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Juice it Up, I Heart Mac & Cheese waiving franchise fees

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April 13, 2020

In an effort to support their franchisee communities impacted by the COVID-19 outbreak, I Heart Mac & Cheese and Juice It Up are waiving a variety of franchise fees. Florida-based I Heart Mac & Cheese is forgoing royalty fees, brand fund fees and technology fees for its entire franchisee system across the country, and Juice It Up is cutting royalty and marketing fees through at least the end of April.

"We are so proud to be a part of this franchise that has shown that they are willing to do whatever it takes for us to survive," Juice It Up franchisee Joseph Wang said via Instagram. 

Founded in 1995, the Irvine, California-based lifestyle brand has more than 100 locations open or under development across California, New Mexico, Oregon and Texas.

I Heart Mac & Cheese CEO Stephen Giordanella hopes the efforts will help franchisees protect cash flow while they adhere to the U.S. government's mandate for dining room closures, as well as the CDC guidelines for social distancing to keep employees, customers and the community at large safe.

"I Heart Mac & Cheese understands the struggle our franchisees are facing during these unprecedented times," he said. "Supporting both our current and new franchisee partners is our team’s top priority, and we’ll continue to waive and abate these fees until further notice."

The company launched a franchising program in 2017 and has locations in Florida, New York, Georgia and Texas. Additional locations are slated to open in Alabama, Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, New Jersey, New York and Texas.

Read FastCasual's COVID-19 coverage here.