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McDonald’s is a den of iniquity and burgers, Satan’s handiwork, according to an Italian theologian. In a newspaper published by Italy’s Catholic bishops, Massimo Salani wrote that eating...
A Toronto man who used franchise schemes to defraud about 130 victims out of more than $1-million has been given a maximum reformatory sentence of two years less a day…the judge said, adding:...
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"I told them I wouldn’t sell it to them for $1-million because of their tactics. The way they handle themselves really rubs me the wrong way.”
The Financial Post
December 28, 2001
2001: A...
“Be kind. Remember, my kids have to read this.”
The Financial Post
December 28, 2001
2001: A dollars to doughnuts odyssey
That was the year that was — and welcome to it
IT’S ALWAYS THE...
"That's like the fox telling everybody there is no missing chicken. [The Ontario Securities Commission] didn't go in and dirty their hands and see what these guys are doing."
The Financial...
WikidFranchise additions for the week of March 30, 2009:
Note: Each article mentions a set of risks in the footer area. These are key in studying franchising. There are over 1200 inherent risks...
Tight credit is turning franchisors into lenders
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Able to finance and sell negative cash flow franchise on...
Video Prank at Domino’s Taints Brand
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Bullying, Can’t talk to media, Criminal charges, Online...
WikidFranchise additions for the week of April 20, 2009:
Note: Each article mentions a set of risks in the footer area. These are key in studying franchising. There are over 1200 inherent risks...
Quiznos closes plaintiff's stores
Quiznos
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1,001 ways to make your life miserable, 101 ways to terminate a...
NHL acting like 'illegal cartel,' Coyotes charge
Chicago Bulls, Toronto Maple Leafs, Phoenix Coyotes, Chicago White Sox, Pittsburgh Penguins, Nashville Predators
Click on the following URL to find...
Nardelli finds out – Obama Is NOT Your “Sugar Daddy”
Chrysler
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Blocking for the industry,...
The Contrarian - Ben & Jerry’s – socially responsible meltdown?
Ben & Jerry's
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Anger, Blame...
Quiznos Launches Franchisee Microloan Initiative
Quizno
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Appraisals were inflated, Debt traps, Forced to...
7-11 computation of royalty revenue morphs in strange ways
7-Elevn
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Forensic accounting, Royalty payments...
GM payouts average $900,000
General Motors
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Bankruptcy, Can't sue, Employee payments threatened, Forced to...
Laws to prevent fraud wanted
Green Acres
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Deceit, False earnings claims, Fox to guard the henhouse...
Dunkin' Donuts loses out to Canadian invaders Tim Hortons in war of donuts at Penn Station
Dunkin’ Donuts, Krispy Kreme, Tim Hortons
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Tous boutique in Palm Beach to close, owner cites franchise dispute
Tous
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Franchisee abandons their...
Tim's takes Manhattan
Tim Hortons, Dunkin' Donuts, Cold Stone Creamery
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Hubris, Infamous trademark system,...
Ice cream chain Ben & Jerry’s comes to Australia with franchising plan
Ben & Jerry's
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Social...
Adelaide room-zilla bashes wedding photographer
Australia's Pizza House
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Assault,Criminal charges,...
…a 41-year-old manager of a McDonald's restaurant in a Tokyo suburb died from overwork after putting in an average of 80 hours per month in overtime during the six month before she collapsed in...
And Mr. Corbeil worries that the lawsuit will do little. "How can 23 small businesses in Canada fight in court against a company that makes $7 billion a year? It's very frustrating from my...
The owner of the 241 Pizza delivery chain is buying doughnut maker Robin’s Foods Inc., with hopes of blending the two operations under a single roof in some locations.
The Toronto Star
March 2,...
The investigation found that franchisees were misled by false and misleading statements about the level of training, support and potential earnings. Also that support under the Government's Small...
Seatyn Iunco and a demonstrator dressed as George the Industry Dinosaur walked down the sidewalk in front of Boise Cascade's headquarters as the demonstrators offered a bit of drama, carrying on a...
The newlywed Koutroubis and his wife, Rhoda, were set to depart on their honeymoon, a one-week Caribbean cruise, days after he went missing. Koutroubis co-owned Six Steps restaurant, a trendy haunt...
Franchisor 3 for 1 Pizza & Wings (Canada) Inc. used a "fraudulent scheme" to acquire $58,500 from a Barrie couple, a judge has ruled. Mr. Justice Harry Keenan of the Ontario Superior Court of...
When Edward Levitt observed that the head lease/sublease arrangements in the franchising model permitted a franchisor to “gain some advantage in any possible dispute with the franchisee”, he...
"It does not take much time to switch one of these (PIN pads) over, perhaps 15 to 20 seconds."It's plug and play.'' The most likely scenario in the scam had been that McDonald's workers had been...
Police allege banks were used to obtain mortgages based on information supplied by a lawyer, but no bank employee was involved in the scheme. Vishnu Rajendra (Joey) Poonai, 52, a Brampton lawyer,...
Although Mr Lapham, who now sports a beard, is alleged to have sold fraudulent franchises topping $5 million, a former employee says he was no criminal mastermind. Instead, it was more likely he...
Six restaurants in Central Ohio, owned by Frank Lorch and Lorch, Inc., were closed by the franchisee, according to a statement Burger King Corp. released Monday evening. Lorch did not return calls...
YouTube has had many unexpected uses through the years, but I don’t think anyone could have predicted it would be used for public CEO apologies.
http://www.attentiondigital.com
September 14,...
My point is that while royalty may be stated to be a percentage of net, if the franchisor is also the landlord and the suppplier, what is left as net is whatever the franchisor wants to have left...
George Hadjidakis, the owner of the 7-Eleven franchise, is squaring up for further legal battles with his creditors. Last Friday the sheriff of the high court attached two of his trucks because of...
When these well-known brands went bust, franchise owners were left to soldier on with a tarnished brand.
http://money.cnn.com
July 17, 2009
7 franchises that went bankrupt
When these well-known...
…pensioner dreams she is being dragged from her home, kicking and screaming…Mrs Harrison now faces eviction from the home she has lived in for 60 years after receiving a notice on Monday night...
"McDonald's does not seem to listen anymore""; "It is with great reluctance that I am signing up, but some fundamentals are badly out of balance," and "McDonald's has been dividing and conquering...
WikidFranchise provides a transparent, credible and free educational resource for those interested in the business format franchise industry.
WikidFranchise is a document collection
What Types of...
Plamondon (www.plamondon-cos.com) negotiated with Imasco for about three years before a purchase agreement was reached. Its principals won't disclose the price or details of the deal. "When we...
In the 1990s, however, Mr. Overs fought a series of high-profile legal battles with his franchisees. But the company in recent years has revived its image by lending its name to fundraising drives...
All had similar complaints: The Coffee Beanery, they say, never disclosed that the café stores were historically unprofitable; the equipment they bought was defective (and overpriced); and the...
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission has granted conditional authorisation to the Australian Newsagents' Federation to collectively bargain on behalf of its members with certain...
The action does not include Allphones chairman Tony Mitchell, who was on the federal government's expert panel…alleged Allphones threatened to withhold stock from franchisees unless they signed a...
…that Bakers Delight colluded with banks, including that they shared information about the franchisee which led to losses being suffered. This allegation was made against more than one...
Some franchisees alleged that Bakers Delight colluded with banks, including that they shared information about the franchisee which led to losses being suffered. This allegation was made against...
,,,after the company has collapsed and owes over $100 million to creditors; it seems the ACCC made a huge misjudgement in regards to Kleenmaid. Further investigation would have undoubtedly...
"People that seek to prey on those potential small business operators are on notice that the ACCC will not tolerate, what effectively, is criminal behaviour," he said.
www.smh.com.au
February 24,...
Accountants, bankers and architects feature prominently among the applicants for a new McDonalds branch in Ireland, the Independent reported. Professionals are chasing 'McJobs' in Ennis, County...
The fact that the profession [accountancy] is self-regulating. That's got to go. The industry defence that accountancy firms open themselves up to "peer review," which is meant to provide...
“We lost our house, our savings, everything we had,” says Greg, 32, of Dufferin Street in central St. Catharines. “We went through hell. And the thing I still can’t believe is how much we...
"We've interviewed a very large number of people, and I can tell you that Mr Lapham's assisting us with our inquiries, but the investigation's got a long way to go," says Grant Liddell, SFO...
Gatts would not comment about Carlisle's defense, but he hinted that Petland store policy might come into play. The franchise in Chapel Hill Mall closed after Carlisle's arrest. ''What Petland does...
"Rather than acting like the king of burgers, the chain is acting like the king of chickens—scared to stand up for what is right"" Ackerman said. ""If Burger King continues to act as if it had...
George Weston Ltd. reported strong growth in sales and profit for 2001, mainly because of the acquisition of the Bestfoods Baking Co. Inc. in the United States last July, a deal that made Weston...
The company that owns PharmaPlus Drug Marts and Pharmx/Rexall is set to swallow the drugstore network that includes IDA and Guardian, creating a new powerhouse in the sector to take on Shoppers...
Despite the risks of taking on a huge debt to finance underperforming stores, Atkinson said Jean Coutu has few opportunities left to grow in Canada, which is dominated by three other chains.
The...
Auckland law firm Ellis Law…has started proceedings against the solicitors for negligence. It is also taking action against several valuers over the valuations they did on properties sold through...
Gaining entry to a locked business under cover of darkness isn’t taught in franchise manuals, but it’s a skill that both franchisees and franchisors occasionally find useful.
The Globe and...
Pugliese had told the court he was acting in self defence. Lawyers for Pugliese said in a letter to the Sunday Mail that he was "no longer a director nor shareholder of Australia's Pizza House and...
I told them my story — they did not believe it. I now tell it to you — and I can scarcely expect you to put more faith in it than did the merry fishermen of Lofoden.
A Descent Into The...
The public service is free to consumers who register basic information about the deceased, whether recent or historical, through the Mississauga-based Bereavement Register, via the online site, or...
Stewart claimed Nutrilawn did not renew his contract because he had become a vocal franchisee advocate. In September, 1996 Stewart founded the Canadian Alliance of Franchise Operators (CAFO). He...
…a franchisee in dispute with his franchisor has paid the ultimate price, taking his own life…If the Government ignores complaints about the ACCC's inaction this is where Labor could step up to...
Afton, through its subsidiaries, is a franchisor in the quick-service restaurant industry, with locations throughout Canada operating under two principal brands, 241 Pizza and Robin's Donuts. In...
The South Service Road firm's year-over-year revenues rose 32 per cent. Afton has acquired Robin's Foods Inc., the parent franchisor behind a 244-location Thunder Bay doughnut chain mostly in...
Plus, we’ve all heard the horror stories from those who have taken on a franchise and had a falling out with the parent company, only to lose the franchise and their investment.
The Toronto...
At the Ontario government’s request, the crown-owned Liquor Control Board of Ontario (LCBO) will expand an “LCBO agency” system with new stores scheduled to open between now and early...
Canberra workers who recklessly fail to prevent behaviour which causes serious harm to another can be fined $220,000 and jailed for seven years under the Work Safety Act.
The Canberra...
And somehow it made him known to someone you would never expect – Lawrence Brown, the man accused of murdering Georgina (Vivi) Leimonis at Just Desserts, the café, Mr. Givens once owned.
The...
Wiederhorn got out of jail in October 2005…A D.C. Circuit Court judge scolded the board for paying Wiederhorn while in jail, saying their behavior was like "the child who murders his parents and...
…Eagleson served as Executive Director of the National Hockey League Players’ Association ("NHLPA") from 1967 through 1991, during which time he was responsible for the management of the...
The gentlemen from the Canadian Franchise Association would lead you to believe that disclosure is a franchisee’s salvation, that a dissatisfied franchisee is a dim and poor negotiator…We read...
Franchise Law
November 1, 1995
Alberta Franchises Act
Province of Alberta, Canada
CHAPTER F-17.1
Table of Contents
Interpretation 1
Purpose and Application
Purpose statement 2
Application of Act...
When you read through your average franchise agreement, it’s pretty hard to find a single obligation of the franchisor. In these one-sided documents, even exclusive franchisee territories are...
Today, Krispy Kreme shares have lost more than 70 per cent of their peak value last year…The company faces class-action lawsuits over allegedly misleading financial projections, and last month...
I've asked that my CV be distributed to you, not to tell you how brilliant I am but to tell you that I probably have more experience in dealing with franchise legislation throughout the world than...
Retailers should not be tied strictly to purchasing from the main distributor. A certain amount of flexibility to source products locally and independently must be part of a franchise...
In fact, there are numerous explanations for the dearth of investor enthusiasm.
Canadian Business magazine
November 26, 2001
All dressed up
Mark’s Work Wearhouse may get bought—or go...
One man, who invested $250,000, did not come forward for several months because he was embarrassed to admit he had lost that much after telling his family he had invested only $50,000, police...
As a result of preliminary investigations, the government now intends to work with the New Zealand Franchise Association to ascertain whether there is a need to tighten the legal framework around...
Gerurdas Gerrit Heijne, 45, is standing trial in the West Australian Supreme Court for the murder of his long-term partner Frank Ciancosi, 51. The couple were the co-founders of the Lenard's...
"There's always a balance we have to run that somebody isn't claiming falsely that there are security issues and try to take advantage of it, but on the other side, if it looks to be any realistic...
ALLPHONES faces a damaging backlash from its franchisee network and could be slapped with a class action suit, just over a week after it was found guilty of ""calculated dishonesty"" and...
EMBATTLED mobile phone retailer Allphones, which is under investigation by the competition regulator, has hit back at findings in the Federal Court that it engaged in ""calculated dishonesty"" and...
Only one of these five, Atlanta Bread Co., [defaults > 25%] responded to requests for comment. The company says a concept revitalization that required its bakery cafes to remodel had caused some...
Perhaps under ownership of the U.S. fast-food chain Wendy's, Tim Hortons is all business and less hockey romance. At least Tim Horton never shilled a hamburger or a chicken leg.
The Globe and...
I know what fear is in people, I’m not a businessman. My background is in law enforcement. For 20 years, I served this country, mostly as a drug investigator in Toronto, and I know what fear is...
Ken Galbraith loved words, not least his own. He was no less fond, and no less generous in praise, of writers who took the craft of writing as seriously as he. Galbraith, despite his seeming...
"You grow or you die in the franchise world … How they let Subway grow to 2,000 [stores] is beyond me," Mr. Fisher said.
The Globe and Mail
April 13, 2005
A match made in fast-food...
Re-loaning isn't re-loaning at all. It's a nice way of saying rollover, a dirty word payday lenders try to avoid because of its nasty connotations…The Star opts to roll over…When the Star...
Eight of 14 analysts who have filed recent reports on the company have "hold" ratings on the stock…"The U.S. market is such a tough market and every (Canadian) retailer has had their head handed...
Tit-For-Tat…the program opened by co-operating with its opponent. Thereafter, it played exactly as the other side had played in the preceding game. If the other side had defected, Tit-For-Tat...
Kiwibank exists in two forms: either as a franchise, typically run by a small business owner out of a dairy or stationery shop, or as part of a corporate branch of NZ Post. In some cases, NZ Post...
Mr Earnshaw said the branch had not closed, but he and his wife had their contract terminated with no warning, four days after asking Ms Neil a series of questions relating to their franchise...
Julius Melnitzer was called to the bar in London, Ontario, in 1973. He practised as a criminal lawyer until the mid-1980's, handling a number of high-profile cases, then turned to civil litigation...
The first charge carries a maximum RM30,000 fine or seven years jail, or both, while the other two carry a maximum RM250,000 fine or 10 years jail, upon conviction.
http://thestar.com.my
February...
…the shares were artificially inflated by certain statements that the defendant made…They are blaming their losses on the low-carb diet craze and we think that is just a ruse to cover up the...
Liss-Riordan contended that Awuah should be legally treated as a Coverall employee, and not as an independent contractor as his franchise agreement set out.
The Boston Globe
February 16,...
"The freezing of Mr. Oudivikine's card was the result of his card being skimmed. It had nothing to do with the privacy issue," McLeod said.
The Toronto Star
May 21, 2005
Another privacy breach at...
Twenty years ago the Mulroney government attempted to close all rural post offices across Canada and turn rural postal services over to small business operators like store owners, service stations...
On Friday we learned the Brumby Government is planning "a special squad to stamp out workplace bullies" after the 19-year-old cafe worker's death. WorkSafe has apparently been "overwhelmed with...
"We're going after the root of the problem,"" Mr. Brune said. ""Corporate campaigns are the next frontier — and definitely it's companies like CitiGroup, Boise Cascade and Exxon that will be...
Mr. Layton launched an interactive Web page focusing on Mr. Martin's former company, Canada Steamship Lines. The page says CSL does not pay Canadian taxes and wages and avoids Canadian...
Anyone looking for straight talk, therefore, should turn to British Labour's Claire Short, Minister of International Development, who says she has never understood how attacking McDonald's improves...
While Lam admits while he hasn't fallen ill to ingesting several bites of the ant-laced burrito, it's protein that's unwanted. "When I think of it, it grosses me out," he said. "Just bringing back...
The sudden shutdown and eviction of the restaurant - at 201 St. Jacques, corner of St. François Xavier St. - cut the number of franchised Eggspectations in the Montreal area to seven from eight....
"There was a concern that we didn't want to open ourselves to some sort of liability and to McDonald's lawyers," says Kirsten White, a Toronto-based designer with a piece in the show (with Marc...
“This is my life, and they’re removing that from me.”
The Sault Star
December 5, 2001
A&P about to take over Richard’s Food Basics
Franchisee doesn’t know why company taking keys to...
Franchisees had claimed that A&P altered the terms of their original agreements in a way that was driving down profits at the Food Basics stores. The dispute was scheduled to go to trial this...
Almost 500 grocery store workers were told yesterday their jobs were disappearing as A&P announced it was closing its Burlington warehouse and three of its Barn grocery stores in Hamilton.
The...
Says Mr Ratan Jalan, CEO, AHLL, ‘‘the franchisee model will be the most viable vehicle as we will be able to exploit the entrepreneurial abilities of owner-managers, and at the same time...
The unfortunate death of retail chain Dylex Ltd. came after an apparent fraud at the hands of its purchaser, a bankruptcy court judge ruled yesterday. The ruling by Justice James Spence of Ontario...
“This is important because dealers are behind the eight ball from the beginning of their relationship with the manufacturer due to skewed franchise contracts that are written by, and heavily...
In Canada, A&P acted as wholesaler to more than 60 Food Basics franchisees, some of whom sued it in Ontario Superior Court, accusing it of crushing their profits by holding back supplier...
The boycott fever has nevertheless unnerved investors and politicians.
The Washington Post
February 4, 2001
Arab boycott taking a bite out of U.S. firms
Howard Schneider
CAIRO — Caroline...
…more franchisers rewrote arbitration clauses so as to exempt class-action proceedings. While about half the contracts calling for arbitration prohibited class actions in 1999, that number jumped...
It sends a message that Snap-on will no longer have the ability to implement deceptive business practices that have caused financial devastation to many franchisees. This decision will help to...
