A signed lease is a victory, but for many franchise owners in Ontario, it is also where the most expensive construction mistakes are born. 

 The biggest threat to your opening date often isn't what is happening inside your unit—it’s what is happening outside of it.  Many variables that dictate your ROI sit entirely in the hands of the landlord or building management.

 If you view the landlord as a passive partner, you are leaving your launch date to chance.

The Invisible Dependencies

 Franchise owners are often surprised by how much influence external factors carry. You can have a perfect crew and a cleared permit, but you are still dead in the water if the base building isn't ready.

Key risks include:

•  Utility Readiness: If the landlord hasn't released the power or split the gas meters, your equipment is just expensive furniture. 

•  Life Safety Systems: If the building’s integrated fire alarm system isn't functioning, you won't pass your final inspection. 

•  Access and Logistics: In dense areas like downtown Toronto or the GTA, elevator bookings and delivery restrictions can throttle your construction speed. 

•  Base Building Work: If the landlord’s own contractors are behind on structural or envelope work, your interior trades cannot proceed.

   

The Communication Vacuum

 The danger here is that responsibility often feels unclear. The landlord assumes your contractor has it handled; the contractor assumes the landlord is moving on it.

 Meanwhile, days pass quietly until the issue becomes a crisis.  By the time you realize the power won't be live for another three weeks, your staffing and training schedules are already shattered. 

Someone else's delay still costs you money. 

Thinking Like an Operator

 At Olive Tree Builds, we refuse to leave these relationships unmanaged.  We identify these outside dependencies on day one and bring them into the construction plan. 

 Because Nathan Oliveira is a franchise owner himself, he knows that the reason for a delay doesn't matter to your bottom line—only the result does. We treat external coordination as part of protecting your opening, not as someone else's problem. 

Questions to Ask Your Builder

To ensure your landlord isn't accidentally killing your ROI, ask your contractor these questions:

1.  "What specific dependencies do we have on the landlord or base building to hit our date?"   

2.  "Who is actively responsible for coordinating with building management every week?"   

3.  "How often are those parties being contacted to confirm they are still on schedule?"   

Don't let your investment sit idle while two parties wait for the other to call.

If you would like help planning your opening timeline, reach out to us today!