Franopolis
    vs

    Franchise opportunities compared

    City Publications vs Inter-State Studio

    Reviewed figures from each brand's Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD), side by side. Each figure carries its FDD year and page. This is not a ranking or recommendation, and the two FDDs may cover different years and location groups.

    City Publications2026 FDDInter-State Studio2026 FDD

    Initial investment · Item 7

    City Publications

    $35,300 – $68,900

    2026 FDD · Item 7

    Inter-State Studio

    $13,100 – $53,950

    2026 FDD · Item 7

    Initial franchise fee · Item 5

    City Publications

    $89,000

    2026 FDD · Item 5 · PDF p. 10

    Inter-State Studio

    $15,000

    2026 FDD · Item 5 · PDF p. 11

    Royalty · Item 6

    City Publications

    6%

    2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 10

    Inter-State Studio

    Not available

    Before you compare

    • Both sets of figures come from 2026 FDDs.
    • City Publications and Inter-State Studio disclose more than one business format, so the investment range spans formats; the full report breaks them out.
    • Only Inter-State Studio has reviewed Item 19 figures here.

    Financial commitment

    Estimated initial investment (Item 7)

    City Publications

    $35,300 – $68,900
    2026 FDD · Item 7

    Inter-State Studio

    $13,100 – $53,950
    2026 FDD · Item 7
    Standard initial franchise fee (Item 5)

    City Publications

    $89,000
    2026 FDD · Item 5 · PDF p. 10

    Inter-State Studio

    $15,000
    2026 FDD · Item 5 · PDF p. 11
    Royalty (Item 6)

    City Publications

    6%
    Royalty — standard card deck and booklet mailings
    2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 10

    Inter-State Studio

    Not available
    No reviewed royalty record
    Brand / advertising fund (Item 6)

    City Publications

    3%
    Royalty — single-card mailings and digital advertising — 3%
    2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 10

    Inter-State Studio

    3%
    Marketing fee — 3%
    2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 12

    System scale & health

    Total outlets (Item 20)

    City Publications

    35
    Outlets at end of 2025
    2026 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 34

    Inter-State Studio

    43
    Outlets at end of 2025
    2026 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 38
    Net outlet change (Item 20)

    City Publications

    Not available
    Only one year reported

    Inter-State Studio

    +3
    Calculated: 40 at end of 2023 → 43 at end of 2025
    Outlet exits (Item 20)

    City Publications

    Not available
    No complete exit records for a year

    Inter-State Studio

    Not available
    No complete exit records for a year
    Franchising since (Item 1)

    City Publications

    Not available
    Not in reviewed records

    Inter-State Studio

    Not available
    Not in reviewed records
    Franchisor founded (Item 1)

    City Publications

    Not available
    Not in reviewed records

    Inter-State Studio

    Not available
    Not in reviewed records

    Financial performance (Item 19), by location group

    City Publications

    Not disclosed — no Item 19 financial performance representation

    Inter-State Studio
    Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record
    $396,382
    other Franchise 1 lab fees
    2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 36

    Item 19 groups are shown separately and never combined. Revenue or sales figures are not profit. Net outlet change and turnover are Franopolis calculations from the disclosed counts; turnover is a count-based rate, not a measure of owner earnings.

    City Publications vs Inter-State Studio: common questions

    Which costs less to open, City Publications or Inter-State Studio?
    City Publications: $35,300 – $68,900 (2026 FDD · Item 7); Inter-State Studio: $13,100 – $53,950 (2026 FDD · Item 7). These are each franchisor's Item 7 estimated initial investment. The low end of the disclosed estimate is lower for Inter-State Studio. At least one range spans several business formats. Estimates are not quotes, and the FDD years may differ.
    Which has more locations, City Publications or Inter-State Studio?
    City Publications: 35 (2026 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 34); Inter-State Studio: 43 (2026 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 38). Total outlets from Item 20. Outlet counts do not indicate territory availability or franchisee results.
    Do City Publications and Inter-State Studio disclose financial performance (Item 19)?
    City Publications makes no Item 19 financial performance representation; Inter-State Studio has reviewed Item 19 figures for 1 location group. Different location groups are not directly comparable, and revenue is not profit.

    Answers restate the reviewed figures above. Not a ranking or recommendation.

    How Franopolis reviews FDD figures

    Keep researching

    Full City Publications report

    Every reviewed fee, Item 19 group, outlet table and territory disclosure

    Full Inter-State Studio report

    Every reviewed fee, Item 19 group, outlet table and territory disclosure

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    FDD glossary

    Plain-language meaning of each Item