…Spurlock ploughs his way through all 83 of the chain's outlets in Manhattan and a few more across America, his weight balloons, his energy and libido flag and he begins to crave all forms of...
The thing about McDonald's and unions, though, is that for every organization bid that fails, another is born.
Report on Business magazine
September 1, 2001
Arch Enemy
McDonald's: It's a family,...
One thing I continue to be amazed about is the number of franchisees who simply sign on the dotted line without ever reading the contract, without ever consulting an attorney, or studying other...
Haliburton Co. says it has reached an agreement in principle to limit the cash required to settle asbestos lawsuits with its subsidiaries to $2.775 billion (U.S.).
The Toronto Star
November 7,...
Insolvent and dishonest trading can attract a jail term of up to five years and a fine of $220,000, as well as disqualification as a company director. Kleenmaid went into voluntary administration...
Clearly, it smells as if crimes have been committed here. But Bay Street, with its own in-house cop, the OSC, keeps things cozy and under wraps.
Maclean’s magazine
August 7, 2000
A slap on the...
Brent Barr of Ryerson's retail marketing program asked franchisees about the effectiveness of franchisors' selection process, disclosure, leadership, business planning and marketing, training and...
But the experts agree on one thing: Franchisee associations are here to stay. Franchisors should look at them with less of a jaundiced eye.
Franchise Times
September 1, 2001
Associations: Evolving...
They had asked Perbadanan Nasional to stop funding franchise businesses as it was not benefiting franchisees. They are worried they would go bust as they are being victimised and used as...
The lawyers said the Sauers used “fabricated” and “inflated” revenue and profit projections when selling franchises to Rosovkski and others and “misrepresented the profitability of the...
RETAIL Cube – owners of the Athlete's Foot franchise – yesterday said it was business as usual in Australia after the corporate arm of The Athlete's Foot Corporate Stores in the US filed for...
At 35, Marchment figures he can play for several more years. His post-NHL career, though, will include working at his Line-X franchise.
The Toronto Star
August 3, 2004
A tough guy and his trucks
If...
AT&T Corp. may be fined $780,000 (U.S.) by the U.S. Federal Communications Commission for allegedly violating the commission's do-not-call rules, the first penalty since tougher restrictions on...
Tracy believes another hero of Big Tobacco proportions may be emerging in this case. "It appears from his lawsuit that Dimitrios Biller may have been the lone person with a conscience at Toyota....
"I go to a public school. I'm affected by this deal between the board and the company, but somehow I'm denied the right to know what's fully happening in the school," said Nicholas, now a Grade 10...
…Wizard franchises are in a bind. GE Money, the owner of the Wizard franchise system, has sold the brand, which Aussie will scrap. The Wizard franchises have also lost access to home loan funding...
…European crime gangs are affecting our way of life. Total fraud involving cards used or issued in Australia stood at $263 million in 2008, according to the Australian Payments Clearing...
Mr Young and his brother Andrew founded their Sunshine Coast company 24 years ago, building it into one of Australia's most successful franchises, with a $90m turnover last financial year. But the...
One dealer pointed out, however, that if he is forced to shut down and let his 60 employees go, legacy costs will be between $700,000 and $800,000. "Who is going to pay that?" the dealer asked.
The...
…referred to Mr. [Leonard] Cohen as the "Byron of our times…As he accepted his award — the Companion of the Order of Canada — he bowed to the viceregal couple. For five years, Mr. Cohen...
By marrying, she has defeated another stigma against rape victims in conservative Pakistani society. The village council ordered her rape as a punishment for actions attributed to her younger...
“I spent almost $7 million fighting this franchisor, but I don’t care. I came into the world with nothing, my family is okay financially, so to hell with them. I’ll march on.”… defendants...
A&W Food Services of Canada Inc. and Country Style Foodservices Inc., working together in a strategic alliance, will officially open the first built from the ""ground-up"" fully integrated...
The Board of Directors of Country Style Food Services Inc. are pleased to announce the appointment of Patrick W. Gibbons to the position of President.
Country Style Donuts
November 8, 2000
A&W...
Market observers have long lamented that the burger market is oversaturated, but A&W's Mooney said the fast-food market continues to grow and the burger segment is still gaining a larger...
…of "the seven deadly sins, only envy is no fun at all,"…We are creatures who, with rare exceptions, compare ourselves to others; therefore, we are creatures doomed to find ourselves wanting....
“She’s probably the most focused person that I’ve ever met when it comes to doing very difficult things,” he said. “She’s really dedicated to helping the underdog, whether they are...
A&W Food Services of Canada Inc., operator of 585 fast-food outlets across the country, plans to go public next month by selling up to $100-million of units in an income trust. The offering...
Canadian Institute of Hamburgerology
July 20, 1979
Bachelor of Operations
McDonald's Canada
This Certifies That
Les Stewart
has successfully completed the
McDONALD’S MANAGEMENT TRAINING...
Franchisers, Zarco said, should not be able to "saturate the markets considering their own selfish, profit-driven greed as opposed to considering the impact the placement of a new unit will have on...
…It's tempting, not to mention easy, for a lawyer trained in school to go for the big bucks to fudge on his billings. In such ways, a thief is let loose on his clients…
The Toronto Star
August...
For all his glitz, Mr. Weston gets full marks for the very earthy tasks of cutting deals and building strong management teams.
The Globe and Mail
February 20, 2001
Bakery deal makes Galen Weston...
"(But) still not achieving anywhere near the figures I expected." He said his budget forecasts were partly based on supplied figures and support from BoQ, with its distinctive blue on gold...
"Any product, be it a deposit product or a loan product such as a mortgage, if it can be used to launder dirty money, it should be subject to strong [anti-money laundering] provisions."
The Globe...
A U.S. Bankruptcy Court judge has agreed to convert the 1800mattress.com case to a Chapter 11 reorganization, but has delayed the proposed sale of the retailer to Sleepy's until mid-May to allow...
Everyone else in the packed congressional hearing room could see Mr. Skilling had turned a blind eye to a blatant conflict of interest. An internal probe by Enron's own board of directors had...
“Workers are not like other creditors…They create the wealth and are not responsible for the way management uses or misuses that revenue. It’s time the courts understood that.”
The Toronto...
"Our bankruptcy laws are not onerous," Bennett says. "In fact, they encourage individuals and companies to take protection from creditors who are pressing collection of their accounts." Bankruptcy...
Bryers wasn't always so unpopular. He was said to be a charismatic, gifted salesman. With friend Bob Bangerter, he co-founded Blue Chip - an aggressive outfit that targeted Kiwis concerned about...
Superior Court Justice Randall Echlin sent shock waves through the Canada's finance industry last week in the case of a North York couple whose luxury condominium was stolen by identity...
David Wilton, director of small business at Scotiabank, said loan applications supported by strong business plans and solid credit ratings typically stand the best chance. Lorraine McLachlan, CFA...
“…the Enron banks were not innocent drivers but served as the actual masterminds behind the scheme to defraud investors in one of the greatest financial frauds in history."
The Globe and...
But he said it is standard practice to make such loans payable to the franchisor…But Country Style chief executive Patrick Gibbons said he's never heard of such a practice…"A loan agreement is...
The Toronto Star
January 30, 2001
Bank ups Godsoe's pay 60%
Scotibank CEO tops other bank chiefs with 4.3 million package
The Bank of Nova Scotia doubled chief executive Peter Godsoe’s bonus and...
The former owner of Battery Plus Inc. is launching a $40.5 million legal challenge to block the sale of the insolvent retailer. Antoine Chahine Badr alleges that the Laurentian Bank of Canada,...
The owner of Battery Plus Inc., ousted from the retail business when it was put into receivership last
November, has filed a motion to have Deloitte & Touche removed as interim receiver and is...
A bankruptcy court judge has approved the sale of insolvent electronics chain Battery Plus Inc. to Leap Energy and Power Corp., a Canadian battery maker. The $5-million sale could pave the way for...
“Some franchise systems are set up so that expenses exceed revenue, and if you spend more than a dollar to earn a dollar, the answer is obvious.”
The Toronto Sun
March 29, 1998
CHEESED OFF:...
The head of Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce's investment and corporate banking arm took home $14-million last year, making him the highest-paid senior executive ever on Bay Street.
The Globe and...
…alleges that the couple, who have had the Triangle's Red Hot & Blue franchise for 10 years, began missing payments in September 2002…Red Hot & Blue has asked a federal judge to order...
“Thow engaged in a methodical system of fraud against persons he purported to treat as friends and family.” Judge Palmer's decision, read out to the court Thursday, was peppered with sympathy...
Several years ago, Bear Rock was a Cary-based sandwich shop that boasted of plans to have more than 150 franchised restaurants across the country. By 2006, there were 39 Bear Rock Cafés. According...
Mr. Koutroubis, a graduate in business studies, had no known criminal history. But a theory police have been exploring from the outset is that along with business interests encompassing part-time...
The Beer Store complained yesterday that the province's biggest cash cow, the Liquor Control Board of Ontario, is trying to block its efforts to set up agents in small communities. The private...
In the recent cases against Forzani and Sears, the allegations were similar. The bureau said the retailers misled consumers by advertising what amounted to phony discounts. To qualify as a sale...
…Only resilient and profitable franchise systems should be on the list," MCAM executive secretary Datuk Nadzim Johan told a news conference in Kuala Lumpur yesterday. He said approving and...
Company officials say they stand by the average-sales claims they've published in the past. But they also acknowledge removing the figure from their most recent franchising notice, a decision...
He brought the IGA concept to Canada and, one by one, began convincing Ottawa grocers to join the franchise operation and to buy their stock from his wholesale business. The IGA franchise quickly...
"The deal gives us the opportunity for a fresh start with our members owning their brand. It also offers our suppliers a national brand through which to market their products."
Queensland Business...
According to Sarah Inglis, a young woman now working for the Hospital Employees Restaurant Employees (H.E.R.E.) union, McDonald's shut that (Quebec) store down the day it organized.
High Grader...
The aggressive use of sample financial statements is a common cause of disputes…Pro formas are obviously designed to show a positive business opportunity; in this case, the franchisor takes no...
"Most poor bastards caught in the SureSlim net can't anyway because they have totally done their arse. And we discourage people from throwing good money after bad."…fall in business over 80...
An Ontario chiropractor is suing McDonald's Corp. for US$4.5-million over allegations he found part of a syringe in a Big Mac.
National Post
March 14, 2001
Big Mac contained syringe tip, suit...
For-profit health care generates huge profits for companies south of the border. I experienced exorbitant U.S. health-insurance premiums, inflated medical costs, and incredible administrative...
The legal skirmishes have seen the country's biggest grocers, including Loblaw Cos. Ltd., lock horns with Shoppers Drug Mart Corp., the No. 1 drug store chain, as they duke it out over exclusive...
She stick-handled the company's maiden voyage into e-commerce and helped establish a global Web site and brought all of the company's Ford and Mercury dealerships under one franchise to eliminate...
"Now everyone will get a chance to meet him" DeGroot says. "We are going ahead with the grand opening and whoever stays and has something to eat, can book a 30-minute seating for when he is here...
"If a franchisee is not prepared to expand or invest what we believe is necessary to secure our market share, they will be run over and discarded."…the outrageous listing fees charged by the...
…their struggles with the corporation since they opened their sandwich shop on Grand Avenue in 2001 may have cost them their retirement savings.
The Billings Gazette
August 7, 2005
Billings...
One provincial member of parliament is getting involved in this dispute. Sault Ste. Marie’s Tony Martin has been pushing for a bill to protect franchisees from corporate owners. Some of the bill...
The current effort to regulate franchise agreements is geared in part to complete work done on the matter in the late 1960s and early 1970s by Tory MPP, Arthur Wishart, who also represented Sault...
…tension was reported about any debut of the $1 double cheeseburger, as the franchisor allegedly wanted to use the item to spark sales, but franchisees allegedly wanted to shelve the $1 product...
Capitalism has its quirks and one of them is the agreements designed to eliminate competition…The fact is Lord Black and his colleagues took an outrageous amount of money — the $80-million —...
If the court grants Ravelston protection, it will cast into doubt Lord Black's ability to pay more than $59-million in retirement benefits to employees, $3.2-million in Ontario taxes and $3-million...
The Blimpie Subs & Salads restaurant chain announced plans to aggressively seek college seniors to join their team as franchise owners. "We see a tremendous opportunity to help college seniors...
…Blockbuster operated 42 video rental stores in Tennessee, and Blockbuster franchisees operated an additional 55. One thing Southern Stores will try to prove is that a reduced level of sales in...
…United States, monthly trade journal Franchise Times reported that Blockbuster had 4,855 stores and 850 franchises in April 2008…"As the 3,600 stores have come down today to about 3,200, at...
WikidFranchise.org. Among the newest franchise sites — it was launched earlier this month — is WikidFranchise.org, a takeoff on the popular Wikipedia concept. The site invites contributions...
Mr Emerson, who supported a good faith provision for the Franchising Code when in Opposition — subject to its parameters being defined — said he had ""noted"" recent reports from the West...
…money would be "in an offshore account by now". The only way to find out where the money had gone, including the $25m share money, was to get Bryers in the witness box and ask him. "The...
The liquidator of companies entangled in the Blue Chip property investment failure says the amount owed to creditors is $84.3 million - much more than originally estimated…no Blue Chip New...
Lawyer Aaron Nicholl filed a proposal to pay the creditors $1.2m over three years but it was rejected. An estimated 2000 investors lost around $80 million after 22 Blue Chip-related companies...
In the middle of 2007 it offloaded the New Zealand Blue Chip businesses to a series of franchise companies run by former Blue Chip people. The New Zealand franchise group of companies began to...
“It's just financial rape." The investors would also argue that Blue Chip steered them towards "tame" solicitors and discouraged them from seeking independent legal advice. "How any competent...
Tasman Mortgages was wholly owned by the Blue Chip parent company in 2005 and 2006, and enabled many investors to borrow against their homes in order to invest in the scheme…"How in God's name do...
After three months of searching the records of the 21 Blue Chip companies in liquidation, liquidator Jeff Meltzer said last week that he had found no pot of gold or secret bank accounts.
The New...
Tasman had been owned by Blue Chip Financial Solutions and loaned $27 million to investors in the failed Blue Chip scheme. Meltzer estimates about 80 per cent of all lending was undertaken by...
[Paul Dale] argues the mortgages should be set aside…To date, Dale has looked closely at four case studies, collectively worth about $2 million in disputed mortgages. ""My own view is some of...
At the same time it also announced that one of its former main subsidiaries, Blue Chip New Zealand, had been put into liquidation. This means at least 21 Blue Chip affiliated companies are in...
Embattled finance property finance company Blue Chip has washed its hands of the New Zealand franchise. The move wipes around 80% off its revenue base and leaves New Zealand mum and dad investors,...
"I have no doubt that a reasonably competent solicitor would have advised [the Bartles] that the risks they faced were so great that they should refrain from entering into the transaction," Nolan...
http://lesstewart.wordpress.com
August 2, 2009
Blue MauMau returns false First Opinions
Les Stewart
Blue MauMau is like a laboratory that provides knowingly inaccurate readings.
How a problem is...
In my days, the franchise was not that restrictive. But they're tightening the screws, and you're going to hear more stories about it. They are really tightening down. To buy all your product all...
Toni Lambert is one of dozens of franchisees who have contacted me to tell their own Body Shop saga. The calls began in 1993 and led to the publication of my article "Shattered Image" in Business...
The new boss at the Body Shop was the chief operating officer of one of Canada's biggest department store chains when it was forced into bankruptcy in 1997, it emerged yesterday.
The...
"They probably need some new blood. It won't necessarily be a bad thing for this to happen," said Ms. Atkinson. She said since BSI has been so heavily involved in supplying the Canadian operations'...
The Body Shop is sleazy and bullying, and hides behind a veneer of rubbishy and manipulative propaganda. They are nothing more than a group of thugs.
National Public Radio Morning Edition
September...
The once high-flying public company, founded by Anita Roddick, who pioneered the notion of mixing skin-care products with social responsibility, has been struggling in recent years.
The Toronto...
This is a classic case of ""cut and run"" exploitation of workers that previously wiped out the forests and jobs of the East.
Idaho Statesman
February 22, 2001
Boise Cascade to blame for waning...
There are big problems with the LCBO and its shabby financial performance. A recession-proof, legislated monopoly like the LCBO should be showering the government with riches. It is not. An...
BANK of Queensland is defending its much-trumpeted strategy of using franchised bank branches to expand interstate against an attack by disgruntled franchisees in the key NSW market…The bank,...
The former owners of the branch have taken legal action, alleging BoQ deceived them into continuing to operate the branch, incur losses and solicit business for the bank…However, instead of only...
That "gut" feeling that moves one person to trust another is governed by a brain hormone most noted for its role in the mother-child bond. This finding, reported during the Society for...
Adotei Akwei of Amnesty International, one of the groups involved in the campaign, said the industry's decision "has confirmed a growing trend that business cannot and will not be divorced from...
One of the franchisees' big complaints has to do with rent paid to McDonald's. Rowell pays 21 percent of his sales to McDonald's in rent, while McDonald's pays the real estate owner 5 percent of...
"They're taking sales away from me," he said bitterly. "Things are so tight that it has become impossible to stay in business unless everything is going smoothly." He argued that the bevy of...
To be found guilty of breach of trust, a public office holder must not only show a "marked departure" from acceptable standards of conduct, but also act with a conscious intent that smacks of...
The Canada Small Business Financing Program has a 8% default rate. Losses for 1995-1999 will exceed $200-million and could hit $250-million, an official in the Auditor-General’s office...
The McDonald's scam scooped more than $5 million from Perth bank accounts. But all of the money was withdrawn either in NSW and Victoria or offshore in Canada, the United Kingdom, India and...
Michael Bregman, Second Cup chairman, would not comment on whether he would consider tendering his 24.4% stake in Second Cup, but said the revised offer from Cara is preferable because it is for...
Someone once said, I think wisely, that the purpose of competition is to eliminate competition. I think in many ways that's what is happening all across this province and perhaps the world. The...
This is going to be a very short presentation on how I felt about the bill, and that's what I was asked to do.
Legislative Assembly of Ontario
March 9, 2000
Public Hearing Testimony
London,...
“Based on the sheer number and intensity of the procedural motions brought by TCGI and Novus, they have clearly chosen to litigate this action as a war of attrition so as to cause us to deplete...
An RCMP officer became suspicious because the high-denomination notes, dated 1934, were printed for "dollar," rather than "dollars." Further examination revealed they had been run off on an ink-jet...
Fay Vass, chief executive officer of the British Hedgehog Preservation Society, said the change was "excellent, if long overdue news."
The Globe and Mail
September 2, 2006
British McDonald's alters...
Dunn was Lett's investment adviser and his "conduct was particularly egregious as he was a registrant and a branch manager," the commission stated. "The branch manager holds a crucial role in...
"I'm not interested in going to jail any more," Mr. Hardiman says, adding that he preferred prison conditions in the Philippines to the cramped quarters and hard-core criminal clientele in Toronto...
