If required by Chatime, must a franchisee establish hyperlinks to the franchisor's website?

According to Chatime's 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document, franchisees may be required to establish hyperlinks to Chatime's website. Specifically, if Chatime requires it, the franchisee must establish hyperlinks to Chatime's website and others as Chatime may request in writing. The franchisee bears the cost of updating the website to align with Chatime's current image, standards, and specifications as notified by Chatime.

This requirement ensures that Chatime maintains control over its brand's online presence and can direct customers to specific resources or promotions on its main website. It also allows Chatime to track traffic and potentially gather data on customer behavior through these hyperlinks.

For a prospective franchisee, this means they need to be prepared to incorporate and maintain these hyperlinks on their website at their own expense, as directed by Chatime. Failure to comply with this requirement could result in a breach of the franchise agreement. Franchisees should factor in these potential website maintenance costs when evaluating the overall investment and operational expenses of a Chatime franchise.