The Ever-Changing Operations Manual: An Evaluation of One Brand’s Ops Evolution
When you sign a franchise agreement, you expect two main documents to govern your business: the agreement itself and the Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD). But there’s a third, equally powerful tool that often gets overlooked: the operations manual. I previously covered Operations Manuals in this post.
Because operations manuals are confidential and proprietary, I won’t be publishing the documents themselves. What follows is a comparative case study based on my direct review of the two manuals discussed here.
More Than Just a Guide
For restaurant franchisees especially, the operations manual is the bridge between legal obligations and daily realities. It dictates how food is prepared, how guests are greeted, what equipment is used, and how compliance is enforced. And it’s important to remember: this manual is a living document. The franchisor can, and often does, update it at will. Franchisees agree in the franchise agreement itself to follow the terms of the operations manual, which means every update becomes a binding obligation, enforceable just like the agreement.
A Case Study: I Heart Mac & Cheese
Looking at I Heart Mac & Cheese provides a telling example of how much an operations manual can change over time.
2017 Manual:
Early franchisees were handed a document that looked less like an operations playbook and more like a generic small business startup guide. It was certainly not the kind of manual I expected to receive from a food service franchise. Having spent a decade with Domino’s and their detailed operations manuals, I understood what a restaurant manual should look like, and this was not it.The I Heart Mac & Cheese manual included instructions on forming an LLC, opening a bank account, registering with the IRS, buying insurance, and even HR forms tied to the franchisor and Florida law. For a franchisee outside of Florida, that content was not only irrelevant but potentially harmful. By providing employment forms and termination templates, the franchisor blurred the line into a joint employer role, something most franchisors work hard to avoid.
What was absent were the essentials of a restaurant operations manual: equipment specifications, prep procedures, and recipes. The manual I received was not usable for day-to-day restaurant operations, which meant I had to write my own. To prepare for opening, I built a version tailored to Oklahoma law and food safety standards, expanding it to include operating procedures, recipes, and staff training materials developed through observation and direct questions to franchisor representatives. Franchisees are sold a system that should already come with a current, usable operations manual; they should not have to create one themselves.
2023 Manual:
By contrast, the later version looked like a true operations manual. It included recipes, standardized prep procedures, temperature logs, food safety requirements, and even scripted guest service protocols. Line positions were clearly defined, and hospitality standards were elevated to brand requirements. In short, the manual evolved into what franchisees should have had from the beginning: a comprehensive, enforceable guide for running the restaurant consistently across markets.
Why This Matters
The gap between these two manuals highlights why franchisees, new and existing, must carefully review every manual update:
New franchisees should ask: Will I receive a usable manual before training and opening? Or will I need to piece it together myself?
Existing franchisees should ask: What obligations have been added or changed since the last version? Do these changes affect costs, staffing, compliance, or guest experience?
Because the franchise agreement usually requires compliance with the current manual, updates can shift operational and financial requirements overnight.
Lessons for Franchisees
Ask for a sample table of contents before signing. You won’t get the full manual, but you can see what’s covered.
Note the release timing. A manual delivered too late, or one that’s incomplete, can put you at risk of opening without proper systems in place.
Track updates. Each new version could bring material changes. Don’t just download and file it; read it, compare it, and ask questions.
Stay compliant with your state. Manuals sometimes embed requirements that don’t match your state’s laws or health codes. Always check against your local regulators.
Final Thought
An operations manual is not a static resource, it’s a franchisor’s ongoing authority over your daily business. For franchisees, that means every new release should be reviewed with the same scrutiny you’d give a contract. Ignoring it isn’t just risky, it could mean operating out of compliance with your agreement.
This post is provided for informational purposes only and should not be considered legal advice. The information in this post is based on franchisee-provided materials and firsthand franchisee experiences, and any excerpts or descriptions are shared under fair use for the purpose of education and commentary. Prospective and current franchisees should consult with qualified legal counsel before making decisions based on franchise agreements or operations manuals.