“It’s fair to say he’s hated,” he said, speaking of his client. “And the assemblage of creditors in this room right now is more a reflection of that than proper consideration of the...
Flanked by two bodyguards, Blue Chip frontman Mark Bryers showed the first sign of fear when he walked the streets of Auckland last week, aware that out there are people not so pleased to see him...
Mark Bryers saw himself as Blue Chip's "spiritual" leader and mentor, and was convinced he could stop the company from collapsing despite $42.5 million being unaccounted for…Blue Chip directors...
The parent of the Buck or Two chain will shutter the bulk of its corporate-owned stores, lay off hundreds of workers and try to sell its franchising arm as the dollar store operator – buckling...
The Bulk Barn company manual promises its dealers the lowest available regular wholesale price. Doshi’s troubles with Ofield began in 1991 when he said Bulk Barn was charging 25 per cent too much...
…charges of failing to provide and maintain a safe workplace, and failing to properly train and supervise employees. Director Marc Da Cruz was fined $30,000 and convicted of the same charges,...
"Collusion with the (ANZ) Bank to create financial duress; "Inducing the above financial distress in order to arrange a fire-sale of the business, causing financial catastrophe; "Controlling the...
These horrific deaths followed what was apparently an equally horrifying life for these rabbits. Other comments Carlisle posted made it clear that the rabbits were drowned after sustaining...
“We’ve worked hard on this thing for years. We’re not going to just sell these things off and say goodbye. We’re going to be working with these people and monitoring their progress on a...
The world's largest restaurant company said it will sell its 182 U.S. Donatos restaurants back to original owner Jim Grote for an undisclosed amount. Mr. Grote, who founded the Columbus, Ohio-based...
"The general manager sent a female employee to speak with the woman and asked that she either cover herself or move to the ladies room," the company said in a prepared release. Geary contends she...
…its decision "to sever relations with the … NFA is extremely regrettable" and based on "an erroneous set of facts, innuendo and rumor." The letter characterized the diversion of financial...
Several of Burger King's operators have been on the financial skids, hurt by big debt loads and over expansion.
The Toronto Star
July 3, 2004
Burger King CEO leaves in strategy row
Brad Blum pushed...
Franchisees have complained of slim profit margins on flat domestic sales and ineffective marketing.
Yahoo News
April 17, 2001
Burger King considers buyout offer
Catherine Wilson
MIAMI (AP) - Under...
A local Burger King employee accused of slipping pills into customers' food made his first appearance in court Wednesday. Woody Duclos was charged with poisoning food with intent to kill or injure...
It used to be that franchisers weren't allowed to impose maximum prices, says Francine Lafontaine, who teaches the economics of franchising at the University of Michigan's Stephen M. Ross School of...
A family that owned several failed Burger Kings is suing the fast food giant, claiming the company's $1 value menu made it impossible for them to turn a profit in high-priced Manhattan.
The Miami...
Borrowing a concept from the airlines, Burger King Corp. is rewarding its loyal Whopper fans with the fast-food version of frequent flyer miles they can cash in on the Internet. In the first such...
Burger King's National Franchisee Association filed a class action suit on behalf of all franchise owners against BKC last May, following the company's decision to divert up to 40 percent of funds...
Unite union workers at the food chain this week ratified the agreement which includes a provision for redundancy in the case of store closure. The agreement was the first in the industry to include...
"It makes Burger King an accomplice to efforts to resurrect the use of boycotts against companies doing business in Israel," Foxman said in a letter to Burger King. Burger King has more than 10,000...
But on Thursday, Burger King said it had canceled the rights of the independent franchisee to operate it, following pressure from American Muslims.
ABCNews.com
August 27, 1999
Of Burgers and...
Afton Food Group Ltd. will more than double the food outlets under its management when it completes a proposed purchase of the Etobicoke-based 241 Pizza chain. Afton said yesterday it has reached...
Afton Food Group Ltd. will more than double the food outlets under its management when it completes a proposed purchase of the Etobicoke-based 241 Pizza chain. Afton said yesterday it has reached...
"The Krispy Kreme brand had a cult following in the U.S." Swayed by that, Richardson says KremeKo locked itself into an onerous contract with no back door…Due diligence or not, signing such a...
…there is no way the average person on Prince Edward Island, that scrapes up, sells his home, mortgages his home, we’re all, everybody behind me here have been in that position at one time or...
The right to private access, championed for years by Dan McTeague, a Liberal MP, will apply only in four categories of cases: refusal to deal, exclusive dealing, tied selling and market...
TWO of Australia's leading businessmen are caught up in a furore over a vicious website. The head of major car-care company UltraTune, Sean Buckley, has been accused of being linked to a campaign...
“We’re trying to raise the profile of this issue otherwise (corporate takeovers) could go very quickly and quietly and I think that’s exactly what Provigo would like to see.”…Ontario...
"When the drug industry talks about safety of Canadian drugs, they're talking about the safety of their profits, not my safety…I'm standing here today because I am the recipient of Canadian...
"[With a franchise], you lay out a lot of money and have no guarantee of success — they might open a store right next to yours," he says. "If I invest my money in my own business, I can always...
"Problems are more widespread than you think, and franchisors try to create the impression that you're only successful thanks to them. "But my example proves the...
Dale Kropf calls it Independence Day: On July 3, his five grocery stores in southwestern Ontario ceased to be Sobeys franchises. Corporate policies prevented him from buying local products, he...
The battle damaged Loeb’s public image and hurt sales in some stores…The stock has taken a beating on the Toronto Stock Exchange, sliding from a high of $8.75 in the last year to a low of $5.00...
Sterns argues in his factum the city would be forcing store owners to breach privacy laws because the stores cannot "explicitly specify" how the personal information may be used by police, nor...
They’ve taken a healthy company and because they can’t sell it in its present form, they are sawing it in half. These are cynical, self-serving tricks that give bankruptcy, insolvency and the...
Earlier this morning, Ministry staff were forced to confront Mr. Stewart…At no time did the Ministry have any plans to discuss the Country Style concerns, in part because the issue was new to the...
We are all rather tired of rowing the Roman galley of franchising and beg the Minister for some further clarification: Is he is holding the whip or beating the drum?
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
“I have...
…requested Court authority in “directing specific franchises to comply with the Initial Order and directing the police to assist the court-appointed monitor [Deloitte & Touche] in closing...
Desperate Markham franchisee promises to hurt himself in a conversation with Pat Gibbons. Multi-award winning franchisee remains in store for now but put on COD by SERCA (with information supplied...
"It appears to be more of a … business disruption thing as opposed to any product tampering, because it is quite visible, what's being done." Coleman wouldn't say whether video surveillance is...
The Babers allege in their suit that Quiznos breached its promise not to allow other franchisees to operate restaurants within two miles of the couple's two Los Angeles locations. The couple...
The Court of Appeal decision is seen as a significant court decision in favour of franchisees’ rights to disclosure by franchisors, as SmartCompany reported last week. It held that where a...
Caltex Australia said some employees would be leaving the company and others would be disciplined over a memo proposing the use of fear and other unacceptable tactics in negotiations with service...
…CANAG chairman Richard Kaucic said yesterday that a significant number of those had contributed $500 each to a fighting fund set up by CANAG. CANAG has asked Caltex to renegotiate the contracts...
Canada’s stable financial system and lenient sentencing guidelines make it a ‘haven’ for drug traffickers and other criminals looking to launder their money, according to a top official with...
“They know it’s very easy to get away with crime in Canada,”…In the 1990s, Canada came close to having its name included on an international blacklist of unco-operative jurisdictions for...
“It’s just another example of how our civil liberties are being suspended,” said Maude Barlow, chairwoman of the nationalist Council of Canadians, the group that had asked Mr. Bove to speak...
"This new bakery facility will be the largest in Canada and … significantly improve efficiencies in our manufacturing and supply chain," said Richard Lan, president and chief executive of Canada...
[Hamilton] This city is a great location to support our continued growth with a skilled workforce, excellent infrastructure, and ready access to markets. These benefits collectively led to our...
…said Canada's banks are worried about being side-swiped by a wave of new rules and regulations originating from multinational bodies responding to global banking industry problems during the...
…many provinces don't have enough money to hire staff to crack down on violations and are ""pretending to oversee"" securities regulation. Lamoureux also spoke about the need to pool the...
What do Greece, Ireland and Argentina have in common with Canada, other than perennial second-tier status on the world stage? The answer: Shoddy performance in the “Rating the Regulators" survey...
Canada is a great place to be a crook… a "la la land," where white-collar crime is lightly punished.
The Toronto Star
February 3, 2005
Canada land of easy crime, trial told
Yorkville lawyer...
Many Canadian politicians are simply "out of their league" when they come up against complicated white-collar crimes…We've become essentially a country, a province, of health care and education....
You have already read here about the redesign of Canada Post's retail outlets and how the operators have to pay, not only for changes to new counters and such – anywhere from 30 to 70 grand –...
Privacy Commissioner George Radwanski says Canada Post's change-of-address service violates privacy laws by secretly passing on customers' personal information to mass mailers and direct marketing...
Commissions on stamp sales dropped yesterday from 17.5 per cent to 5 per cent for the 3,500 franchises that sell postal services out of privately owned outlets in pharmacies, corner stores or...
In an effort to ensure that e-mail doesn’t do to Canada Post Corp. what video did to the radio, the postal service has launched a two-pronged attack to both counter and embrace the Internet...
“This is the first international trial of Internet postage.
The Toronto Star
January 28, 2000
Canada Post plans to test online postage sales service
Calgary first to get U.S. kits for field...
Roger Couldrey, president and chief executive officer of epost, said the deal should accelerate the adoption of electronic mail delivery and bill payment because it consolidates services for...
…the post office is about to update its image. But you may not know that the cost of these upgrades is being borne by the guy on the corner who sells you your stamps. Because the guy on the...
"Consumers are misled and competition is adversely affected when retailers use inflated reference prices in sales promotions," said Raymond Pierce, Deputy Commissioner of Competition.
News...
MARTIN: Were you the counsel in the Bulk Barn case for the franchisor?, ZAID: I'm involved in that., MARTIN: You're not the person who sent out the letters of threat to anybody who would intervene...
MARTIN: It speaks about freeing franchisees up to source product where they can find it at a competitive level as long it's not the trademark issue. Are you favour of that or against that? RYAN:...
But there seem to have been enough cases where franchises are terminated with very little notice, really with not sufficient provision for the business person to get compensation, or for reasons...
In the absence of the ability of the franchise industry to appropriately self-regulate, it becomes the responsibility of government, as the agent of public interest, to provide the legislative...
Mr Martin:…who you've actually kicked out of the association. I'm led to believe that, in fact, you've only revoked the membership of one and that was Pizza Pizza. Is that correct? Mr Cunningham:...
The only place where the arbitration was taking place or could take place was in Minnesota. It was cost prohibitive to travel there. So I’m just, I’m a little bit confused that the Canadian...
…some local franchisees are skeptical of the CFA’s role as it relates to them. They believe the association is in place mainly on behalf of the corporate head offices and they have little faith...
Indeed, the U.S. government encourages American businesses contemplating global expansion to start in Canada first. According to the U.S. International Trade Administration, Canada is an ideal...
A sharp-eyed Royal Canadian Mounted Police officer noticed some of the bonds, dated 1934, said "dollar" instead of "dollars," and raised the alarm. Later, London police were notified when more...
Some American colleagues have said killing 22 customers with deli-meat would have led to a non-existent company. Not so in Canada, where $5.5 billion companies like Maple Leaf Foods can say with a...
While almost half of Canadian Tire's shoppers are women, the store-for-guys image still persists, according to Wayne Sales, the company's president and chief executive. "If you really ask people,...
Canadian Tire Corp. Ltd. has launched its first two eye-catching and spacious convenience stores, called Q, as it races to bolster razor-thin profit margins at the gas pump.
The Globe and...
"They're such a Canadian icon," says retail consultant Richard Talbot of Talbot Consultants International. "It probably wouldn't work anywhere else in the world. It certainly didn't when they tried...
"But it's really unfortunate (Canadian Tire's) first major initiative is one that looks off strategy. It's a one-year synergy grab."…selling clothing is not part of Canadian Tire's core...
Investors have plenty of reasons to shudder at Canadian Tire's union with the Calgary-based peddler of steel-toed work boots. Canadian Tire's track record with takeovers is uniformly dismal.
The...
To run government like a business is to turn government into a profit-oriented enterprise that provides only those goods and services that its customers can afford — a development that will price...
Food services giant Cara Operations Ltd. Has failed in its hostile bid to take control of the Second Cup coffee chain.
The Toronto Star
January 10, 2002
Cara bid to swallow Second Cup...
System sales, which include sales by franchisees, grew 0.4 per cent to $424.3 million while gross revenue, which includes only corporate-owned restaurant and inter-company sales, rose 2.8 per cent...
Jarislowsky Fraser said it will vote against the deal because Cara was offering only $7.50 a share. "Millions of shares traded above $7.50 in the past," said Len Racioppo, Toronto partner at...
The Toronto company, which owns the Harvey's, Swiss Chalet and Kelsey's restaurant chains, said it acquired only enough shares to increase its stake in Second Cup to 43 per cent by the takeover...
Cara said system sales declined by 3.6 per cent to $373.9-million compared with the year-earlier period, while gross revenue fell 5.3 per cent to $256.8-million.
The Globe and Mail
October 30,...
Cara Operations Ltd. said yesterday it will move ahead with its all-cash bid for The Second Cup Ltd., after the Ontario Securities Commission forced the coffee merchant to abandon a poison pill...
South Florida Transport, a Thrifty Car Rental franchisee in Lauderdale Lakes, filed for Chapter 11 protection Oct. 19 and is blaming its franchiser for its woes.
South Florida Business...
Minister for Ethnic Affairs Chris Carter has slammed the firm Green Acres for being ""devious"" and ""ruthless"" in its handling of victims of the alleged Keith Lapham scam.
The New Zealand...
The Ford/CarPoint deal reflects a trend that some dealership franchise owners find disturbing: Big Auto ""gets"" the Internet, and that could cut dealers out of the loop.
eBusiness Journal
November...
Some lawyers fear the move will devalue their services and raise the spectre of opportunistic professionals wagering on chances of big payouts. Still others fear that giving a lawyer a stake in the...
There is no question the $750-million class action lawsuit…is rocking the legal world and could, eventually, rock the political world as well.“It is the largest conflict of interest case in...
Without the support a master franchise would usually provide, individual store owners had been forced to form an informal network which acted as a parallel franchise operation.
www.stuff.co.nz
June...
Like the others affected, who were mostly Chinese and Indian immigrants who lost up to $25,000 each, Mr Trevidi had taken a $16,000 bank loan to pay Green Acres area manager and franchise master...
"A church is a place where people gather to give meaning to their life, not to give publicity to chicken," said one of the upset patrons, François McCauley, a hospital clerk from Sherbrooke. He...
York Region detective Fred Kerr said the force would investigate complaints about Pizza One. But it concerns him that Ontario's franchise law has no penalties. "I would like to see the law...
"I was in a vulnerable position in my life and I was taken advantage of," she says. "That wouldn't happen now. But I think they know that when people go there, they're desperate, that they don't...
The Arbitrator finds that Respondent was not required to disclose to Claimants that Kevin Shaw has a felony conviction for grand larceny as it is not the type of felony conviction subject to...
…the Arbitrator showed a manifest disregard of the law in concluding otherwise, we REVERSE the judgment of the district court and VACATE the Arbitrator’s award.
United States Court of Appeals...
WHEREFORE, Plaintiffs seek compensatory damages from Defendants Pear, Sperling, Eggan and Daniels, P.C., and Paul R. Fransway, jointly and severally, for negligent misrepresentation in the amount...
Failure of any respondent to file an Answer, including a request for a hearing, shall result in entry of a final order directing Coffee Beanery to permanently cease and desist from violation of the...
…move, pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 60 to reopen this action in accordance with the mandate of the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit which vacated the award of...
"We're proud that our brands are recognized among the premier names in the franchise industry,"" said Bob Moles, president and CEO, Cendant Real Estate Franchise Group. "Recognition like this...
McDonald's Corp and other large fast-food restaurant companies have profited from value menus because payments from franchisees are based on top-line sales. At the same time, the people who own...
"It is the confidence that speculators have in their own bad judgment that inspires confidence in others. So the speculators join those whom they have inspired in hope and avarice and are there...
In my opinion, your actions were misleading to the public, unfair to our members, and damaging to our association’s reputation.
Letter
June 30, 2000
Letter to Tony Martin, MPP
From Canadian...
This company is listed as a member of the Canadian Franchise Association. As such they claim to abide by their published Code of Ethics.
Canadian Franchise Association
January 2, 2002
Membership...
It is not the policy of the Canadian Franchise Association to disclose or provide any information to a third party with respect to our members.
Canadian Franchise Association
October 9,...
Ms. Tripp claimed officials leaked the arrest in retaliation for her key role in the impeachment proceedings against Mr. Clinton. Stephen Kohn, one of three lawyers who represented Ms. Tripp, would...
Credit unions continued to be the favoured banking partner for small companies…The CFIB described the performance of the big banks as "troublesome," and insisted that none of the big banks has...
Allan Rowe, chief financial officer and executive vice-president of Sobeys Inc. has left the company after more than 13 years, Sobeys announced yesterday.
The Toronto Star
February 22, 2001
CFO...
Too bad Ontario doesn’t have the courage to come out punching…Ontario will soon become the second province to regulate the franchise industry. But its legislation is expected to lack...
It may seem as if Daryl Katz came out of nowhere to become Canada’s drugstore king, now presiding over an empire that brings in more than $5 billion a year from 11 chains in Canada and the US. In...
…lawsuit alleges that Subway representatives threatened to terminate its franchise agreements, which led to them sell five of their nine shops below market value and squashed their dream of...
Including good faith could have "adverse commercial consequences" for franchisees, including franchisors seeking compensation for "extra risk" they faced through larger franchise fees and more...
"Krispy Kreme is a case of a management team living large on the market's overblown expectations for corporate earnings and revenue growth, when in reality the company's ability to expand and...
The problems ranged from mouse droppings to not having a basin for washing hands in the cooking area.
The Toronto Star
May 3, 2000
Charges pending against five eateries
Concerned Pantry Shops are a...
Karamjit Gill and Mamta Patel said after the hearing that they received $95,000, only part of what they were owed. The two women say they spent nearly $50,000 in legal fees to win a $160,000 award...
Do we just want optics? Do we just want to look politically correct in putting this in there? I respectfully submit, no, we don't. I only ascribe the best intentions and I think it's important that...
"All my life in China I never got conned because over there I have been taught to be cautious,"" Ms Zhang said. ""Coming to New Zealand, I tend to let my guard down because New Zealanders have a...
McDonald's streak of consistent Top 10 finishes ended with its fall to 12th from fourth place due to poor order accuracy. A&W, meanwhile, dropped from ninth to 17th as a result of drops in...
West Australian chicken shop tycoon Gerardus Heijne has been found guilty of murdering his gay lover and business partner at their luxury Perth apartment. Heijne, 45, faces a minimum 10-year...
