Two contracts, two logics
A franchise rests on three things: a brand, a proven know-how and support throughout the contract. The franchisor has tested a concept, passes it on, and is paid on its franchisees' business. In catering, that usually means a production kitchen built to the network's standards, organised purchasing and a percentage of turnover paid every month.
A brand licence grants the use of a brand, a sign or a trade name. It can come with training and tools, but it does not necessarily involve passing on a full know-how or the same level of support. It is often cheaper to enter and more flexible to run. The label is not what counts: the content of the contract is, and a French court looks at what the parties actually do.
What each option costs
The franchise figures below are orders of magnitude found in catering franchise offers published in France in 2025 and 2026, for guidance only. Brand licence terms are specific to each network: we give Crozy's as a concrete example, since it is the offer we know.
| Criterion | Standard catering franchise | Crozy brand licence |
|---|---|---|
| Entry fee | €18,000 to €40,000 | €4,900 excl. VAT, five-day Workshop included |
| Initial investment | €150,000 to €350,000 | Your compliant premises and vehicle, no production kitchen |
| Premises | Production kitchen of 150 to 300 m² | Premises meeting hygiene standards and registered, required |
| Royalty on revenue | 5 to 9% of all revenue | 0% on your direct sales |
| Fixed fee | Often on top, for marketing | €390 excl. VAT a month, from the fourth month |
| Clients brought to you | Depends on the network | Website orders in your area, 75% for you |
| Term | Often 7 to 9 years | 3 years, renewable |
€4,900 entry fee (excl. VAT) including training, 0% on your direct sales, 75% of website orders in your area: compare with what you have seen elsewhere.
Open a Crozy in your area →The Doubin law can apply in both cases
Article L330-3 of the French Commercial Code mentions neither franchise nor licence. It covers anyone who makes a trade name, brand or sign available to another person while requiring an exclusive or quasi-exclusive commitment. In that case they must provide a truthful pre-contractual disclosure document (the DIP) and the draft contract at least twenty days before signature, or before any payment required to reserve an area.
This document is not a formality. Article R330-1 sets its content: identity and history of the company, brand registration, general and local state of the market, the last two years' annual accounts, list of network members and of those who left in the past year, term, renewal and termination conditions, scope of exclusivity, investments required before opening. Read it in full, ideally with a French lawyer.
The DIP and the contract will be in French. If French is not your first language, have both read by a lawyer qualified in French distribution law before you sign; twenty days is enough for a careful review, provided you start straight away.
Questions to ask before you sign
Money: what exactly do you pay, to whom, and from when? Does the royalty apply to all your revenue, including clients you find yourself, or only to what the network brings you? Are there compulsory purchases, a marketing levy, software fees?
Territory: is the area exclusive, on what conditions do you keep it, and what happens if a target is missed? Does losing exclusivity end the contract or let it continue?
Clients: where will the first orders come from? A network that sells a brand without bringing demand leaves you to do the hardest part alone. Ask for real figures, and be wary of any single, optimistic forecast that does not say where it comes from. How to find your own clients is described in how to win your first corporate clients.
Exit: term, renewal, post-contract non-compete clause, resale conditions. A three-year renewable contract does not tie you down like a nine-year one.
Support: what training is included, how long does it last, and what happens after opening? Who answers when an order goes wrong at 8 on a Monday morning? Whatever you choose, talk to your bank early: a lender's view of the project is a useful reality check on the figures any network gives you.
The Crozy model, plainly
Crozy offers a brand licence with an exclusive area on the website. A company in your area orders on crozytraiteur.fr: it chooses, signs and pays online. The order is assigned to you with its preparation sheet, time and address; you prepare, deliver and set up; Crozy invoices, collects payment and pays you 75% within 7 days. Your direct sales, at Crozy recommended prices, are entirely yours.
Exclusivity of your area on the website is kept above €50,000 excluding VAT of delivered orders in the second year, then €80,000 a year; below that, the area becomes shared and the contract continues. The pre-contractual disclosure document and the draft contract are given to you at least twenty days before any signature or payment.
In all honesty: the first areas open in early 2027, so there are no former licensees to call yet. You can, however, look at the website, the menu and the clients the brand already serves, and spend a free discovery half-day at the Crozy Workshop before deciding.
How to choose
A standard catering franchise suits someone who wants to produce in volume, has substantial funds and accepts paying a percentage of all revenue for a complete concept. It means a heavy investment and a long commitment.
Going it alone suits someone who already has clients, cooking know-how and time to build a brand. The road is open, and long: the steps are in our complete guide to becoming a caterer in France.
A licence like Crozy's suits someone who wants to start quickly with a brand, a menu and orders already online, without financing a production kitchen, but with compliant premises and a real sense of organisation. The budget for each option is in what it costs to open a catering business.
A free discovery half-day, a disclosure document twenty days before any signature: the path to opening a Crozy, step by step.
See the offer and apply →Sources