I also work in a franchise. I am technically in charge of human resources as it falls under operations which I direct, so I couldn't exactly have a meeting with myself
I went directly to the owner, who I had known for a little over a year at the time. We had been having a conversation about something unrelated, he asked if I had a passport, and I told him I had been waiting to apply for one because I was planning to change my name and gender marker because I'm transgender and wanted to start transitioning that year. He didn't need more explanation than that - told me to let him know when I'd gotten everything updated or whenever I wanted to change email addresses/business cards, etc.
My advice would be to have a transition plan mapped out if you're able to. Let them know what your plans are, what you're hoping to do, and when. Ask about specific things like email accounts, ID badges, etc. Propose having a staff meeting to update everyone if it's a small office.
If you think your immediate supervisor would be offended by being bypassed in the chain, consider inviting them to your meeting. They may have ideas about how to move things forward.