Mr Heijne said at that point he thought Mr Cianciosi was dead and he lay down next to him after turning the airconditioner on low, the way Mr Cianciosi liked it.…Mr Heijne left the penthouse to...
It wasn't long ago that such observations were reserved solely for the SEC, the Wall Street watchdog that has welcomed a parade of high-profile and headline-grabbing attorneys, ranging all the way...
A survey released by Canadian Lawyer magazine showed that average costs of legal fees hover around $200 per hour in Canada, particularly in urban centers.
National Post
August 22, 2000
Chief...
Investors dumped CoolBrands stock in a frenzy of late trading Wednesday that lopped $350 million off its market value in 38 minutes. Stock-market regulators later cancelled the trades, saying it...
The automakers appear likely to give affected dealers little or no compensation, even though franchise owners typically spend big bucks on showrooms. “This is just another example of Wall Street...
The trustee for what was once a high-flying telecom company that became one of the biggest flameouts in the United States is suing several ""affiliates"" of the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce,...
A group of junk-bond executives who worked for CIBC in the United States, and who had previously worked with Global Crossing's founder, jump-started the bank's involvement…The suit claims the...
…she couldn't elaborate on the SEC's assertion the company was unco-operative in the investigation. "We strive to have good relationships with all our regulators, and we can't comment on the...
She said the banking sector is a major source of complaints to her office, reflecting the banks' collection of customer data and the fact that banking privacy law has a track record of more than...
The Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce has quietly settled a three-year-old class-action lawsuit launched on behalf of shareholders of Global Crossing Ltd., the bank revealed yesterday while...
…suit claims that the bank and several affiliated companies, most of which were owned by former CIBC employees, made approximately $2-billion selling shares in Global Crossing. Five of these...
While CIBC is not implicated in the bureau's allegations of deceptive marketing practises, the news could be another small blow to the bank's reputation, which has taken a beating in the past few...
CIBC World Markets Corp. was fined $200,000 (U.S.) by the New York Stock Exchange for an improper stock loan deal.
The Toronto Star
October 6, 2006
CIBC World Markets fined for stock deal
CIBC...
The provincial government, which expects a $1.6 billion deficit next year, charges JTI-Macdonald profited from the contraband trade in cigarettes and did not pay taxes on those profits from 1990...
"We had victims in four provinces — Quebec, Ontario, Manitoba and Saskatchewan — and I'd received information from 10 people and two in the United States," said lead investigator Detective Fred...
Who knows? Franchisors and franchisees may develop a healthy and a profitable relationship rather than one that seems to be built, from everything we read, on anxiety and fear.
Legislative...
"We believe that Stop 'N' Cash has specifically targeted the most vulnerable members of society and that it has gone to great lengths to manipulate the terminology of its payday loan agreements in...
Bradley Young was also the owner of five Kleenmaid franchises. Deloitte alleges there were $9.6 million in unfair preference payments, which elevated some creditors above others. The alleged...
…Ontario Divisional Court approved for certification a Canada-wide class action lawsuit brought by Quiznos franchisees against their franchisor and its designated supplier, Gordon Food...
One leading attorney in the class-action effort, Northeastern University law professor Tim Howard, said the number of owners claiming economic damages because of the recalls could reach 6 million....
The lawsuit challenges the right of the franchisor to keep the deposits, and argues that buyers are not informed how difficult and time-consuming it will be to find a suitable location, or whether...
Authorities say that since Aug. 4, Mockovak provided the informant with a nearly poster-sized photo of King, 42, and his family. He also gave the informant details of King's vacation plans and...
Auto industry experts view a reorganization of dealership networks at Ford, GM and Chrysler as a key component to nursing the industry back to health. That has meant taking on the dealership...
It seems to me that if Canada Post insists on this privatization route, they shouldn’t make it prohibitively expensive to start a postal outlet: they usually cost over $50,000 to open, and more...
Ms. De Leeuw alleges Bakers Delight fabricated breaches and claimed she was behind in royalty payments, among other complaints, in order to 'churn' her business. She says she lost all three of her...
But Welshans and Wiliams might have had a much happier ending to their story if they’d been able to access the civil justice system from the beginning, and had their complaint heard in a real...
The deal is thought to be largely opportunistic, with the owners of rab Investments seeing the chance to buy a large chain of leasehold outlets at a cheap price.
http://www.ft.com
July 18,...
"However, Coffee Republic has a strong brand and I expect considerable interest in the profitable parts of the business..KPMG has been appointed to Coffee Republic (UK), Coffee Republic Franchising...
Several mmmuffins locations are located very near to Timothy's outlets but they don't directly compete, McKinnon said. "It's a different concept. It has a different customer."
The Toronto...
"I [Jameson] am the official spokesperson, and until I confirm or deny anything, it simply doesn't exist," she said Tuesday… We don’t want to discuss this through the media…"I'm disappointed...
Last year, a red-faced Coke paid $21 million (U.S.) to settle charges of deceptive marketing practices in its launch of Frozen Coke at Burger King franchises. Three years before that, Coke paid...
Channel stuffing refers to a legally murky practice in which a company convinces clients to accept unwanted or early deliveries of a product. It can be used to pad revenue and help a company meet...
Coca-Cola Co. said yesterday it had settled a US$44.4-million lawsuit filed by a former finance director who claimed that he was fired for revealing alleged fraud and other wrongdoing in the soft...
Many franchisees are selling their stores, disaffected by what they say was too sweet a sales pitch by Cold Stone headquarters. Owners say potential revenue numbers were misleading and they...
Co-branding “fill(s) each other’s non-peak periods with new or even repeat customers,” Pritz said, adding customer profiles are similar for the two stores. The move also allows franchise...
Having considered presentations received, your Committee is of the opinion that the draft legislation as prepared by “Islanders for Fair Franchise Law” does not form a good base from which to...
For many, a franchise can look like a licence to print money, but, too often, it can turn into a mirage — and the dream of running your own business can be a nightmare from which there is no...
Tim Hortons's drive-thrus tend to generate the most attention because of their popularity. In Winnipeg, cars spill out of Tim's lots onto such major thoroughfares as Portage Avenue and St. Mary's...
"There is a real issue around the integrity of the franchise industry." Ms Dalziel said she would consider tightening franchise laws.
The New Zealand Herald
January 8, 2008
Company admits ""moral...
They say the company's terms and conditions are excessive and have labeled the offer a public relations stunt.
http://www.radionz.co.nz/news
January 11, 2008
Company offer rejected by duped...
…says the Arthur Wishart Act, which regulates franchise operations in Ontario, is terribly flawed in favour of the corporations. “There isn’t a law that prevents them from doing this,” he...
“The way they have their agreements, it is easy for them to say a franchise breached (the contract). There are a lot of clauses they can hit you on.”
The Sudbury Star
December 6, 2001
Company...
Sears Canada Inc. was ordered to pay $487,000 today, following the Competition Bureau's January ruling that the retailer's ads exaggerated the amount consumers would save when buying tires on...
Canada’s competition watchdog received a failing grade yesterday in an international survey – the first of its kind – that ranked it near the bottom of the list with Belgium, Greece and...
On June 13, 2001, Mr. Peter Vanexan G&T’s president announced that all franchise agreements that would have been renewed on December 31, 2001, would not be resigned. This unilateral decision...
About one per cent of the general population is psychopathic - that's 300,000 in Canada alone. "They seem to lack the ability to feel genuine empathy, guilt, or remorse, or to form deep emotional...
…cross-default provision, which also appears in the majority of franchise and dealership agreements in other franchise and dealer systems across the country, the franchisor or manufacturer is...
Payday lenders argue they provide a needed service. But are their charges fair? Chris Robinson, a professor of finance at York University, thinks they’re now.
The Toronto Star
May 30,...
Coloroso's main point is that all kinds of bullying and subsequent brutality are learned behaviour. ""You have to be taught that somebody is less than you before you can have contempt for them,""...
"We had a waitress come in who said she was told she was not an employee; she was an independent contractor with a waitressing business."…There is no single definition of "employee" in Canada....
Ripping off the Small Business Administration is a great American pastime.
Forbes magazine
February 12, 2007
Cookie-Jar Capitalism
Elizabeth MacDonald
Why hold up a bank? At the SBA you just need a...
Profits at CoolBrands International Inc. were nearly sliced in half during the first quarter, with revenues at the frozen treats maker chilled by higher competition and lower fees for the delivery...
Still, when trading resumed moments later, the stock fell off a cliff, closing down 29 per cent in heavy volume.
The Globe and Mail
August 6, 2004
CoolBrands hit by lawsuit from U.S. firm
Richard...
Despite the buzz CoolBrands got from the Nestlé-Dreyer's transaction, Mr. McIlveen said many U.S. institutional buyers will simply rule out investing in a company if it doesn't have an independent...
Last year, a proposal to nearly triple the number of stock options set off a shareholder revolt that forced CoolBrands management to reduce its request. Just last month, a Report on Business...
Nearly half of the company's board will continue to be made up of inside directors, including Mr. Smith, Mr. Stein, co-chairman Michael Serruya, executive vice-president and secretary Aaron...
…company's "improper dissemination of the news." What the company failed to do was alert RS that the news was coming and ask the regulator to halt trading in its shares, he said.
The Globe and...
…Country Style's reorganization was marked by anger and bitterness by franchisees who lost their investments after the company shut down their shops. However, its actions were legal and approved...
At violent protests in Seattle in 1999 and in Genoa last July, the behavior of multinationals was a rallying cry for a body of causes, from the plight of world's poor to destruction of the...
Personal finance commentator Brian Costello lashed out at provincial regulators yesterday, telling radio listeners that he would not be "muzzled" as he tries to "educate ordinary people and small...
The vast number of institutional investors that weren't given a look at the financing. The issuer approached a select number of investors…Following Monday's announcement, the stock enjoyed a...
Couche-Tard is the second-largest independent convenience store operator in North America in terms of number of stores. Couche-Tard has a network of 5,444 convenience stores, 3,607 of which include...
The proposed transaction will more than triple the number of the Laval, Que.-based company's U.S. stores to more than 2,000 from about 700, and vault Couche-Tard to the No. 4 spot from No. 7 in...
Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc.'s deal to buy 236 retail outlets from Shell Oil Products U.S. secures a beachhead in the fast-growing Denver market, with the convenience store giant showing no signs...
Shares of Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc. soared today after Canada's biggest convenience-store operator boosted its U.S. presence dramatically with a $1.1-billion purchase that gives the...
But to some of the investors who were left out, the whole thing smells. At $16.50 a share, the inside shareholders were paying about 11 times what the enlarged Couche-Tard might be expected to earn...
Two Country Style Donut store owners in Northern Ontario are in the midst of a legal battle with the company’s head office. The company claims it didn’t do anything wrong, but the franchisees...
Under its Companies’ Creditor Arrangement Act protection – granted Thursday in an Ontario court – the company closed another 25 more Country Style stores, president Patrick Gibbons said in an...
Country Style Food Services Inc. said yesterday a majority of creditors have approved the coffee and doughnut chain’s restructuring plan. The plan is still subject to court approval.
The Toronto...
Several former franchisees have already signed deals with former Country Style Donut landlords at a lower monthly rate. Significant operating savings, such as a 59 % less for a 16 oz. cup,...
"But nobody is talking to us or giving us an answer. Nobody is telling us anything and we have nothing in writing."
The Record
December 15, 2001
Country Style Donuts
Susan Chilton
This season might...
An option is to take CSRL bankrupt and stiff the landlords. Put CSFS into bankruptcy or creditor protection such as under Companies’ Creditor Agreement Act so as to retain control of the...
But when a representative of Country Style’s head office showed up at his store Thursday morning, Moore acting on the advice of a lawyer, asked the representative for a court order. The...
Two Country Style Donut stores are shutting down, there’s all sorts of legal wrangling going on between the head office and the franchisees.
CBC Sudbury
September 22, 2000
Country Style Donut...
"The franchisees are in shock — they are worn out," said Les Stewart, head of the Canadian Alliance of Franchise Operators, who complained yesterday that the company did not give enough warning...
"Thanks to the overwhelming confidence and support of our creditors, we are close to emerging from protection under the Companies' Creditors Arrangement Act,” said Patrick Gibbons, President,...
A franchisee for the Country Style Food Services Inc. doughnut shop chain wants to disallow a recent creditors' meeting, claiming that the chain did not disclose pertinent information and the...
"[Country Style] sent out notice that they wanted to 'revitalize' the business by closing stores," said one franchisee who wished to remain anonymous. "But we have a lot of questions, and they...
Country Style is one of Canada's most successful franchise companies.
Canadian Franchise Association
December 14, 2001
Country Style Donuts
CFA Membership Listing
Country Style Donuts
2 East Beaver...
…say they are finding it difficult to get supplies. “We don’t know what is happening. We are still fighting to stay here,” said Laframboise.
The Sudbury Star
December 15, 2001
Country Style...
That’s left some franchise owners, who invested an average of $150,000 to $200,000, desperate according to Les Stewart, head of the Canadian Alliance of Franchise Operators. On LaSalle Boulevard...
Les Stewart…There’s little franchisees and landlords can do about it, they have no rights whatsoever.” Gibbons doesn’t deny the problems of the past. He says “The CCAA is not an easy...
In his court documents, Mr. Schwisberg alleged that accounting firm Deloitte & Touche LLP had been in conflict of interest because it had acted as auditor for Country Style, consultant in the...
Canada Newswire
January 20, 2002
Country Style Selects Flanagan's as their Strategic Distribution Partner
Country Style Food Services Inc.
Attention Business Editors:
Country Style Selects...
"This is an absolute slap in the face for the provincial franchise law,"…Franchisees facing closings, who have invested an average of $150,000 to $200,000 in their stores, are desperate, he said....
Company president pat Gibbons promised Tuesday that this city’s two coffee and doughnut hangouts here will remain open because “they are going concerns.” However, Gibbons told The Packet that...
Despite the OSC's order two years ago barring the von Anhalts from acting as directors of Lydia, they continued to do so, "referring to the board members as ‘puppets’ and referring to the staff...
The city centre firm, in Park Road, Peterborough, is trading strongly, profits are up even though net sales have remained about the same as the previous year – a case of smart spending and canny...
When the Caseys wanted to buy their Kumeu home early in 2008 and needed 100 per cent finance they were attracted by Wizard's advertising. "We'd seen [former All Black] Grant Fox on the thing a...
"Our aim is to sit down with the new franchisor and achieve an exit from the franchise for the entire network. "We take the view that we should not have to pay anything for this, and if the...
As such, even if Midas' actions did not run afoul of the precise terms of the franchise agreement, the franchisees may be entitled to compensation and an improved royalty structure for the...
…the fraud perpetrated against Seyed Rabi and Shohreh Shafiei could have been quickly detected had the Toronto Dominion Bank or its mortgage broker exercised "rudimentary due diligence."
The...
Smith's proposed suit against Money Mart, which has 342 stores in Canada, is one of at least eight proposed actions against Canadian payday lending.
The Toronto Star
June 24, 2005
Court backs...
The assets of United Video Franchising Ltd (UVFL), including about 80 franchise agreements with store operators around the country, were sold last week to a company controlled by the brother of...
A jury took only an hour to acquit Martin James Kelly, 39, of Blackmans Bay…The Crown claimed that Mr Kelly made the threat when he alleged Banjos had illegally accessed his phone records while...
Gary Francis, one of the men convicted in the notorious 1994 Just Desserts killing, will not get extra credit for the jail time he served before his sentence, the Ontario Court of Appeal ruled...
"Castro's murder was not personal,"" prosecutor Steve Sherriff told jurors today in his closing address in a Brampton courtroom. ""Castro had to go for business reasons…"
The Toronto Star
July 7,...
In one fell swoop, Longueuil, Que.-based Coutu will go from eighth place as a regional player centred in New England and Quebec — with 657 locations — to the fourth-largest drugstore operator,...
The co-workers of a St. Lawrence Market janitor charged in the murder of downtown restaurateur George Koutroubis were in “shock” today while the victim’s family and friends said they were...
Until the government starts throwing lawyers in jail for helping criminal clients wash their money, there will be no serious impact on financial crimes in Canada, said Jeffrey Robinson, a...
Ontario, which is home to about half of Canada's 1,400 payday loan outlets, should move immediately to limit the unconscionable fees many are levying. Canada's largest province should not lag...
Pepsi-Cola Canada Ltd. issued a statement yesterday saying it doesn't intend to appeal the decision. "From the beginning, this was not about keeping information from students; it was about keeping...
"When longtime stockholders sell, it puts a cap on the valuation," said Greg Schroeder, restaurant analyst at Josephthal & Co. "When insiders are selling, no one wants to buy the stock."
New...
…the tight credit market has made it difficult for would-be business owners to find financing, something that's "really wreaking havoc on the sale of franchises," said Alisa Harrison, a...
…the battle has already been won, suggesting it's long past time to cast aside doubts about the importance and effectiveness of digital advocacy.
The Toronto Star
January 18, 2010
Critics...
Dismayed, the dealers called an emergency meeting in Dallas in May of last year, where they made a fateful decision: If they couldn't get their new franchiser to make significant concessions, they...
"I estimate that there are some 200 or more franchise owners out there who have been convinced to hand over $30 million of their money to Cuppy's, based on the reporting from the SBA prepared by...
It's recommending that lawyers be required to meet customer-identification, record-keeping and reporting requirements of Canada's anti-money-laundering laws in a manner that doesn't breach the...
But Mooty says Dairy Queen has capped the required investment at $75,000 for 2008, $85,000 next year and $95,000 in 2010. The required modernization should be no surprise to franchise owners...
…the DQ Grill & Chill concept introduced about two years ago demands too much money for upgrades for some rural and small town Dairy Queen franchise owners. Rules being set up for the stores,...
Some Dairy Queen operators say the two concepts are ""unproven"" and not likely to provide a ""reasonable return"" on investment. Ten other operators' associations have since filed similar lawsuits...
Meanwhile, a growing body of medical evidence indicates that trans fats can clog arteries and lead to premature heart disease — just like saturated fats from meat and dairy products. As little as...
“This is the first time I’ve been here,” the 48-year-old NFL legend said as he stood out front of the bustling restaurant…Marino became an investor in Anthony’s Coal Fired Pizza after...
Intimidation, threats, coercion, loss of support, insults, and ultimately, exile - that is the price I paid for having the courage to speak for myself and nearly 90% of the other Taco Bell...
I guess they figured I was making too much money, a living, and they changed that. I paid more for them to deliver my food to me than I did for rent on the main street of downtown Orillia, right up...
Kind of makes you wonder who you work for in these situations, yourself or the franchisor? So much for self-employment enjoyment.
The National Post
February 6, 2008
DAVID V. GOLIATH
Jim...
Home investors, contractors and franchisees appear to be suffering in great numbers while David Reid Homes expands its operation. This seems to be just another franchise catastrophe that...
DRH Australia director Roy Baker said yesterday Mr Booth's franchise agreement - which was more than four years old - was recently terminated and he had been stopped from signing any contracts...
