Franchise opportunities compared

    City Publications vs Inter-State Studio business

    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.

    Initial investment · Item 7

    City Publications

    $35,300 – $68,900

    2026 FDD · Item 7

    Inter-State Studio business

    $13,100 – $48,950

    2025 FDD · Item 7

    Initial franchise fee · Item 5

    City Publications

    $89,000

    2026 FDD · Item 5 · PDF p. 10

    Inter-State Studio business

    $12,500

    2025 FDD · Item 5 · PDF p. 11

    Royalty · Item 6

    City Publications

    6%

    2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 10

    Inter-State Studio business

    Not available

    Before you compare

    • City Publications figures come from its 2026 FDD and Inter-State Studio business figures from its 2025 FDD, so the years differ.
    • City Publications and Inter-State Studio business disclose more than one business format, so the investment range spans formats; the full report breaks them out.
    • Only Inter-State Studio business 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 business

    $13,100 – $48,950
    2025 FDD · Item 7
    Standard initial franchise fee (Item 5)

    City Publications

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

    Inter-State Studio business

    $12,500
    2025 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 business

    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 business

    3%
    Marketing fee — 3%
    2025 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 business

    44
    Outlets at end of 2024
    2025 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 37
    Net outlet change (Item 20)

    City Publications

    Not available
    Only one year reported

    Inter-State Studio business

    +5
    Calculated: 39 at end of 2022 → 44 at end of 2024
    Outlet exits (Item 20)

    City Publications

    Not available
    No complete exit records for a year

    Inter-State Studio business

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

    City Publications

    Not available
    Not in reviewed records

    Inter-State Studio business

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

    City Publications

    Not available
    Not in reviewed records

    Inter-State Studio business

    Not available
    Not in reviewed records

    Financial performance (Item 19), by location group

    City Publications

    Not disclosed — no Item 19 financial performance representation

    ISInter-State Studio business
    Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Inter-State Studio Franchised Business 1, reported as its own row for 2024.
    130 accounts
    other Number of Accounts
    2025 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 35
    Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Inter-State Studios Franchised Business 2
    46 accounts
    other Number of Accounts
    2025 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 35
    Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Inter-State Studios Franchised Business 12
    $201,510
    other Gross Revenue
    2025 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 36
    +10 more groups in the full report

    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 business: common questions

    Which costs less to open, City Publications or Inter-State Studio business?
    City Publications: $35,300 – $68,900 (2026 FDD · Item 7); Inter-State Studio business: $13,100 – $48,950 (2025 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 business. 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 business?
    City Publications: 35 (2026 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 34); Inter-State Studio business: 44 (2025 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 37). Total outlets from Item 20. Outlet counts do not indicate territory availability or franchisee results.
    Do City Publications and Inter-State Studio business disclose financial performance (Item 19)?
    City Publications makes no Item 19 financial performance representation; Inter-State Studio business has reviewed Item 19 figures for 13 location groups. 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

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