisee's fiscal quarters.
Franchisees are required to directly pay the vendors or partners involved in the marketing program as it is implemented. Documentation regarding all payments must be provided to Noodles & Company by the 15th day of each month, but only upon Noodles & Company's written request.
If a franchisee fails to spend the required FMF, Noodles & Company has the right to collect the unspent funds and use them for field marketing on the franchisee's behalf. Additionally, Noodles & Company may organize advertising cooperatives in the future, and contributions to these cooperatives can be credited toward the franchisee's required FMF expenditure. However, franchisees must participate in special promotions if given 30 days' notice, and any special promotion fees will be in addition to the regular Field Marketing requirement.