…I am testifying today under the expectation that there is immunity. I have been threatened three times with a lawsuit by someone in this room for speaking about franchising….This is a system...
Franchising is a pyramid relationship…if the franchisor is losing money on that because they’re not getting their kickbacks from the suppliers and they’re not charging their exorbitant...
GM had offered $532,000 as compensation – not even enough to cover closing costs, according to Slessor. There was no consideration for goodwill, or for building the GM brand and service in the...
Instead, Ford has instituted the chargeback system, which for some dealers amounts to close to $1-million. If the chargebacks aren't paid, ""they put it on your parts statement, and if you don't...
One dealer, who requested anonymity, said in an email that he outsold a rival GM dealership, occupied a better location, earned consistent profits and spent heavily on the stores but now faces a...
Car dealers fearful of losing their flagship brands if auto manufacturers crash and burn aren’t getting much help from the Indiana General Assembly. At a time when dealers are most vulnerable to...
Lackstein, Gary LACKSTEIN, Gary On Monday, March 16, 2009. Beloved husband of Jody. Devoted and adoring Daddy of Noah, Erica, Jessica, and Dylann.
The Montreal Gazette
March 29,...
…I had signed a contract, too bad, so sad…”well Debbie, if you don’t sign it today…” And I said, “I’d like to talk to my legal counsel before I get back to PEI.” Well, we have...
Many of Nevada Bob's problems appear self-inflicted, but they weren't helped by lacklustre demand for clubs, apparel and accessories that plagued the $3-billion U.S. golf-retail industry in...
…franchisees' defaults on loans guaranteed by the U.S. Small Business Administration are piling up in amounts unseen in years. A list of loans at 500 franchises shows the number of defaults by...
“It’s kind of like: ‘ Write your name on a board a thousand times,’ when you haven’t done anything wrong.”
The Globe and Mail
August 11, 1999
Delinquent U.S. firms face franchise reform...
Deloitte & Touche has announced it will spin off its consulting practice as a separate company in a bid to restore public confidence in the accounting profession in the wake of the Enron Corp....
A franchisee, Altimax Variety Ltd., operator of 34 Buck Or Two stores in Atlantic Canada, has formally given notice of its intent, within 30 days, to file a proposal to creditors to settle...
At the end of the day, oppressive legislative restrictions on the operation of franchise relationships, and the litigation that is sure to follow, will simply stop franchising in its...
…it was clear they want to see improvements in the Brand's purchasing effectiveness," said Barber. "The co-op model, which other restaurant brands have employed to enhance their supply chain...
The name dépanneur is a Quebec creation from the verb dépanner, which means to make emergency repairs. In 1990, however, provincial legislation allowing large stores to open Sundays and weekday...
He accused the government of ignoring the province's poor and of using its majority to push through legislation that is advantageous to the rich.
The Toronto Star
December 20, 2000
Deputy speaker...
"Ending poverty, especially among children, is far more important than ruling on points of order and ensuring repugnant government legislation is passed," Martin said in a release. Martin, who did...
…Sleeth said he is seeking damages because he "suffered and will suffer in the future mental anguish including aggravation, inconvenience and/or annoyance." His wife is also on the lawsuit and...
Another one says that she and all her descendants give up any right to seek redress against them. How could you ask somebody to sign something like that? Ms Meeuse: I wouldn't sign that. Mr Tony...
COB.A (TSX) dropped 7.8 per cent to close at $1.89, its weakest level since late 2001.
The Globe and Mail
July 18, 2006
Dip in sales puts chill on quarterly profit at CoolBrands
Shares in...
"It's the dumb and greedy who get caught," says Stephen Schneider, a criminologist at St. Mary's University in Halifax who recently wrote a report for the RCMP on money laundering in Canada. Only...
Montalvan said on two separate occasions he went to a McDonald’s restaurant and was told by employees that dogs were not allowed. Montalvan tried explaining to the employees that his dog Tuesday...
By replacing Mr. and Mrs. Cairns with a store manager we feel business would decrease drastically. They have proven themselves time after time in this community with their involvement in...
"In our considered view, sexual harassment representing a breach of trust must be seen as equivalent to a breach of trust with respect to a client's money. The penalties for these types of...
The Law Society of Upper Canada disbarred Ouellette in 1995 for misappropriating $151,149.13 from a client's trust account between May, 1993, and June, 1994…His appointment raises questions about...
Sobeys Inc.'s credibility on the Street is shaking like a shopping cart with wobbly wheels.
National Post
February 8, 2001
Disclosure issue taints Sobey’s outlook
Share price slumps: Analysts...
It’s a dog-eat-dog world, but when it comes to owning a franchise, it’s more like “dog-eat-goldfish.”
The London Free Press
March 10, 2000
Disclosure key to franchise act
Joe...
For a third time in less than a month, police are investigating additional evidence of food tampering at Calgary Co-op’s Oakridge Centre on Southland Dr. and 24 St. S.W., in this case in the...
The 34-year-old Farahani who worked for Pizza Pizza as a manager for four years before buying a $190,000 franchise, says the owners “need some protection from the behavior of the franchisors....
Crown attorney Jeffrey Manishen is calling for unspecified jail time after portraying Shoniker as a braggart, crook and liar who broke the law and brought the justice system into disrepute. In...
"As regards the United States and all political entities, there should be a diminution in concern about economic well being. I'm for a socially pain-free, decently egalitarian society."
The Globe...
Franchise salespeople look for people when they are at their most vulnerable - when they are at a career crossroads. If you have always dreamed of buying into the ”next McDonald’s” and you...
"Rather than being recognized as a leader for job creation…franchising has been unfairly cast as a risky business venture an, in some instances, as the ‘wild west.’”…“Our portfolio is...
How the mightiest have fallen. It’s not that McDonald’s, the Oak Brook, Ill., burger giant is on the mat, but the poster firm for franchising, the company that could do no wrong, has stumbled...
The section dedicated to the dispute, called "Tupperwars," was meant to educate people about the risks of franchising, said Canadian Alliance of Franchise Operators president Les Stewart.
Edmonton...
A portion of the proceeds (Ben & Jerry's won't say how much) go to the Barenaked Ladies, who in turn are giving all of it to charity. They chose to benefit ABC CANADA (abc-canada.org), a small...
The 47 cases analyzed by experts reveal unnecessary exposure of patients to pain, unacceptable delays in treatment, poor record-keeping, inappropriate advice and improper behaviour, such as...
Mockovak was arrested Nov. 14 and remains jailed on $2 million bail. Prosecutors have charged him with two counts of solicitation to commit first-degree murder. In a civil suit filed late last...
A class-action lawsuit against Wilson was settled in 2001, without admission of wrongdoing, for $27.5 million in damages. Lawyer Paul Harte, part of the team that represented the thousands of...
He also faces a $25-million class-action lawsuit brought by former patients in June, 2001. They allege that Dr. Wai-Ping performed unnecessary hysterectomies, failed to remove surgical instruments...
"For the past five years, Loblaw has had significant performance issues," Joshi said. "I think the jury is out in terms of whether Loblaw is able to manage this integration well. Strategically, I...
The Italians have spaghetti, the English fish and chips, the Scots their haggis, the Indians curry, the Spanish paella. But in Toronto, in Sudbury, in Winnipeg and Halifax, in Vancouver and Wawa...
“This is the most successful business I’ve ever been in, hands down,” says Mr. Uzelman, who over the course of his career, has sold everything from soft drinks to home insulation….“We...
"We're much stronger than these two people in Conover, N.C."
http://www.slashfood.com
September 29, 2009
Domino's at Center of Disgusting YouTube Video Prank Closes
Jennifer Lawinski
Photo:...
"Nothing is local anymore," Domino's spokesman Tim McIntyre says. "That's the challenge of the Web world. Any two idiots with a video camera and a dumb idea can damage the reputation of a...
Here are three clips of Christie Kristy and Michael, a couple of not-that-bright idiots getting themselves fired, and quite possible sued, by doing unsanitary things to customers' orders on camera...
Essentially what is happening here is that there would be a hidden commission, and it goes to the franchisor and not the franchisee. So the consumer, the franchisee and local distributors all lose....
Mr. Delligatti was 49 when he concocted the Big Mac, spending a few weeks developing the special sauce. He said McDonald's headquarters was ""very cautious"" initially…
The Globe and Mail
August...
"When you look at the contract and see there's a royalty of 8 per cent, that sounds OK," Stewart says. "But what about the 15 per cent that's hidden in the product costs? There are many ways to...
Be careful of the hype over hot trends. Whether you’re talking stocks, fashions or franchises; the moment you can say a trend is “hot,” it means a lot of people are already weighing down the...
“It’s part of a business plan,” said the president of the Canadian Alliance of Franchise Operations, Les Stewart. According to Stewart, who represents and protects franchisees, Country Style...
Country Style Food Services Inc. is cutting 15 jobs as it reaches outside the company for supply-distribution services.
The Toronto Star
January 21, 2002
Doughnut chain hires distributor, lays off...
Owners at locations scheduled to close will be allowed to re-open a generic coffee and doughnut store if they wish.
The Toronto Sun
December 15, 2001
Doughnut firm dunked
Country Style forced to...
Under the plan, the Bank of Nova Scotia, the only secured creditor, will receive a lump-sum payout of $3 million. The remaining debt of about $13 million will be restructured as a loan. Unsecured...
“They’re shutting me down right now,” said a troubled Sam Dawood, owner of the franchise at 367 Yonge St., just north of Little Avenue. “I couldn’t do anything.” “I’m just trying to...
The ruling came in a class-action lawsuit launched by a group of Tim Hortons franchisees who claim that a corporate decision to centralize baking facilities and truck out frozen products to their...
Thinking that these might be old stock, I bought some others in another Horton’s outlet and found them to be identical. They really tasted awful.
The Toronto Star
October 28, 2003
Doughnuts...
Don and Norma Moore feel as if they were set up to fail…They are among a growing body of disenchanted franchisees among Ontario retailers who are starting to network, organize and speak out about...
When he started the business in Winnipeg after being a long-time agricultural equipment dealer there, he had 500 customers. Last year, there were 50,000 Nutrilawn customers in Winnipeg...
Countrywide operates like a franchisor, attracting investors that it calls "partners," who pay $12,000 to start their own small cleaning companies under the trademark name…Today, both cleaners...
In a best-case scenario, franchisees continue business as usual, perhaps implementing minor adjustments that the franchisor deems necessary to boost profits or cut overhead. But in a worst-case...
Mr. Dreier's downfall came on Dec. 5, 2008, when he was arrested in Toronto after visiting the office of Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan. He allegedly impersonated one of the fund's executives in an...
Opportunism is formally the extracting of the value of the sunk investment that somebody has made in a relationship, taking advantage of the fact that someone is locked in to a certain extent… I...
Ward 21 Councillor Joe Mihevc, who also opposes the drive-through, was one of several speakers at the rally. "This is not an anti-McDonald's protest," he insisted. "The neighbourhood is focused...
The drive-through bylaw was a product of a lengthy battle between the hamburger chain and residents near its franchise at 710 St. Clair Ave. W. McDonald's has plans to build a drive-through at that...
In recent years, several major cities in Canada have debated the merits of banning drive-thrus because of both traffic problems and environmental concerns stemming from idling cars. In 2002, for...
Stephen Joseph sued over complaints the firm did not properly inform the public of delays in plans to lessen the trans fats in cooking oils.
The Globe and Mail
February 12, 2005
Drought — it's...
The company that owns PharmaPlus and Rexall drug stores is counting on emulating the success of Loblaw Cos. Ltd. by marketing itself under a variety of different banners to cater to distinct...
"This latest move by Eli Lilly demonstrates that these multinational drug companies are working together to prevent U.S. seniors from obtaining safe and affordable medications from Canadian...
"Patients have to put enormous trust into their physicians, and when they find out in retrospect that the trust has been betrayed, it not only affects their relationship with that doctor but it...
"It's simple," he said. "We build up the businesses for them, then they cut us out so they can resell them."…Dunkin' Donuts then offered them a munchkin-sized buyout of $400,000 for the two...
That, strangely enough, is why the Riese Organization gave Dunkin' Donuts the heave ho from Penn Station and a dozen other locations in Manhattan. "We have had problems making a profit with Dunkin'...
Unfortunately, Asam and Cindy got in as franchisees at the wrong time, right before the "hedge fund boys" (his term for the private equity firms) took over, Jaroslawicz said. "They have created a...
A coffee and doughnut war is brewing in Quebec with the announcement that Dunkin' Donuts will double its size in the province in a bid to reclaim the market-leading status snatched away two years...
…“knowingly and purposefully breached” its franchise agreement by “violating” federal immigration and employment laws at its shop. The suit said owners “knowingly accepted false...
Attorney Anthony Norton, representing the studios and the distributor, said the rental outlets now face claims of damages by the major studios.
http://www.capeargus.co.za
June 13, 2008
DVD stores...
To date, Richter's investigation has led it to suggest Dylex's new owners paid down McCrory's debts with money that should have gone to for Dylex creditors. McCrory subsequently filed for...
Strong initial evidence shows that the new owner of Dylex Ltd. engaged in ""fraudulent or otherwise unlawful activities"" before and after last May's takeover, the trustee of the now bankrupt...
It says the trustee's allegations of fraud against Hardof Wolf can be summarized as involving its purchase of Dylex mainly with Dylex's own money while leaving creditors' bills unpaid.
The Globe...
Richter is probing a string of suspicious Dylex transactions before and after the $68-million sale of the company last May to Hardof, a shell company connected to an insolvent U.S. dollar store...
"None of us will ever be the same," said Bevan Jones who, along with his wife Frances Gordon, was fleeced out of $1 million by his brother. Jones said he would never forgive him for what he'd done....
Examining the overgrazing of 19th-century community pastures, or commons, the article showed how depletion of a vital resource was brought about by those who continually increased the size of their...
Should the franchisor really and truly just say, ""Sorry, chum, your enterprise is no longer viable. Goodbye""? I don't think so either. There's an element of fairness. If the franchise fee was...
…it should consider franchising's spectacular success story, including the fact that more than 80 per cent of franchise businesses succeed. A significant reason for this has been the ease with...
"These people are artists at building trust and getting people to part with their money," he said.
The Globe and Mail
December 14, 2005
Edmonton woman accused in Ponzi scheme
Dozens duped in scam...
…this is my first visit to your beautiful province, which I love, if only for the fact that I have the same name. I leave it to others to prove that the franchise scene here is so different from...
“Our sense is with the federal legislation that’s pending and the threat of leveling the playing field, a lot of franchisers are sucking up to their franchisees to get their eye off the...
Police in Perth say they have received more reports of bank cards being skimmed at McDonalds fast food restaurants. More than $4-million has been stolen from bank accounts in an EFTPOS skimming...
…franchising has been recognized as a unique and opportunistically prone business relationship since the mid 1950s in North America. SBL funds are being used to perpetrate a sophisticated form of...
A weak provincial franchise law is a prerequisite for the efficient plundering of federal loans and investors' net worth.
Email
February 8, 2005
To Hon. James Watson
Minister of Consumer and...
…Great Glasses stores had been built upon "elaborate evasions, false statements and sham corporate structures." The scheme had allowed its "highly provocative, arrogant" architect to earn at...
…he agreed some of the changes "looked promising", such as naming and shaming, the ACCC had already indicated it had enough powers to do its job. "If its new powers results in greater scrutiny it...
Eight franchisees who operated a number of English language tutorial schools yesterday filed a complaint with police, accusing the franchiser of fraud, for failing to provide qualified foreign...
"I believe that my work made the company look more healthy and profitable than it actually was. I worked with certain banks to accomplish this goal and I viewed certain banks as problem...
Malice that cannot speak its name, cold-blooded but secret hostility, impotent desire, hidden rancor and spite—all cluster at the center of envy. Envy clouds thought, writes Joseph Epstein,...
The NHL, eager to hand a team to anyone meeting the asking price of $50-million welcomed Esposito's group and the equally shaky Ottawa Senators aboard. Then it turned out that while the duke really...
"They have gotten out of mufflers and tires, and into doughnuts and hamburgers," said Bill Simpkins, spokesman for the Canadian Petroleum Products Institute, an oil industry association. The...
Evidence supports the case that the new U.S.-controlled owner of bankrupt Dylex Ltd. committed fraud in its acquisition of the retailing company, the Ontario Superior Court ruled yesterday. Mr....
To these intellectual sophisticates, "the children of the Enlightenment," who doubt evil exists, he has this to say: "Talk to the children in Sierra Leone whose hands have been chopped off by the...
U.S. District Judge William Walls released the men on $1 million bail each. Walls ordered them not to travel abroad and also ordered Forbes to surrender firearms and Shelton to continue mental...
…a former top lawyer for Toyota claims the automaker regularly hid evidence of safety defects from consumers and regulators, and fostered a culture of "hypocrisy and...
The filmmakers were, in fact, lucky to get White Castle on board. Originally, the Harold And Kumar script had two other characters in the film on the hunt for Krispy Kreme doughnuts, but the...
Prosecutors said that deputies Joseph Cantwell and Phillip Barnett enlisted an inmate to touch a sandwich with his genitalia before they fed the sandwich to another unsuspecting inmate, 10TV News...
One entrepreneur said: ""When you ask for a copy of the contract, you are always told to secure a bank loan and the lease agreement first… One ex-franchisee left her job, lost R700 000 and...
…his crimes struck at the very heart of this country's democratic institutions.The judge told Bourbonnais he had "dishonoured" the legal profession and undermined Canada's immigration system by...
Among the groups due money from estates Mr. McGilton is alleged to have defrauded are Christian Blind International, the Old Brewery Mission, the SPCA, the Foundation of McGill University, the...
Material misstatements and omissions of facts in promissory notes generally constitute securities misrepresentation or fraud and could lead to civil and felony criminal...
Two years ago, British Columbia’s labour relations board ruled that the White Spot restaurant chain’s franchise agreement exercised so much control over franchises that it made the company a...
Lawrence Austin, once second in charge at Pizza Pizza, pleaded guilty to hiding income of $677,343 he received from the fast food giant in the 1990s. That means he failed to pay about $200,000 in...
The fallout from the collapse of The PC Company continues, with former staff rejecting founder Colin Brown's denial that used parts were put into new personal computers. The group is preparing a...
In 1997, McLain was convicted of embezzlement, money laundering, mail fraud and conspiracy in connection with the theft of $3 million from the pension fund of a meat packing company he owned. He...
Handing down Heijne's sentence last month, Justice McKechnie labelled Heijne a liar and said he killed Cianciosi in a moment of anger, brought about by his infatuation with the 19-year-old...
…claims ExxonMobil Corp. manipulates fuel quantity and delivery times to gas stations in such a way where there is insufficient supply and raises the price of gas at the pumps. Franchise owners...
He also outlined to Mr. Kultin that he held no personal animosity toward Dr. King, only toward Mr. Klock. On Nov. 7, the documents say, Mr. Kultin and Dr. Mockovak met, and the surgeon handed Mr....
…King alleges that Mockovak is stealing from the business they both own in order to finance his own defense. In short, Mockovak is accused of allegedly trying to kill a man then taking his...
