What are the specific obligations of a City Wide franchisee related to using the confidential Operating Manual (Item 11) as outlined in the franchisee's obligations (Item 9)?
City_Wide Franchise · 2025 FDDAnswer from 2025 FDD Document
must also maintain a functioning e-mail address (provided for you by CITY WIDE) for each employee in your business.
Operating Manual
During the term of the Franchise Agreement, CITY WIDE provides you access to its confidential operating manual ("Operating Manual") containing reasonable and mandatory specifications, standards, operating procedures, and rules prescribed periodically by CITY WIDE for Franchise Operations and information relative to other obligations of you and the operation of your Franchise You must adhere to all the terms and conditions in the current Operating Manual. CITY WIDE's interpretation of the provisions of the current Operating Manual is controlling, and you must abide by CITY WIDE's interpretations. CITY WIDE will have the right to add to and otherwise modify the Operating Manual periodically to reflect changes in the specifications, standards, operating procedures, and rules required by CITY WIDE for Franchised Businesses, provided no addition or modification will change your fundamental status and rights under the
Franchise Agreement or require you to spend unreasonable additional capital investment. (See Section 8 of the Franchise Agreement)
The table of contents of the Operating Manual, as of CITY WIDE's last fiscal year end, is in Exhibit F to this Franchise Disclosure Document. It consists of 271 pages.
Failure to follow the mandatory specifications and standards in the Operating Manual, as amended, may constitute a material breach of the Franchise Agreement.
What This Means (2025 FDD)
According to City Wide's 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document, franchisees have several obligations regarding the confidential Operating Manual. City Wide will provide access to its current confidential Operating Manual, containing mandatory specifications, standards, operating procedures, and rules for the Franchised Business. Franchisees must adhere to all the terms and conditions in the current Operating Manual, and City Wide's interpretation of the provisions is controlling.
The Operating Manual remains the sole property of City Wide, and franchisees must cease using electronic versions and destroy printed copies upon termination of the Franchise Agreement. Franchisees are prohibited from disclosing, duplicating, or using any portion of the Operating Manual in an unauthorized manner. The Operating Manual contains proprietary information and is considered Confidential Information, which franchisees must keep confidential during and after the term of the agreement.
Failure to follow the mandatory specifications and standards in the Operating Manual, as amended, constitutes a material breach of the Franchise Agreement. If such a breach is not cured within 30 days of written notice from City Wide, City Wide may terminate the Franchise Agreement. Franchisees must also comply with City Wide's staffing requirements detailed in the Operating Manual, with failure to comply also constituting a material breach that could lead to termination of the agreement.