In the Belocal Franchise Agreement, do references to the BELOCAL brand and publications refer to the Test Publication brand and test publications?

According to the 2025 Belocal Franchise Disclosure Document, when a franchisee enters into a Test Publication Amendment, references to the BELOCAL brand and publications in the Franchise Agreement will instead refer to the Test Publication brand and test publications. This means that the franchisee's business will be operating under the "Test Publication" name and associated branding, rather than the standard "BELOCAL" brand.

This substitution is significant because the "Test Publication" is, as the name suggests, being evaluated by Belocal. The franchisor may discontinue the publication of the Test Publication at any time without penalty to Franchisor and without any compensation to Franchisee. This highlights a key risk for franchisees entering into a Test Publication Amendment: the potential for the franchise to be terminated by Belocal if the "Test Publication" concept proves unviable.

This amendment modifies the standard franchise agreement to accommodate the testing of a new publication model. Prospective franchisees should carefully consider the implications of operating under the "Test Publication" brand, including the potential for discontinuation and the impact on their business. They should also seek clarification from Belocal regarding the criteria used to evaluate the "Test Publication" and the support provided during the testing period.