Battery Plus, a chain of 62 corporate and three franchised stores, was petitioned into receivership owing nearly $8-million to its secured creditors and an estimated $3.6-million to unsecured...
"Only a dufus or a lawyer could confuse a Jerry's Bacon Mozza Burger with an A&W Mozza Burger…To the famous A&W burger family, we can now add the Bully Burger. Do as it says, or...
Capital has just one serious flaw: The capitalists. They are greedy, callous, crooked. Far from all, of course. But an awful lot of them are, or become that way because the temptations are so...
"It's come as a great shock to us. Naturally we're concerned at the plight of these people, and we need to gather as much information from them as we can so we can assess our next move." Green...
Four bandits kidnapped a family and held them hostage during a well-planned raid on two Toronto Money Marts. They held four adults and two children hostage at a family home overnight. In the...
,,,"the hidden hand of the market will never work without a hidden fist," and that "McDonald's cannot flourish without McDonnell Douglas, the designer of the U.S. Air Force F-15." As in pre-fascist...
The Hon. Robert Runciman, Ontario’s Minister of Consumer and Commercial Relations, has tabled his Ministry’s proposed franchise legislation.
The INFO Franchise Newsletter
January 2000
FAST...
Today it's the Battle of the McDonald's drive-through. Tomorrow, the fight will be over Pizza Pizza, Burger King or some other greasy franchise. The Fast-Food Wars are heating up.
The Toronto...
A 1997 undercover investigation by KCBS-TV in Los Angeles videotaped local restaurant workers sneezing into their hands while processing food, licking salad dressing off their fingers, picking...
Indeed, this April the company will raise the convenience bar to new heights with the rollout of a month-long, 30-second drive-through guarantee…the slogan "Thirty seconds from the time you pay...
"It shows how powerful McDonald's can be in getting what it wants," Shlosser said.
Chicago Tribune
April 1, 2001
Fast-food meals leave journalist far from happy
Bob Condor
Like many parents, Eric...
The collapse of Brooke, a once high-flying insurance and finance enterprise, has caused economic ripples nationwide. The company’s demise has left thousands of insurance agents in the lurch —...
…the laws of the overwhelming majority of states are exceedingly biased in favor of franchisors. “Franchise agreements have evolved to a point where they are so oppressive that most franchisor...
The California Department of Corrections, several federal agencies and ten states, including Indiana, are launching a sweep to stop bogus business opportunities and work-at-home scams. The Federal...
Federal agents are set to arrest the referee and a cadre of mobsters and their associates who lined their pockets, sources said. "These are dangerous people [the referee] was involved with," a...
In a report made public this spring, an arms-length advisory panel recommended that “Canada Post be permitted to use privately owned dealer outlets as a service delivery option in rural...
“I think legislation is overdue by a generation,” says lawyer Fred Catzman, who appeared before the Ontario committee in 1971…People who want to invest and operate in the franchise industry...
…it set the price at which franchisees bought their groceries from suppliers, and the price at which they sold goods to the end customer…Loeb was in a position to siphon profits out of the...
"There's not one person I have talked to who hasn't had their health affected. People are being hospitalised with stress-related conditions." "I think the directors of these troubled finance...
He said 15 to 18 per cent of cases are handled in the consumer's favour. "The number should be low," he said. "If it's high, the industry isn't doing its job.
The Globe and Mail
May 13,...
In hearings, the RCMP told the committee that the Integrated Market Enforcement Teams have seven active projects and 26 less-serious investigations underway. The total capitalization of the...
Recent statistics have proved viability of franchising beyond the shadow of doubt. It has tremendous potential in Canada and the United States. Canada has the resources – human, technical and...
Today, he’s embroiled in battle over “exclusivity” that was supposed to protect him from another franchise locating too close. Last year, two new stores popped up less than a kilometer away....
The Fineffe Group is the holding company of the Fiorelli Family business interests, operating since 1993 with affiliates for retail services under the following brands: Mail Boxes Etc., Western...
He noted that most lawyers are disbarred for sins such as theft, incompetent practice or breach of trust. "In this case, a lawyer was disbarred for being honest," Mr. Clark said…Even Mr. Clark's...
Ontario Human Rights Commissioner Keith Norton said in a statement that the ruling "sends a very clear message that employers are responsible for ensuring workplace environments are free of...
Justice Jenkins' order was the first time in Ontario that a franchisee's class action had been certified against a franchisor.
The INFO Franchise Newsletter
November 1, 1999
First Ontario Franchise...
Franchisees who fold early, for instance, are often on the hook for the royalties they would have owed if the business succeeded…
The Wall Street Journal
November 7, 2006
First-Time Franchisees...
Like Raath, these satisfied clients wanted to make SureSlim their career and became franchisees, opening up the Surrey location in the Fleetwood area. Raath adds: "I'm also currently dealing with...
…the franchisees claim Quiznos reneged on promises that sandwich shops wouldn't be placed close to each other, that marketing and advertising fees would be used to promote their stores, and that...
Finance Minister Jim Flaherty says he would sell off the LCBO, take away the brewers' monopoly and doesn't rule out selling booze in corner stores if he becomes premier.
The Toronto Star
February...
Along with selling off liquor stores, Mr. Flaherty said he would break up the private monopoly of the Beer Stores, which are run by a consortium of Ontario's breweries, and consider allowing the...
Now, more than a dozen trade groups representing producers of beef, potatoes, milk and snacks, along with restaurant groups, are fighting back with a media campaign to counter what one groups...
Lorn Austin has been called a racketeer, wheeler-dealer, cocaine-crazed megalomaniac and one of Florida’s most prolific white-collar criminals in a career spanning opulent boardrooms and cramped...
His card was fast reaching its credit limit and he said he didn't know how much longer he could continue to make his $710 weekly payments to ANZ.
The New Zealand Herald
February 8, 2008
Flattened...
Before the purchase, which closes May 1, MTY owned 24 fast-food chains, including Tiki-Ming, Sushi Shop and Sukiyaki. Buying Country Style dramatically boosts the number of locations MTY owns to...
Weston, the billionaire grocer, likes to inspect his stores. It's not unusual for him to spend 12 hours a day administering his empire from his office on St. Clair Ave. E. near Yonge St., but just...
Officials of McDonald's Corp. probably wish they had never heard of mad cow disease or foot-and-mouth disease, but they have — and they know McDonald's earnings and stock price are suffering as a...
By the end of the expansion, Tim Hortons wants to have 3,000 locations. It currently has 2,048, more than half in Ontario.
The Toronto Star
July 2, 2002
Food fight brewing at Tim Hortons
Parent...
If that application is approved, Afton said it will file a subsequent application to have its creditor protection transferred to a Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act filing. In May, Afton...
…Canadian federal food safety types found a troubling lack of hygiene at Maple Leaf Foods’ Toronto facility just weeks after it reopened last year from a temporary shutdown for cleaning –...
…lurking behind every scandal is a lawyer, or a clutch of them, who get away scot-free. That's why reforms must deal with sleazy or unethical lawyers and that is the issue the U.S. Securities and...
""For the last 50 years, Ford said the Mercury franchise was unique and different,"" Bedard says. But Gaunt's core-franchise plan changed the rules. ""Now they're saying, because we didn't support...
Not only were the new competitors in close proximity, but they also had the advantage of the Lincoln franchise, which most Ford-branded outlets did not have…Ford Canada has about 500 dealers...
When the Lincoln-Mercury franchises were eliminated, many Ford dealers found themselves with competitors selling the same products less than two kilometres away. Four dealers have gone to court in...
Ford Motor Co. of Canada Ltd. is planning more punitive measures against its dealers to gain increasing control of their businesses, says a group representing the dealers.
The Toronto Star
April 8,...
“The fact that Ford is appealing the decision of an appeal court indicates the lengths to which the company will go to prevent dealers from becoming a class,” said Sonja Falkenberg, the...
The program allows consumers to select equipment on a vehicle, get a price, search dealership inventory and ultimately buy a Ford or Lincoln vehicle on-line, Ford said in announcing the move.
The...
Companies that have long nurtured ambition to enter retail-friendly markets like India and China are finding this a convenient time as sales in their own countries have tapered…“Several brands...
"So here we are today, with four young children, our business lost to liquidation, our family home lost and now officially bankrupt to boot, not to mention the mental stress and strain on our...
"There was no remorse,'' she added. “The man has no conscience. He still doesn't think he did anything wrong.”
The Toronto Star
March 13, 2001
Former broker jailed 7½ years
Holoday also...
Jules Mangin also received a lifetime ban from the securities industry, the Investment Dealers Association of Canada said yesterday. An IDA panel ordered Mangin to pay a $295,000 fine, plus...
Setzer was given a six-month suspended sentence, 24 months of supervised supervision and ordered to have no contact with Hammonds or Domino's…As he left the courtroom Setzer said he was sorry for...
A man acquitted in the infamous Just Desserts shooting has been shot dead in his native Jamaica, where he was deported to five years ago.
The Toronto Star
November 3, 2007
Former Just Desserts...
"For many years, I thought I was a self-made guy. There wasn't much that I couldn't handle and couldn't defeat … I told myself real men don't get depressed." But he did. "Unfortunately, the...
Boulis had started at the bottom and worked his way up to owner of about 200 Mr. Submarine sandwich shops in Canada. He sold the shops in the late 1970s and moved to Florida.
The Record
March 25,...
The individual charged had previously worked at the company’s plant in Guelph for seven years," the company said in a news release. Schneiders is a Maple Leaf Foods brand. On March 18, police...
Carlisle's attorney, Ron Gatts, suggested that his client was not getting a fair shake, implying that store policy may have played a role in the incident and insisting that Carlisle was in fact "an...
Austin may be the most colourful businessman ever to grace the franchise industry in Canada. He's a man of schemes, deals and ideas and even as he was released from custody Austin was talking about...
One of the early partners in the Toronto-based Mr. Submarine chain of sandwich shops has been slain in a spectacular ambush in Florida.
The Toronto Star
February 8, 2001
Former Toronto businessman...
Biller, who handled product liability suits while at Toyota, claims that when the auto manufacturer received poor results in a vehicle rollover test, it ordered a new test in order to receive...
After a careful review, we found that a number of locations were in default of their franchise agreements and were not following the program. Thus, we have taken the only prudent decision open to...
The payment sets a record for a so-called "ordinary selling price" offence, and tops the previous record of $1-million paid last year by Suzy Shier Inc. in a similar case…The Competition Act says...
Forzani Group Ltd. is close to settling a dispute with the Competition Bureau involving allegations of advertising misleading sale prices, prompting the country's largest sporting goods retailer to...
The Competition Bureau said its investigation found Sport Chek "had significantly inflated" the "regular" price at which it sold the goods to make the sale price seem like a better bargain. At...
"I am the official spokesperson and until I confirm or deny anything it simply doesn't exist," she told CanWest News Service on Tuesday. "If someone else says something, that's up to them. We don't...
“There’s been a marked absence of Harper from the history books – I think it’s because our society was not ready to acknowledge the brilliance of a businesswoman,” said Jane Plitt, a...
An inquest into the death of Brodie Rae Constance Panlock, 19, heard she was treated in an ''extremely aggressive and intimidating'' manner at the popular Cafe Vamp in Glenferrie Road, Hawthorn. On...
Increasingly, franchisees at other chains feel the same. A growing number are forming independent associations that talk purely in franchisee-speak. Like an organized union, these groups believe...
“We have nothing against the Americans. It’s the American system we’ve had enough of – all that bad food makes for bad thinking.” Did she ever eat at McDonald’s? “Well, sometimes I...
How do you define a franchise? How would the provision of legal aid to franchisees be managed to prevent franchisors becoming involved in time-wasting petty disputes with litigious...
Gillian Hadfield, a lawyer and economist on the faculty of the University of Toronto, said in an interview she shares Stewart’s concerns about Bill 33. “It doesn’t go far enough,” Hadfield...
Recently, outrageous numbers respecting franchise civil suits have been released to the press, but none of these can be substantiated. At the hearings, advocates for tougher guidelines than those...
When the balance is right – and the product or service is sound – franchising can be a win-win situation for everyone. When the balance is wrong (or the franchisor is recklessly expansionist,...
The franchise business, once viewed as lucrative, is in trouble, with many franchisees close to bankruptcy. Thirty franchisees are concerned they would go bust as franchisors obtain government...
"Many franchisors are still not doing disclosure right," says John Sotos, a franchise lawyer with Sotos Associates LLP in Toronto. "They are not making full and complete disclosure."
The Toronto...
“Frankly we have seen…illegitimate franchisors saying just about anything and the franchisee having no recourse to check this out.”
The St. Catharines Standard
February 21, 2000
Franchise...
Relationships between franchisers and franchisees have often been rocky. There have been territorial disputes when franchisers decided to allow their products to be sold in noncompany stores right...
"Anytime you're litigating a franchise dispute, there's always the possibility that someone will threaten to turn that into a class action because a class action is a way for franchisees to gain...
"Things are changing; a lot of C.E.O.s know that to continue to grow as a brand and an industry, we need to be more franchisee friendly. Hopefully, we will begin to leave the lawyers outside and...
The tie-up sees the business founded seven years ago by Don Bircham and Mark Johnson officially become a First Choice Partner, and the shops rebranded as First Choice Travel...
Don’t assume the franchisor will automatically renew the agreement, and don’t expect to sell the business at the end of the term.
The Globe and Mail
July 6, 1998
Franchise deals tie owner's...
Number of new lawsuits per year in the Ontario Franchise Industry = 5,000
Ministry of Consumer and Commercial Relations
June 1998
Franchise Disclosure Legislation
A Consultation Paper
Ontario,...
…grossly understating start-up and operational costs, artificially inflating sales projections and making unlawful earnings claims. The complaint further alleges that the defendants failed to...
A franchisor attorney commented that insofar as legislation was concerned, the tally of recent efforts came to 10 federal initiatives and 30 at the state level, all to no avail. To which one of the...
In 1992, there were less than 30 independent associations, but by 2000, approximately, 250 franchisee associations had been formed.
Franchise Times
September 1, 2001
Franchisee Associations:...
…Burger King’s unilateral decision, announced last April, to strip the franchisees of their right to a substantial percentage of the Restaurant Operating Funds (ROF) and appropriate those funds...
“A lot of times franchisees want to be heard; they want to know that the parents understand what they’re going through,” he says.
http://www.qsrmagazine.com
May 1, 2009
Franchisee...
“When you look at franchising from an objective point of view, it comes down to this,” she observes. “The franchisor says you put up the money, you do all the work and make me a business that...
…offered $1 each for three of the stores and $2090 for the other, plus stock at book value. Banks had invested around $1.1m in setting up the stores, and paid regular franchise levies of 5.5% of...
Defrauded Green Acres franchisees are furious that the house they knew as belonging to Keith Lapham - the man who allegedly conned them of millions - is up for auction. But what they didn't know...
Many “franchises” are established because the franchisor sees franchising as an easy way of extracting money from people. With some of these franchisees, the franchisor charges so much in...
The trade group, dominated by franchise chains, for years has been chided by outlet owners who consider the code a joke and say the IFA hasn't acted against its members over mistreatment of outlet...
The hidden agenda seems to be that basically [Choice executives] think this will open up the stock price and they will be able to put in a Comfort and Sleep next to each other. But there is an...
When you start to accumulate these stories, you see it is a systematic issue.”
Calgary Herald
August 31, 1998
Franchisee’s dream comes to abrupt end
Ontario woman lost years of work and her...
This case confirms that the franchise relationship is indeed one of simple good faith and not utmost good faith as was argued by the franchisee… Where a franchisee seeks to establish negligent...
"Cardinal Health's vast pharmaceutical empire has pitted a variety of its subsidiaries' interests against the interests of The Medicine Shoppe franchisees. These conflicts have consistently been...
Mr Ellison confirmed the money had been credited to Lapham's account, but at least 11 franchisees did not receive the ironing equipment they had paid for…""We are just as shocked with all the...
Companies focused on growth, for instance, tend to concentrate advertising in areas where sales are lowest, allowing franchisees in high sales brackets – who therefore make the largest...
It’s easy to be lulled by lower franchise fees and royalties – as is usually the case with home-based franchises. But in the absence of direct customer contact, buyers must nail down what the...
“Pounds of coffee are a very big part of the sales mix at these locations,” he said. “How would you like to be the franchise owner of one of these locations … and have your franchiser make...
In a survey by the Asian American Hotel Owners Association, nearly half of those responding said they weren't pleased with their decision to purchase a franchise. And when asked if they would...
"We have sent a letter to franchisees asking them to get a lawyer, so it is now up to them," Ms Ding told the Herald on Monday.
The New Zealand Herald
March 6, 2008
Franchisees move on Green...
…ACCC is giving lip service to franchise regulation. "There have been no significant prosecutions, few - if any - fines, for disclosure documents not being provided to franchisees or for wrong...
Everyone warns prospective franchisees to investigate before investing, but exactly how are they supposed to check out the records of the 1,350 franchisors who want to sell them a business? Which...
Levitt said his clients are not paying franchise charges because “they realized they were paying royalties to an insolvent company. “They were not getting services anyway and they realize they...
"Franchisers that take a tough attitude are digging their own grave,"" he said. ""The system will be so consumed with internal fighting and turmoil that it will lose its competitive edge."
Los...
Besides, the Canadian Franchise Association, of CFA, had given Ajax-based Chemwise its stamp of approval by accepting the company as a member. Hope says it gave her comfort. She has none of that...
“They will find something in 99 percent of the cases that is not accurate and they will send a letter of termination, saying some of the breaches are incurable and it is inconsistent with the...
…some unscrupulous franchisors spend more time selling the franchises than supporting them. When a franchisee goes bust, the franchisor simply resells the location to another hapless investor, he...
Dave Michael, an Orillia Pizza Pizza franchise operator, said, “we won the battle, but basically we’ll have nothing to show for it.”…In his arbitration award, retired Ontario judge Richard...
His anticipated volume increase never arrived, while profit margins vanished as UPS cut the fees he got for handling packages. And the company opened another store nearby, which siphoned customers,...
Franchise Business Review, a market research firm based in Kittery, Maine, has announced the winners of its annual Franchisee Satisfaction Awards. The research identifies 115 companies, several of...
The situations that franchisees find themselves in when a franchisor fails also demonstrate their unique position and how different they are to other small businesses. The challenges that they face...
The council members also claim that KFC is taking retaliatory measures against franchisee members for having the temerity to oppose Eaton’s will. It adds, “… including threatening those...
Another group of Quiznos franchisees has sued the Colorado sandwich restaurant chain.
The Denver Journal
February 16, 2006
Franchisees sue Quiznos
Another group of Quiznos franchisees has sued the...
Franchisees sued the Subway sandwich chain Monday, claiming that a new franchise agreement will threaten control of a $500 million advertising trust fund.
MSN Money
June 26, 2006
Franchisees Sue...
A final point has to be made. The ACCC should be given the law, the money and the clout to have some wins. Its track record in protecting franchisees from bullying has been nothing to crow...
