Under what circumstances does City Publications reserve the right to vary System standards for a franchisee?

According to City Publications' 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document, City Publications reserves the right to vary System standards for a franchisee. City Publications acknowledges that complete and detailed uniformity under many varying conditions may not be possible or practical. Therefore, City Publications specifically reserves the right and privilege, at its sole discretion and as it may deem in the best interests of all concerned in any specific instance, to vary System standards for any franchisee. This variance is based upon any condition which City Publications deems to be of importance to the successful operation of such franchisee's business.

This means that City Publications has the flexibility to make exceptions to its standard operating procedures for individual franchisees if it believes it will improve their chances of success. This could be due to local market conditions, the franchisee's specific skills or experience, or other factors. However, the FDD stipulates that a franchisee is not entitled to demand that City Publications disclose or grant to Franchisee a like or similar variation.

For a prospective City Publications franchisee, this clause offers both potential benefits and risks. On one hand, it suggests that City Publications is willing to work with franchisees on a case-by-case basis to address unique challenges. On the other hand, it also means that City Publications has broad discretion to make decisions that could impact a franchisee's business, and that franchisees may not have the right to demand similar treatment to others. It is important to note that City Publications is not obligated to disclose the reasons for granting a variance to another franchisee, which could lead to perceived unfairness or inequity among franchisees.