What happens to the Franchised Business telephone number upon termination or expiration of the City Publications franchise agreement?

According to City Publications' 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document, upon termination or expiration of the franchise agreement, the franchisee must relinquish or transfer the Franchised Business telephone number to City Publications or its designee, at City Publications' discretion. The franchisee is also required to notify the telephone service provider and all listing agencies about the termination or expiration of their rights to use any telephone number or telephone directory listings associated with the "CITY PUBLICATIONS" name or any of its marks. Furthermore, the franchisee must authorize the transfer of the same to City Publications or at City Publications' direction.

This provision ensures that City Publications maintains control over its brand identity and customer communications even after a franchise agreement ends. By taking control of the phone number, City Publications can seamlessly redirect customer inquiries to another franchisee or to a company-owned operation, thus preventing any disruption in service or loss of potential business. This is a fairly standard practice in franchising, as it protects the brand's goodwill and ensures consistency across the system.

For a prospective City Publications franchisee, this means that the phone number they use for their business during the franchise term will not remain theirs after the agreement expires or is terminated. They will need to establish a new phone number for any future business ventures. It is important for franchisees to understand this aspect of the agreement, as it can impact their ability to retain customers if they decide to continue in a similar business after leaving the City Publications system.