Traveland franchisees are expected to oppose the recommendation by administrators to liquidate the company at a meeting of creditors today…”They claimed insolvency and that was clearly not the...
It is understood Caltex is close to completing its new model. It is believed this is based on a franchisee having five to eight sites, which means the number of franchisees left in the Caltex...
He said a lot of the major companies Islanders deal with are out of the United States and upper Canada, and unless P.E.I. sets up its own legislation concerning franchise law, those companies will...
Martin also wants a mandatory dispute-resolution mechanism put into the legislation so franchise disputes do not invariably have to go to court. By the time a case proceeds to court, franchisees...
…markets aren’t like parties: No sane investor really wants to crash a crowded one. This is what the field of franchising is starting to look like. Dixon used to record roughly 350 business...
Australia’s $130 billion franchise sector is nervous that proposed changes to the consumer protection laws will define franchisees as consumers rather than business could place 63,000 franchising...
Owning a franchise isn’t an automatic ticket to wealth and happiness…were less enthusiastic when asked if they would buy the same franchise again. Only 65 per cent of franchisees said they...
“There’s a balance,” he explains, holding his hands palms up like a set of scales. “I’ll put up with this much bullshit if I’m making that much money.”
Report on Business...
Against all odds, Williams and Welshans have continued their legal battle with Coffee Beanery. They appealed Barron's ruling, lost, and appealed again. Then, last August, a three-judge panel of the...
John Lorinc is extremely well qualified to write on this subject and the article reflects a very balanced viewpoint.
Report on Business magazine
January 1, 1999
Franchise-Friendly
Les Stewart
Thank...
Of the 16, only six could say they would open a Baskin-Robbins if they had to do it all over again — and five of these folks reported plenty of frustrations. Five classmates wished they'd never...
Like any business investment, buying into a franchise is a gamble. But the lack of provincial legislation to regulate the industry makes that risk particularly acute in Ontario, home of about...
The franchise group's objection notes that the proposed sale agreement calls for founder Napoleon Barragan to receive $500,000 annually for 10 years, in addition to a $75,000 signing bonus. Plus,...
Franchising can be another form of servitude.'' Del Blaske, 44, owns 22 franchised Burger King outlets in Minnesota. Last year he was diagnosed with a terminal liver disease and decided to sell...
There are many examples where a local franchise owner has grown a business into a successful venture only to have corporate head office pull the plug for no good reason other than greed.
The...
But the fake franchise victims are considering legal action against the company and the commerce minister is reviewing the industry's code of practice. "We will be asking the hard questions around...
The franchise industry’s umbrella group plans to implement a new code of ethics and encourage more corporate disclosure. But a spokesperson acknowledges the moves won’t give any “new teeth”...
All sides would like to see some rules of self-government, but the contentious issue is who would make the rulings, Levitt says. “Is it a franchisor body, or does it include franchisees? ” he...
“Some of the food chains really gouge their guys,” says Mr. Stewart. “They set up the deal, take a kickback from the producers and force the product down the franchisees’ throat.” Mr....
Individually, the MPP's are appalled that this happens to their small business people but when we get into the Ministry of Consumer and Business Services they are not very concerned or they're not...
Although the franchise industry has many success stories, its image has been tarnished by horror stories of inexperienced entrepreneurs getting fleeced.
The Toronto Sun
December 4, 1998
Franchise...
“What a disappointment.”…“This law is worse than what exists now, which is nothing,” snapped Les Stewart, founder of the Canadian Alliance of Franchise Operators. “It will only lull...
"It's a first baby step, but it is as far as the government is willing to go. It will take care of the bottom feeders," franchisors who lie, intimidate and swindle franchisees. “And it does open...
So even though it’s a big business, it’s surprising that the province’s franchising industry itself is effectively unregulated.
The Record
April 26, 2000
Franchise law won’t be...
“The danger is in the penalty provisions of the [Ontario] franchise act for failing to disclose full information to franchisees,”…“your distributor not only rescinds your agreement without...
When franchisees spoke, they related a laundry list of ways to lose money… Among corporations that rely upon franchising for their expansion capital, criticism of the industry is not welcomed....
As a consequence of a long battle with her franchisor and a number of appearances on Channel Seven's Today Tonight, Mrs Byron resolved to create a franchisees' association. "The Franchise Council...
“These mechanisms of control are played out from industry to industry…Franchising is universal in the way it operates.”
The Barrie Examiner
January 12, 2000
Franchise not always the...
All conversations are private and confidential. The Ombudsman adheres to the Ombudsman Association’s Code of Ethics. It emphasizes the importance of maintaining all conversations in confidence....
And don’t forget that franchisors reserve the right to veto a deal if they don’t believe your children can run the show.
The Globe and Mail
April 23, 1999
Franchise operators face succession...
"I frequently see people unable to leave a franchise with their finances or emotions intact. When you sign the franchise contract, you agree to at all times be compliant with the policies and...
The half-share in the franchise company has changed hands five times in the past eight years.
The New Zealand Herald
February 12, 2008
Franchise owners look to buy out all of United Travel
Tamsyn...
As with any franchise, long-term success will depend largely on the quality of franchise operators it attracts, he adds. “With any of these things, if you get the right franchisee, it’s...
The Courier Mail
September 29, 2006
Franchise promoter bankrupted
A NOTORIOUS Queensland promoter jailed in both Australia and the US over his activities involving a string of failed franchise...
“The greatest form of protection for a prospective franchisee is to speak to former franchisees, not existing franchisees,” says Katzman. “Current franchisees may be afraid to release...
Stewart, who set up the association after his own unhappy experience with a lawn care franchise, said there must be an alternative to going to court to settle disputes – perhaps an industry...
"More and more people in Congress have contacted us, asked for more information, and asked what they can do to help. When people become educated on these issues, they come over to our side."
Wall...
In most franchise systems, the franchisee signs an agreement that boils down to this: you either do what the franchiser says, or you stuff someone else's tacos. But increasingly sophisticated...
Since 1971, the Ontario government has promised laws that would curb flagrant abuses by franchisers, yet there are more than 5,000 new lawsuits filed in the franchise industry each year. What...
"Certain franchises are so restrictive, all you are is a glorified manager," a position a former officer would find difficult to accept, Mr. Klusacek says. Others, he adds, provide little or no...
Country Style's 490 coffee and doughnut outlets are being eaten by MTY Food Group Inc. (TSXV:MTY), which franchises and operates Sukiyaki, Cultures, Yogen Fruz and other restaurants. The deal will...
The Auckland Business School study found that, unsurprisingly, a disproportionately large amount of all litigation involving the purchase of a business (30%) was brought by those who bought a...
…15 of the current 56 outlets have either handed back the keys, sold out or been ousted by the bank for poor performance. They, in turn, have been replaced by staff managers as a consequence of...
They felt they had been targeted through adverts in ethnic community newspapers. "Many people borrowed money to purchase the franchises and are now experiencing pressure from their lenders –...
Want to start a business but don’t know how? The franchisors are looking for you…The associations suggest that franchising is the royal road to success, and it has been for many, but the full...
But Gunasekara says he is extremely disappointed the government did not call for more dialogue with affected groups as submissions toward the MED's review suggests more work needed to be done....
The legal framework for regulating franchising consisted mainly of the common law, supplemented by self-regulation by the voluntary body, the Franchise Association of SA . The legislature has...
A few bad apples – or sour franchise operations – can give a whole business method a bad name…Wiseman argued too many franchisees have more in common with indentured servants than with...
Aggressive expansion plans were a "recipe for disaster" if consumer spending continued to fall, and if franchisors cut corners on franchisee selection and training, Mr Zumbo said. However, some...
And there’s this: “It’s a different feeling knowing that I own this,” White said. “I’m not going back to corporate America. This is the road I’ve traveled, and I’m taking...
…KFC National Council and Advertising Cooperative, which represents KFC franchise owners in the company's marketing decisions. The suit claims that under Eaton's tenure, KFC executives began...
“While there are many reputable and successful franchise chains, there are also too many that are unethical, incompetent or both. Many franchisees have lost their life savings as a result of poor...
While some franchises do offer a good business concept, there are many scams out there and many businesses serve as fronts for organized crime and money laundering. Also many franchises are nothing...
While admitting that some franchisors have been too quick to accept a franchisee who has the cash, the outspoken Druxerman does not have a high opinion of franchisees: “They’re greedy as...
“The Internet is such a vast, almost unpredictable entity. In order to take full advantage of the business opportunities, one needs to attack this huge available marketplace with proven systems....
“Despite the hype that franchising is the safest way to go when starting a new business, the research just doesn’t bear that out,” says Timothy Bates, an economist at Wayne State University...
…parties to a franchise are urged to deal with each other in ‘good faith’ and adopt 'fair dealing' practices. ''This creates a fiduciary relationship,'' said McFarlane, ''which goes beyond...
THE British Franchise Association (bfa) has approached firms across Merseyside making redundancies in a bid to offer fresh hope for the staff affected by job cuts. Association director general...
An increase in legal disputes between franchisers and franchisees has lawyers talking about the need to regulate the industry.
National Post
February 23, 1993
Franchising disputes stir call for...
…for more than 30 years Block's franchises had automatically renewed unless both sides decided otherwise. Such "evergreen" arrangements used to be the norm, but in recent years franchisers...
…take wage Prop. 202 would raise the state's minimum wage to $6.75 per hour from the current $5.15 per hour under federal law and would be indexed to inflation.
The Business Journal of...
…self-regulation for franchising is a recipe for trouble.
The Toronto Star
December 27, 1994
Franchising industry rules should be made in public
John Lorinc
We Canadians like to make the casual...
Consequences of violation: Among the more interesting: the right to rescind within 60 days if complete or timely disclosure is not provided, or for up to two years if no disclosure document is ever...
"Franchisors can misuse this loophole in the franchising code and the (Trade Practices Act) to steal the assets of small business investors (through a process known as ""churning"", when the...
[Peter Elliget]…"What you need [as franchisees] is people who can't afford to lose the money," he says. So when business migrants show interest in the business he will make sure they are...
Modern franchising creates opportunism by separating ownership from control. Economic theory indicates fraud is likely to occur with credence goods or services. Franchise industry system owners,...
Big Auto
Big Franchising
Big Grocery
Big Oil
Big Pharma
Big Tobacco
Blocking for the industry
Close ties: IFA & CFA
Conspiracy
Conspiracy to commit fraud
Conspiracy to hide the true nature of...
Franchisers may fear associations because of their similarity to unions, and lawyers often advise executives against too much franchisee involvement, Seldon says. Make it clear to the franchiser...
Franchising is in danger of becoming disreputable. If current practices go unchecked, legitimate businesses will find it more difficult to raise expansion capital through franchising, especially...
Canada, with Ontario leading the way, is the most franchised economy in the world, says Metcalfe.
The Toronto Star
September 3, 1998
Franchising thrives, but big growth over
John...
"It has a devastating effect when a franchisor fails," says Zumbo. From his study of the past collapses of Barbara's House and Garden, Cut Price Deli, Traveland and Kleins, he has observed that...
“If franchisees are forbidden to discuss the lawsuit, what good is disclosure? Gag clauses are completely contrary to the entire framework of franchisor disclosure laws. That’s the whole point...
Amazingly, he claims he’s never had to take anyone out by force. “We work them out of it,” he says of those who don’t fit into the system or have financial difficulties. “If they’re...
“Unfortunately,” said Pepper, “when head office fails, the franchisees are wiped out.”
The Toronto Star
February 10, 2000
Franchisor leaves travel agents stranded
Franchisees say Loblaw...
If this activity does not cease, we will take such further legal steps, without notice to you, as are necessary against your company and the personal guarantors, to have this activity...
“If you are going to be fair dinkum about disclosure obligations then you need to make sure that non-disclosure has consequences, and rendering an agreement void or voidable is certainly ensuring...
In addition, the franchisees allegedly created a web page which transformed Worldsites' three-globed logo into three lemons, and changed the "Worldsites" name to read "Worldshits." Worldsites says...
"Unlike its American counterparts, which vigorously sought to protect the rights of terminated dealers, CADA refused all requests by the affected dealers to intervene," said the claim, which has...
He told the hearing that from the material he received and the inquiries he made, he believed he could have made "somewhere around $80,000" in sales in the first year in a business with a very high...
One in 25 Canadians have actually made a fraudulent investment, the pollsters determined, which means almost 900,000 Canadians have been the victims of financial fraud.
The Toronto Star
October 4,...
"I'm still fascinated by it,"" said the lead investigator, Detective Sam Cosentino of the Toronto police major crime task force. "This is the best [fraud] I've seen.
The Globe and Mail
March 4,...
The Toronto Star
March 29, 2000
Frauds restitution dropped
An Ontario man who bilked dozens of prospective entrepreneurs of more than $1 million won’t have to repay the money. The Manitoba Court...
…just under 900,000 Canadians [4%] have been victims of a financial fraud, the survey said…37 per cent of the fraud victims saying they had been defrauded more than once…simply too much...
Most economists commit what I, in a professionally cautious way, call innocent fraud. It is innocent because most who employ it are without conscious guilt. It is fraud because it is quietly in the...
“It’s not for my clients to have to justify their freedom of speech; it’s for those seeking to restrain their freedom of speech to make their case.” That’s the message Auckland lawyer...
But snazzy ads won’t shake an uncompetitive image. After all, Canada Post was never meant to compete with the private sector; its role is to provide a public good that the market doesn’t, the...
Earlier this year, Voisin, Stop ‘N’ Cash and the owners of each of its 59 Ontario franchises were named as defendants in a proposed class-action lawsuit launched by a former customer who...
I look at Tim Hortons, which has grown and expanded, and realize it has become part of Canadian culture…In many ways I guess if I had to do it again, I wouldn't have sold it. I would have stayed...
Tim Hortons did not, as most have noticed, build an advertising campaign around its change in production, figuring perhaps that its slogan, "Always Fresh," still worked better than "Always Frozen,...
"I've tried them and they're certainly not the same," he said yesterday. The consumer backlash over Tim Hortons' frozen doughnuts, including a threatened boycott, saddens the 72-year-old. "Of...
The firm's shares took a severe beating last July after CoolBrands' loss of the Weight Watchers licence was capped by a legal scuffle. They never recovered from a punishing slide from around $23...
Jesu Dasan figures he lost $180,000 in the 20 months he operated a fast-food franchise in Scarborough, He alleges the franchisor changed the terms of the contract, which drastically reduced the...
Trade watchers believe that a major goal of the United States in Miami was to avoid the embarrassment of having trade talks collapse, as negotiations did in Cancun in September — or in Seattle in...
…Indictment charges that the defendants failed to disclose their business experience, Jeffrey Salley’s 1998 felony grand theft convictions in Florida, Jeffrey and Terri Salley’s 1999...
Court documents claim the terminals, however, were rarely, if ever, delivered and installed in profitable areas. In many cases, the terminals consumers bought were never delivered at all. The FTC...
Don't you think it would be a good idea to give PEOPLE who are injured by violations of the franchise Rule the right to sue under the Rule, i.e. a private cause of action. Isn't that what laws are...
…the Franchisor cashes in on the name recognition built by the very Franchisees its predatory practices now harm. This practice is predatory because the primary banner under which the Franchisor...
I had spoken to some of the franchisees that had left the system. I now feel certain that they painted a picture that was not close to being the truth based on the gag order that Steve imposed. Had...
I invested $18,500. in November, 1995 for a Scorecard Plus franchise conducting business in Columbus, OH. After losing an additional $10,000. in the eighteen (18) months of operation, and seeing...
However, over the past 2 years, I have found that the franchisor I purchased the franchise from misrepresented the facts regarding the franchise and has continually misrepresented the facts...
The utterly futile claim for freedom of contract has been the universal battle cry of all franchisors. Their championship of ""laissez faire"" has almost achieved biblical status…At best, the...
We strongly recommend that trade show promoters be expressly exempted from liability under the FTC Rule. Promoters of franchise and business opportunity shows have little or no control over the...
We believe that current advances in technology provide a unique opportunity for the Staff to amend the Franchise Rule in order to take advantage of the enormous potential embedded 'in the Internet...
As we discussed at the public workshop conference in Chicago, the following are some additional thoughts regarding exemptions from the business opportunity regulation being considered by the...
I believe that implementation of the above outlined proposals will go a long way to both equalize franchisor-franchisee relations but will also repair some of the unfavorable publicity that has...
Franchisors usually say they are prohibited from giving it by FTC rules; really it is optional, but they do not say that. One must rely excessively on verbal information from existing franchisees...
I feel that the FTC Rule should be abolished because it does not take into consideration the needs of current franchisees.
U.S. Federal Trade Commission
April 17, 1997
Public Comment
John...
And that has to do with a franchisor requiring you to change uniform types due to image updating, whatever, and then you having to buy the particular articles from them. So they are telling you...
As a practical matter, consistent, broad scale enforcement of the current state and federal regulatory scheme, along with a private right of action for the Franchise Rule, is likely to be more...
Over the years, most of the innovations that have occurred at 7-Eleven have been inspired, developed and nurtured by American Franchisees, often over the objections of Southland management…These...
As the franchise registration and disclosure laws reach their 25th birthday and beyond, we should expect that they will protect prospective franchisees with greater and greater precision. Like...
"Gag" order arrangements often form a necessary incentive for franchisors to enter into settlement agreements with franchisees. Gag order arrangements should not be regulated, and they should...
Request for public comment on possible revisions to The Franchise Rule.
Comment #12
From: William Cory ten.knilhtrae|yrocllib#ten.knilhtrae|yrocllib
To: HQ.HQ02(franpr)
Date:...
The FTC should take action against franchisors who intimidate or retaliate against their franchisees, directly or indirectly, for getting together for any legitimate business purpose.
U.S. Federal...
…franchisors' interference with franchisees' rights to organization and form associations, particularly trade associations, and directly this has affected me. I'm a Taco Bell franchisee, and we...
If you over-legislate the sale of business opportunities, you will have no effect whatsoever on these sleazeballs and scumbags. They already ignore the existing laws, and they will ignore your new...
Requiring such disclosure even though the franchisee is not going to sign a franchise agreement with the third party licensor would significantly increase the cost associated with disclosure and...
I have been a Domino's Pizza franchisee since 1986. I believe that the FTC needs to revise it's position concern Franchise law. Additionally the FTC needs to address the following issues…If the...
As a present franchisee I am very concerned with how much freedom the franchisor is given. Contractual barriers that prevent me from excercising my basic rights the constitution gives me. If
my...
We do not favor mandatory earnings claims, because, among other reasons, many franchisors do not have enough reliable data to provided such information in any form. This is often because reports...
Based on my 17 years of legal and business experience exclusively in the franchise industry, that a significant amount of misrepresentation and abuse continues to exist in franchising. There are...
American concepts transplanted overseas tend to fail in the host countries because they have not been adapted to the conditions of the host countries and because they are often undercapitalized....
Hundreds of cases of aggrieved franchisees are being brought to the justice system and many are found in their favour. Millions and maybe more is spent in resolving problems that should not exist...
In response to the Commission's solicitation of public comment on revisions to the Franchise Rule, we want to address the proposed definition of ""business opportunity"" as set forth in Part B.2.b....
