What is the Coffee News franchisee's responsibility regarding the Coffee News Online?
Coffee_News Franchise · 2025 FDDAnswer from 2025 FDD Document
e initial payment of the training fees referenced in Paragraph 10 hereof, Franchisee agrees that it shall use the printing services of Coffee News Printing, LLC during the term of the loan.
4.5 Coffee News Online Services. In addition to the hardcopy Periodical related services, we are proud to announce the release of Coffee News® Online, a new digital companion to our print publication. Coffee News® online will retain many of the same features as the hard copy format used worldwide, but with enhanced features, making Coffee News® more accessible to readers, offering greater marketing opportunities, and generating additional advertising revenue from existing advertisersas well as restaurants at a modest cost. To enroll the Coffee News® Online feature, there are currently two (2) options for enrollment:
4.5.1. Basic service:
- 4.5.1.1 Provides the layout of current content, submitted ads and What's Happening events dated and posted for each Monday for publishers to send to their contacts each week.
- 4.5.1.2. Dedicated URL for your online edition (i.e. www.coffeenewsonline.com/ME/Bangor). All online editions can be found via a dropdown menu from the main site.
- 4.5.1.3 Provides up to 40 single (400 x 300 pixel) ad spaces for sale from all industries including restaurants. Double ads (400 x 600 pixel) are also available to sell (and are counted as 2 ads). All ads rotate weekly.
- 4.5.1.4. Ads are mobile responsive and clickable, linking directly to the advertiser's web, email or phone contact information.
- 4.5.1.5. Provides 1 sponsorship ad for each week's online edition.
- 4.5.1.6. Coffee News® man is hidden in one of the ads each week and clickable to the contest entry form as part of the Coffee News® Contest.
- 4.5.2. Premium Service. The Premium Service is designed for publishers who do not already use an email marketing application such as MailChimp or Constant Contact. In addition to the Basic Service, Chil Consulting and/or Shadow Fox Consulting, the current third party contractors that provide Coffee News Online services, will provide email marketing services of your online edition and any other email marketing messages to your contacts for you each week. You would provide the email content to Chil Consulting and/or Shadow Fox Consulting.
4.6. Third Party Services. It is acknowledged by the parties that all services related to Coffee News Online are to be provided and performed by a third party contractor hired by the Franchisor, provided however, the Franchisee is responsible for uploading all the advertisements and What's Happening events content into the online feature system. Unless otherwise agreed in writing, any and all enrollment of Coffee News Online feature must be through the Franchisor.
5. CONTENT OF PERIODICAL.
- 5.1 MAINTENANCE OF CONTENT. Except as provided for herein, Franchisee shall not edit, change, add to, eliminate from, or alter in any way the contents or format of the Periodical without the prior written consent of Franchisor. For clarity, Franchisee agrees that the unalterable characteristics of the Periodical (the "Format") include, but are not limited to, the following:
- (a) Size. Eleven inches by seventeen inches (11" x 17") page size format.
- (b) Coloring. Light brown coloring of paper.
Source: Item 23 — Receipts (FDD pages 36–118)
What This Means (2025 FDD)
According to the 2025 Coffee News Franchise Disclosure Document, franchisees have specific responsibilities related to Coffee News Online. While the franchisor hires a third-party contractor to provide all services related to Coffee News Online, the franchisee is responsible for uploading all advertisements and "What's Happening" events content into the online feature system. Unless otherwise agreed in writing, any enrollment of the Coffee News Online feature must be done through the franchisor.
Coffee News offers two enrollment options for Coffee News Online: Basic service and Premium service. The Basic service provides the layout of current content, submitted ads, and What's Happening events dated and posted for each Monday, allowing publishers to send them to their contacts each week. It includes a dedicated URL for the online edition and provides up to 40 single ad spaces for sale from all industries, including restaurants. The Premium Service is designed for publishers who do not already use an email marketing application. In addition to the Basic Service, the third-party contractors will provide email marketing services of the online edition and any other email marketing messages to the franchisee's contacts each week, with the franchisee providing the email content.
Franchisees should note that there are weekly fees associated with Coffee News Online. The Basic Service costs $25.00 per week, while the Premium Service costs $50.00 per week. There is also a one-time enrollment fee to participate in the publication of Coffee News Online, which is $100.00 for Chil Consulting and $75.00 for Shadowfox Design, payable upon enrollment. These fees and responsibilities highlight the franchisee's active role in managing and populating the online platform, even though the technical services are outsourced.