August 18, 2023 The answer to how much purchasing a franchise costs is, of course, dependent on a variety of factors. The problem is that many prospective franchisees think of the initial franchise fee and buildout costs as the sole costs to open and begin operating a franchise. Unfortunately, that’s not the case. Is It Read more…

On behalf of Garner, Ginsburg & Johnsen, P.A. on Wednesday, December 26, 2012. Franchise financial statements contain a wealth of information that franchisees and prospective franchisees should examine carefully. Determining the worth of a franchisor’s assets New franchisors often have few assets. As a prospective franchisee, be sure to question any franchisor who does not Read more…

June 26, 2014 In the first of a series of posts exploring brewing partnership relationships, Hop Law introduces contract brewing, partner brewing, and alternating brewing arrangements.

July 16, 2014 In Part 2 of our series exploring brewing partnership relationships, Hop Law talks contract brewing. A contract brewing arrangement, as defined by the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB), is a business relationship in which one person (wholesale or retail dealer or brewer) pays a brewing company (contract brewer) to Read more…

August 1, 2014 In Part 3 of our series exploring brewing partnership relationships, we delve into alternating proprietorships. For new brewers looking to break into the craft beer market without the full up-front cost of establishing a new brewing facility, or for existing breweries looking to begin expanding operations without expanding their physical space, alternating Read more…

May 18, 2017 If you’ve read Thomas Pynchon’s Inherent Vice or seen the Paul Thomas Anderson film based on the novel, you know a little bit about vertical integration.  In the novel, the Golden Fang – a shady conglomerate – imports and sells heroin to users, operates a massive dental operation to help heroin and Read more…

December 14, 2016 We Minnesotans like our beer. Specifically, we like our craft beer. Our local craft beer. The Beer Dabbler at the annual Winter Carnival is now the largest craft beer festival in the Midwest, and Surly Darkness Day has become a sort of dark holiday for self-proclaimed craft beer nerds looking to score Read more…

October 26, 2020 If you are a franchisee or potential franchisee in California, you may have rights not available to individuals in other states. This is because California has two comprehensive laws regulating franchising: the California Franchise Investment Law and the California Franchise Relations Act.  Together, these California franchise requirements serve to protect franchisees during Read more…

On behalf of Garner, Ginsburg & Johnsen, P.A. on Friday, August 22, 2014. In a decision that could expose franchisors and franchisees to increased liability, the National Labor Relations Board decided that a slew of complaints from workers’ organizations can name McDonald’s Corp. as a joint employer. In the past, restaurant franchisees have been identified Read more…

November 28, 2023 Minnesota’s cannabis law does a good job of making licenses available to a broad swath of entrepreneurs in the North Star State. Still, the application process is likely to result in significant expenses for applicants before they even know whether their cannabis business will qualify to receive a license from the state Read more…

January 20, 2017 Few things beat a good summer day out on a brewery patio with a crisp beer and your dog at your side.  Unfortunately, the Hoppy Lawyers live in Minneapolis, where hanging out outdoors for portions of the year can result in some nasty frostbite and currently, our furry family members are not Read more…

On behalf of Garner, Ginsburg & Johnsen, P.A. on Wednesday, July 23, 2014. W. Michael Garner presented the franchisee point of view on franchisor mergers and acquisitions at the International Franchise Association’s Legal Symposium in May of this year. Pointing out that numerous franchisors recently have been acquired by private equity firms, he cautioned franchisees Read more…