Who is allowed access to the Cicis Manuals?
Cicis Franchise · 2025 FDDAnswer from 2025 FDD Document
To protect our reputation and goodwill and to maintain high standards of operation under our Marks, you will develop and operate your Restaurant in accordance with the Manuals, other written directives we may issue to you from time to time, whether or not such directives are included in the Manuals, and any other manuals and materials created or approved for use in the operation of your Restaurant (for the avoidance of doubt, references in this Agreement to the "Manuals" shall include all such written directives and such other manuals and materials that we provide you from time to time). The Manuals form part of our Confidential Information (defined below) and, as between us and you, will at all
times remain our sole property. Any physical copies of the Manuals that we provide to you must be kept in a secure place on your Restaurant premises. Both physical and electronic copies of the Manuals may be made accessible only to those of your Owners and employees who need to know their contents and only after they have signed a confidentiality agreement, in form and substance we approve, pursuant to which they agree to maintain the same level of confidence to which you are bound under this Agreement. We may, from time to time, revise the contents of the Manuals, and you hereby expressly agree to comply with each new or changed standard. In the event of any dispute as to the contents of the Manuals, the terms of the master copy of the Manuals that we maintain will control.
Source: Item 22 — CONTRACTS (FDD pages 64–65)
What This Means (2025 FDD)
According to Cicis's 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document, access to the Cicis manuals is granted to the franchisee and their employees who need to know the contents, provided they are bound by written confidentiality obligations. These obligations must ensure they maintain the same level of confidentiality as the franchisee is bound to under the Franchise Agreement. The franchisee must get approval on the confidentiality agreement form and substance.
The manuals themselves are considered Confidential Information and remain Cicis's sole property. Franchisees must keep any physical copies of the manuals in a secure place on the Restaurant premises. Both physical and electronic copies of the Manuals may be made accessible only to those of your Owners and employees who need to know their contents and only after they have signed a confidentiality agreement.
This means a Cicis franchisee must take precautions to protect the manuals from unauthorized access or disclosure. They must also ensure that any employees who are granted access to the manuals sign a confidentiality agreement to protect Cicis's confidential information. This is a fairly standard practice in franchising, as franchisors need to protect their proprietary information and operating procedures.