Question:

Debbie I pay $10.95 per meeting.  They only have one meeting day here, Wednesday, but with I think 4 meetings that day.  The leader is very good about listening and answering questions. Karen alt.support.diet.weightwatchers, "Deb in Northern California" – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hello Karen, Not sure about Tracy.  There are a lot of small meeting locations at churches, lodges, etc throughout California.  How are your meeting prices, that is the biggest indicator of whether it is a franchise or not.  Most franchises, prices are much higher.  I know our meeting are $10.95 weekly or $14.95 Liberty plan.  I know of one lady that comes to our meeting in Stockton as it is much more convenient of a time for her than the local one in Tracy. I would figure as much as Tracy has grown that they would have a regular center by now. Debbie Debbie What about Tracy (just south of Stockton)?  Here we meet at a Masonic lodge. I guess I should introduce myself.  I joined WW about 6 years ago. Made my goal in  summer 2000.  Got lazy and gained a bunch back.  I’m trying real hard now to lose it again.  But it is not coming off so easy this time around. Karen O alt.support.diet.weightwatchers, "Deb in Northern California" I live in the Central Valley of California (Stockton to be exact) and I know that the centers in Stockton, Lodi and Manteca are corporate owned. Debbie

Response:

Debbie What about Tracy (just south of Stockton)?  Here we meet at a Masonic lodge.   I guess I should introduce myself.  I joined WW about 6 years ago. Made my goal in  summer 2000.  Got lazy and gained a bunch back.  I’m trying real hard now to lose it again.  But it is not coming off so easy this time around. Karen O alt.support.diet.weightwatchers, "Deb in Northern California" – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I live in the Central Valley of California (Stockton to be exact) and I know that the centers in Stockton, Lodi and Manteca are corporate owned. Debbie

Response:

Hi Karen, welcome!  You will find new changes to the program this time around which are designed to make weight loss and maintenance more attainable. Let me jump in here and say that you can’t tell a WW by its location.  Here in the SF Bay Area we have traditional locations (in leased storefronts), travelers (in rented space in lodges, churches, women’s clubs, adult ed centers, etc.) and At Work locations (meetings held for and in a business office for employees).  They are all corporate owned meetings. OTOH, franchises can have the same mixture of meeting places.  You can’t really tell. – Fred #2

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Debbie What about Tracy (just south of Stockton)?  Here we meet at a Masonic lodge. I guess I should introduce myself.  I joined WW about 6 years ago. Made my goal in  summer 2000.  Got lazy and gained a bunch back.  I’m trying real hard now to lose it again.  But it is not coming off so easy this time around. Karen O alt.support.diet.weightwatchers, "Deb in Northern California" I live in the Central Valley of California (Stockton to be exact) and I know that the centers in Stockton, Lodi and Manteca are corporate owned. Debbie

Response:

Hello Karen, Not sure about Tracy.  There are a lot of small meeting locations at churches, lodges, etc throughout California.  How are your meeting prices, that is the biggest indicator of whether it is a franchise or not.  Most franchises, prices are much higher.  I know our meeting are $10.95 weekly or $14.95 Liberty plan.  I know of one lady that comes to our meeting in Stockton as it is much more convenient of a time for her than the local one in Tracy. I would figure as much as Tracy has grown that they would have a regular center by now. Debbie

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Debbie What about Tracy (just south of Stockton)?  Here we meet at a Masonic lodge. I guess I should introduce myself.  I joined WW about 6 years ago. Made my goal in  summer 2000.  Got lazy and gained a bunch back.  I’m trying real hard now to lose it again.  But it is not coming off so easy this time around. Karen O alt.support.diet.weightwatchers, "Deb in Northern California" I live in the Central Valley of California (Stockton to be exact) and I know that the centers in Stockton, Lodi and Manteca are corporate owned. Debbie

Response:

I believe Fresno is a franchise, someone mentioned that to me last year. Every once in awhile we will have someone from a franchise location come into a meeting room and show us either a WW product we don’t carry or one we do in carry but in a different packaging. – Fred #2 – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -I live in the Central Valley of California (Stockton to be exact) and I know that the centers in Stockton, Lodi and Manteca are corporate owned. Debbie Weight Watchers North America owns and operates the majority of Weight Watchers meetings and locations in North America.  There are some geographical areas which are not served directly by Weight Watchers North America but are instead franchised.  That means the WW corporation doesn’t own the building or lease, or employ the staff, or directly supply the material and products but instead licenses the owners/operators to run WW meetings in accordance with WW standards. There can be some leeway in certain areas of operation between franchises and corporate-owned locations. These may include meeting prices, various promotions, policies and procedures, even products offered. Weight Watchers has been in the process of buying up the franchises with the aim of owning all the locations in the United States.  It may take awhile, though.  I think last year they finally acquired most of Colorado’s franchises.  Texas, I believe, is largely franchised, as well as locations in California’s Central Valley.  There are other areas served by franchises but it has been a few months since I have heard any of the details. – Fred #2 At my meeting this morning, a woman asked a question and was told, "No, we don’t do that here because we are a franchise." Huh? What’s the difference?

Response:

Isn’t Sacramento in a Franchise? — Will~ "… so that’s how liberty ends, in a round of applause." Queen Amidala, The revenge of the Syth. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I believe Fresno is a franchise, someone mentioned that to me last year. Every once in awhile we will have someone from a franchise location come into a meeting room and show us either a WW product we don’t carry or one we do in carry but in a different packaging. – Fred #2 I live in the Central Valley of California (Stockton to be exact) and I know that the centers in Stockton, Lodi and Manteca are corporate owned. Debbie Weight Watchers North America owns and operates the majority of Weight Watchers meetings and locations in North America.  There are some geographical areas which are not served directly by Weight Watchers North America but are instead franchised.  That means the WW corporation doesn’t own the building or lease, or employ the staff, or directly supply the material and products but instead licenses the owners/operators to run WW meetings in accordance with WW standards. There can be some leeway in certain areas of operation between franchises and corporate-owned locations. These may include meeting prices, various promotions, policies and procedures, even products offered. Weight Watchers has been in the process of buying up the franchises with the aim of owning all the locations in the United States.  It may take awhile, though.  I think last year they finally acquired most of Colorado’s franchises.  Texas, I believe, is largely franchised, as well as locations in California’s Central Valley.  There are other areas served by franchises but it has been a few months since I have heard any of the details. – Fred #2 At my meeting this morning, a woman asked a question and was told, "No, we don’t do that here because we are a franchise." Huh? What’s the difference?

Response:

At my meeting this morning, a woman asked a question and was told, "No, we don’t do that here because we are a franchise." Huh? What’s the difference?

Response:

Weight Watchers North America owns and operates the majority of Weight Watchers meetings and locations in North America.  There are some geographical areas which are not served directly by Weight Watchers North America but are instead franchised.  That means the WW corporation doesn’t own the building or lease, or employ the staff, or directly supply the material and products but instead licenses the owners/operators to run WW meetings in accordance with WW standards.  There can be some leeway in certain areas of operation between franchises and corporate-owned locations. These may include meeting prices, various promotions, policies and procedures, even products offered. Weight Watchers has been in the process of buying up the franchises with the aim of owning all the locations in the United States.  It may take awhile, though.  I think last year they finally acquired most of Colorado’s franchises.  Texas, I believe, is largely franchised, as well as locations in California’s Central Valley.  There are other areas served by franchises but it has been a few months since I have heard any of the details. – Fred #2 – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – At my meeting this morning, a woman asked a question and was told, "No, we don’t do that here because we are a franchise." Huh? What’s the difference?

Response:

I live in the Central Valley of California (Stockton to be exact) and I know that the centers in Stockton, Lodi and Manteca are corporate owned. Debbie – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Weight Watchers North America owns and operates the majority of Weight Watchers meetings and locations in North America.  There are some geographical areas which are not served directly by Weight Watchers North America but are instead franchised.  That means the WW corporation doesn’t own the building or lease, or employ the staff, or directly supply the material and products but instead licenses the owners/operators to run WW meetings in accordance with WW standards.  There can be some leeway in certain areas of operation between franchises and corporate-owned locations. These may include meeting prices, various promotions, policies and procedures, even products offered. Weight Watchers has been in the process of buying up the franchises with the aim of owning all the locations in the United States.  It may take awhile, though.  I think last year they finally acquired most of Colorado’s franchises.  Texas, I believe, is largely franchised, as well as locations in California’s Central Valley.  There are other areas served by franchises but it has been a few months since I have heard any of the details. – Fred #2 At my meeting this morning, a woman asked a question and was told, "No, we don’t do that here because we are a franchise." Huh? What’s the difference?

Response: