In a dispute about the contents of the Manual, which version of the Manual is controlling for Anago?

According to Anago's 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document, in any dispute about the contents of the Anago Manual, the terms contained in the "Master Copy" of each of the Anago Manuals maintained by Anago at Anago's home office is controlling. This means that if there is a discrepancy between the manual a subfranchisor has and the master copy held by Anago, the master copy will be the definitive version.

This clause is significant for subfranchisees because it places the responsibility on them to ensure their manuals are up-to-date. Anago may revise and change the contents of the Anago Manuals, and the subfranchisor expressly agrees to comply with each new or changed provision. These revisions become effective 30 days after written notice from Anago, unless Anago specifies a longer time frame.

Anago reserves the right to make revisions to the manuals based on what it deems best for the system, including promoting quality, enhancing goodwill, increasing efficiency, decreasing administrative burdens, or improving profitability for the subfranchisor or its unit franchisees. The subfranchisor must ensure their copy of the Anago Manuals contains all updates received from Anago. This requirement highlights the importance of maintaining open communication with Anago to receive and implement updates promptly.

This is a fairly standard clause in franchise agreements. Franchise systems need to maintain consistency across all franchisees, and the best way to do that is to maintain a master copy of the operations manual. It is the franchisee's responsibility to keep their manual up to date.