The National Consumer League's Internet Fraud Watch has identified pyramid investment schemes and the misrepresentation of the profitability of work-at-home and other business opportunities as...
Neither the Commission nor the states can force a current or former franchisee to speak with a prospective franchisee if he or she does not wish to do so or if to do so would violate a...
We are excited at the possibility of harmoniously working with the Commission and its staff toward implementing this proposal. Accordingly, we look forward to hearing from and meeting with the...
I regularly uncover lies being told about my client's company to prospective purchasers by competing companies in an effort to get their business. I find myself writing threatening letters...
…it is our experience that franchisees tend to treat historically-based gross revenues information — the simplest financial information for most franchisors to disclose – as indications of...
Freedom of association is a constitutional right. The FTC should take action against franchisors who intimidate or retaliate against their franchisees, directly or indirectly, for getting together...
Due to the time and extra expense of disclosing this information I feel that law should be
changed in order to stream line the efficiency of the finance firms out there offering there...
If the FTC cannot begin addressing the issues of current franchisees, then I am in favor of abolishing the Franchise Rule. If, as it seems, a person qualifies for protection from an overreaching...
Our company respectfully requests that the Commission increase that amount to a more reasonable threshold level. DSA made the case very well when asking for the consideration of a $1,000 threshold...
No one of the restrictions listed above (and they are only a few of the many restrictions created by Domino’s standards) is indefensible by the franchisor. However, taken as a whole, they form an...
This author's law firm serves as franchise counsel to many of the world's oldest, largest and most prestigious franchisors, many of whom are by far the leaders in their respective business...
Five states and Puerto Rico have mandatory buyback requirements for multilevel companies.
U.S. Federal Trade Commission
April 30, 1997
Public Comment
Joseph N. Mariano
Request for public comment...
Because the experience of others who have purchased a franchise or business opportunity is the best indicator of potential earnings and other factors for prospective buyers, "gag orders" that...
In the travel industry, there is currently a scam where a potential entrepreneur is given an opportunity to purchase the rights to become a travel agent. The entrepreneur is provided with papers...
The bottom line is that contract provisions and company policies can appear harmless on the surface, but they can be intertwined into a deceptive web that can limit the value of a business for a...
…I was required to sign a broad form general release of all claims in order to be granted the additional time. You must understand that when one is trying desperately to save one's business,...
Any investor is absolutely entitled to a reasonably authentic evaluation of the purchase, particularly the anticipated gross sales, gross profit, net profit, and time to reach the break-even level....
I do not believe that franchisors should use ""gag orders"" to inhibit former or existing franchisors from speaking with prospects.
U.S. Federal Trade Commission
April 1, 1997
Public...
These provisions clearly violate the spirit of federal and state due process constitutional law. I would also be in favor of eliminating the FTC Franchise Rule. I support the provision that would...
These provisions clearly violate the spirit of federal and state due process constitutional law. I would also be in favor of eliminating the FTC Franchise Rule. I support the provision that would...
These provisions clearly violate the spirit of federal and state due process constitutional law. I would also be in favor of eliminating the FTC Franchise Rule. I support the provision that would...
These provisions clearly violate the spirit of federal and state due process constitutional law. I would also be in favor of eliminating the FTC Franchise Rule. I support the provision that would...
These provisions clearly violate the spirit of federal and state due process constitutional law. I would also be in favor of eliminating the FTC Franchise Rule. I support the provision that would...
These provisions clearly violate the spirit of federal and state due process constitutional law. I would also be in favor of eliminating the FTC Franchise Rule. I support the provision that would...
These provisions clearly violate the spirit of federal and state due process constitutional law. I would also be in favor of eliminating the FTC Franchise Rule. I support the provision that would...
These provisions clearly violate the spirit of federal and state due process constitutional law. I would also be in favor of eliminating the FTC Franchise Rule. I support the provision that would...
These provisions clearly violate the spirit of federal and state due process constitutional law. I would also be in favor of eliminating the FTC Franchise Rule. I support the provision that would...
This franchisor has been allowed to get away with murder because of the franchising rules. Franchisors cannot self-regulate.
U.S. Federal Trade Commission
March 22, 1997
Public Comment
Frances L....
These provisions clearly violate the spirit of federal and state due process constitutional law. I would also be in favor of eliminating the FTC Franchise Rule. I support the provision that would...
These provisions clearly violate the spirit of federal and state due process constitutional law. I would also be in favor of eliminating the FTC Franchise Rule. I support the provision that would...
These provisions clearly violate the spirit of federal and state due process constitutional law. I would also be in favor of eliminating the FTC Franchise Rule. I support the provision that would...
These provisions clearly violate the spirit of federal and state due process constitutional law. I would also be in favor of eliminating the FTC Franchise Rule. I support the provision that would...
These provisions clearly violate the spirit of federal and state due process constitutional law. I would also be in favor of eliminating the FTC Franchise Rule. I support the provision that would...
These provisions clearly violate the spirit of federal and state due process constitutional law. I would also be in favor of eliminating the FTC Franchise Rule. I support the provision that would...
These provisions clearly violate the spirit of federal and state due process constitutional law. I would also be in favor of eliminating the FTC Franchise Rule. I support the provision that would...
These provisions clearly violate the spirit of federal and state due process constitutional law. I would also be in favor of eliminating the FTC Franchise Rule. I support the provision that would...
These provisions clearly violate the spirit of federal and state due process constitutional law. I would also be in favor of eliminating the FTC Franchise Rule. I support the provision that would...
The issue is whether the FTC should reform its Franchise Rule to exclude from its coverage prospective franchisees that intend to do business solely in a foreign jurisdiction. I contend that
such a...
These provisions clearly violate the spirit of federal and state due process constitutional law. I would also be in favor of eliminating the FTC Franchise Rule. I support the provision that would...
WE WERE TOLD BY THE REGIONAL MANAGER, NO WAY, WOULD MCDONALDS CORPORATION ALLOW A FRANCHISEE TO OWN THE REAL ESTATE. ON STORE #2170, THROUGH MONTHLY RENTAL PAYMENTS PAID BACK MCDONALD'S REAL ESTATE...
Our members feel so strongly about the Commission's inability to deal with substantive issues of concern to them they would rather work to abolish the FTC rule rather than suffer the abuses of both...
I thank you for the opportunity to provide input on these important questions, and would appreciate the opportunity to participate in any further public workshop hearings you may schedule following...
My husband was a McDonald's franchisee in the New York region. He had 5 stores and McDonalds did not renew his lease on the 5 stores. They did allow him to try to find a seller or a buyer. We were...
Subway in fact itself after admitting on several occasions that they were violating the FTC Rule, was able to avoid prosecution from the FTC, which sends a signal to all franchise opportunities out...
We are a GNC franchise and my concern is on the devaluing of assets through encroachment. We have a population of 38,000 and we've been in existence for 2 years and recently the corporation has put...
I feel my hands are totally tied. I feel as an indentured servant.
U.S. Federal Trade Commission
April 30, 1997
Public Comment
Greg Gaither, franchisee
Request for public comment on possible...
Consumers believe that the brand name is the company that they are utilizing when they are not told that, because each office is independently owned and operated, that the consumer is left only...
We, as you well know, we have brought widespread cases of abuse with just one franchise, namely Subway, and the FTC, that's set up to protect us, doesn't. And, there's nobody out there left to...
The majority of the money this company uses for advertising goes into discounts. They force us to buy their products and then they force us to discount the products because they do national...
One of my main concerns is that the franchisor forces us to buy product that they manufacture — that is poorly manufactured and poorly formulated, along with other materials. I also am very...
We are slaves out there working the business and being told "this is your new contract, take it or leave it." Unfortunately, take it or leave it, when you've invested hundreds of thousands of...
The problem that we have personally as franchise owners of a General Nutrition Center here in Muskogee we have encountered are dealing with assets, or devaluing of our assets, through encroachment....
I for one own a Franchise and the parent company is as crooked as can be.
U.S. Federal Trade Commission
May 1, 1997
Public Comment
Kevin, franchisee
Request for public comment on possible...
Revise 16 CFR 436 to require sellers of work at home programs, like medical billing, to provide a disclosure prior to any acceptance of money.
U.S. Federal Trade Commission
May 2, 1997
Public...
It would also be valuable for the FTC and the UFOC to make clear that franchisors violate their disclosure obligations if they prohibit their franchisees, or through settlement agreements with...
In non-litigation situations, confidentiality agreements can serve a useful and legitimate purpose, and the forced disclosure of the specific terms of such agreements may discourage creative...
The state of modem franchising demands vigorous investor and consumer protection. Unfortunately, the FTC Rule, as constituted, exacerbates and even promotes current franchise practices…The FTC...
WE ARE AMERICANS LIVING UNDER A SO-CALLED DEMOCRACY…..YOU PEOPLE ACT LIKE COMMUNISTS WHO WANT TO STRANGLE AMERICAN CREATIVITY AND INGENUITY.
U.S. Federal Trade Commission
April 11, 1997
Public...
Although the boiler plate language indicates that the FTC has not checked it and does not know is correct, a prospective franchisee assumes that this document is in compliance with the regulations...
The state of modem franchising demands vigorous investor and consumer protection. Unfortunately, the FTC Rule, as constituted, exacerbates and even promotes current franchise practices…The FTC...
…IFA is unaware of any broad usage of ""gag orders"" by franchisors…IFA is unaware of any evidence that franchisors are prohibiting current and former franchisees from talking to prospective...
In Item 3, the required disclosure of confidential settlements discourages settlement of disputes, and thereby encourages prolonging of litigation and arbitration. This should be reconsidered in my...
But I don't think full disclosure or adding stuff to this is going to help anybody except franchisors to make even more money and screw even more franchisees. And franchisee don't even know how...
I wanted to comment on the first personal meeting rule. And I think maybe that term should be replaced with something that the AFA had originally thought might be good: first substantive...
Lastly, we would suggest that the FTC adopt an exclusion from the definition of business opportunity for all companies that provide for a buy back policy consistent with the DSA Code of Ethics and...
This comment is submitted on behalf of Coverall North America, Inc. Coverall offers franchises in the United States and internationally for businesses that offer commercial janitorial and building...
Finally, we believe that any additional regulatory burdens being considered should be imposed on the sellers of franchises and business opportunities who may engage in unlawful conduct, and not on...
Such language would encourage companies to offer bona fide buy-back policies and offer increased protection to the consumer. This provision has been adopted recently in both Texas and Oklahoma...
Selling the business is often not an option because Domino's Pizza (through its franchise agreement) controls that market by not only regulating the value of the business, but by also regulating...
And they look into my franchise and they say, of course, first liar wins, right.
U.S. Federal Trade Commission
July 4, 1997
Public Comment
Lance Winslow, franchisor
Request for public comment on...
And what franchising is all about is helping people buy a piece of America so they can own their own business and really enjoy their American dream. Whatever their American dream is.
U.S. Federal...
Okay, these people have these bullshit ads here and I have to compete with them. So what you're asking the franchisors to do is to be sneaking and conniving, and try to find a way to compete with...
I don't think you guys are thinking there. I mean this is really obvious stuff. And it wouldn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that what I'm saying is true. And if you call a couple of...
State compliance has become something of an oxymoron in the Business
Opportunity arena. State laws were adopted for the large part as an enforcement tool with little thought to those legitimate...
In conclusion, we urge the Commission to adopt a proposed amendment to Section 436.2(j) to explicitly exclude trade show promoters from the definition of franchise brokers, and to defer...
I strongly believe that the Pre-Sale Disclosure Rule should remain applicable to the sale of a
franchise by a domestic franchiser or its foreign agent, for location in a foreign country.
U.S....
A FRANCHISE IS CREATED FOR ONE REASON AND ONE REASON ONLY ; THE FRANCHISOR DOES NOT HAVE THE FINANCIAL MEANS TO DO IT ON HIS OWN. HE INSTEAD USES THE INVESTMENT OF OTHERS TO GET HIM TO WHERE HE...
The FTC should consider adopting an exemption for test agreements, expanding upon its existing fractional franchise exemption, clarifying its definition of ""control and assistance,"" and adopting...
In the last several years, the Division has experienced an increasing number of complaints from Maryland investors in ""business opportunities."" The Division has increased our enforcement and...
Potentially at stake is the survival of a Kitchener-based firm whose 50-plus chain of stores generated $70 million in revenue last year, and is now fending off an upstart challenge in the form of...
"It's a union-busting clause which I expect was demanded by private companies to take on the franchise. It's exactly what's wrong with the franchising system."…"There's no way a private operator...
Food processing is expected to rival retailing as a source of income for George Weston Ltd. within a matter of years, Currie recently told analysts. No small feat, given that Loblaws currently...
With his focus on how concentrated power distributes resources, Galbraith in his most famous book, The Affluent Society (which sold more than a million copies), described a world of private...
What flavour of power shall we talk about when we talk about Galen Weston, who is the second-richest person in the country and the 35th richest in the world?
Report on Business magazine
November 1,...
But it was far worse than a charade. It was criminal. For example, Eagleson ripped off players who suffered career-ending injuries… Eagleson was indicted in 1992 by a US federal grand jury on 32...
Dan McTeague, the Liberal MP for the Ontario riding of Pickering-Ajax-Uxbridge and one of the industry's fiercest critics, was attending a funeral and couldn't attend the committee's session. Mr....
…the risk is getting ever higher of organized crime entering into and taking over the management of our businesses - already on the verge of bankruptcy - and turning them into money-laundering...
…300 Sunoco gas station operators filed suit in the Ontario Superior Court of Justice seeking damages of up to $200 million against energy titan Suncor. Last week, Suncor announced plans to...
Karol's own rent jumped to $99,000 per year from about $34,000. Karol said she believes the company's actions were motivated by a desire to replace independent operators with company-owned stores....
Big Oil is having trouble with some of its little guys. Dozens of gas-station dealers are lodging complaints with the major petroleum refiners over changes big producers want to make in the way...
Frank Cianciosi, 51, was found dead in the chic East Perth apartment on Friday afternoon.
…The couple bought the luxury penthouse for $3.2 million in November 2005 and lived in it...
A group of Geeks on Call America franchisees have formed United We Geek, the Independent Geeks on Call Franchise Owners Association, citing ineffective management of advertising, inadequate systems...
What was left out of the deal with Davis was what appear to be millions in debt and a shell public company that still has shares and shareholders…allowing Cole, who hasn’t responded to requests...
The suits, all substantially identical, claim that Geeks on Call is responsible for a financial downturn allegedly experienced by the Plaintiffs. The suits point to the recent introduction of...
The automaker's tough stance represents a new tack in manufacturer-dealer relations, one echoed by GM's smaller rival Chrysler, which has cut ties with nearly 800 dealers. A bankruptcy judge...
…the Grange report does a reverse of onus. It says there has to be fair dealing, and if there isn't fair dealing, then it's up to the franchisor to show, and I quote, ""that the contract between...
…notice from GE’s lawyers ritually asserts that the conduct “does not constitute exclusive dealing” but goes on to request “protection against any argument to the contrary”. GE's...
For several months now, good ol' Timmies has been making its doughnuts at a massive bakery in Brantford and shipping the frozen morsels to warehouses and then to stores where they are revived. Some...
"The Colonel would claim he had a good time making all that money," he recalls. "But then he'd say he had a lot more fun giving it away," to institutions such as Mississauga's Trillium Centre. "He...
McDonald's execs have been pushing discount and free samples all year and even followed up with franchisees to ensure they comply.
http://www.chicagobusiness.com/
June 16, 2008
Giveaways anger...
…a company that promised high-flying returns back when it first went public, though it has suffered from promising more than it delivered. Some tough years of losses and poor management have seen...
Fighting the fries: Gendarmes stand outside a McDonald’s on the Champ-Elyees in Paris during a demonstration yesterday. Thousands of anti-globalization activists gathered to attend the four-day...
The claim alleges that in April 2009, the Canadian Automotive Dealers' Association, a dealer lobby group, retained Cassels to advise GM dealers on the potential restructuring of the GM dealer...
"It was the support of the people that allowed GM to see we're needed," said Robert Cupp. He contacted other dealers who received closure notices and asked if they wanted to do some of the things...
They are seeking $1.5-million each from GM, an injunction that prevents the company from terminating their dealer sales and service agreements and an unspecified amount of compensation for losses...
When GM files, all the dealer contracts can be rendered null and void. Fin. And after that, buh-bye floor planning (dealer loans to buy inventory) costs. Fin II. In other words, the perfect storm...
General Motors of Canada dealers losing their franchises under the automaker's survival plan will receive an average $900,000 each under terms of a confidential offer, but they say it won't cover...
They can require to dealers to carry more inventory. They can require dealers to make massive facility investments or relocate. Or lose their franchise…And before GM's bankruptcy this week, state...
"A car company, under franchising laws, cannot simply cancel a dealer's franchise without cause,"…But if it goes into bankruptcy, those laws could be superseded, he said, and closings could take...
"It's an astonishing dysfunction in the GNC system if franchisees are buying increasing amounts of product from the outside. That simply should not be happening," Mr. Giblen said. He added that the...
A group that claims to represent GNC franchisees says the vitamin retailer is trying to undermine efforts to organize an independent association that would serve as an advocate for members — a...
…alleges that the company billed lower rates for products purchased by company-owned General Nutrition Center stores than those charged for products bought by franchisees.
Pittsburgh Business...
General Nutrition Companies, a Pittsburgh-based retailer of nutritional supplements, plans to open 400 franchise stores in Canada over the next five years.
The Toronto Star
November 17, 2001
GNC...
…decrease in revenue was the result of a decline in domestic same-store sales as well as a reduction in GNC's domestic base. The company said its store based declined by 192 stores as part of a...
Atkins and the other seven board members “opted out,” of the settlement, he says, because they felt they had to give up too many rights down the road. And, although “something is better than...
General Nutrition Companies, Inc., the biggest specialty retailer of vitamins and nutritional supplements in the United States, wants to broaden its Canadian presence by adding 400 franchised...
Dutch auctions…would let all investors — regardless of size — bid for Google's shares directly, rather than have an investment bank determine the price of shares and who should receive them....
The Department of Trade and Industry is investigating the way the firm and sister company, Kwik Jet, were operated.
www.thisischeshire.co.uk
December 8, 2006
Government speaks to franchise...
While many franchisee activists will welcome the ACCC's new random audit powers, Zumbo is unimpressed…"The reality is that ACCC has necessary power to investigate franchisors at the moment. What...
At the Ontario government’s request, the crown-owned Liquor Control Board of Ontario (LCBO) will create a "LCBO franchise" system.
Ministry of Consumer and Business Services
September 21,...
“Ontario is the wild west where franchisors are free to play by their own rules,” he said, adding that fair compensation requirements and a mediation process should be put in place.
INFO...
“Ontario is the wild west where franchisors are free to play by their own rules,” he said, adding that fair compensation requirements and a mediation process should be put in place.
Durham...
Les Stewart, president of the Canadian Alliance of Franchise Operators, says the stores have increased sales by 88% over the last eight years, despite the increasing market share of rival home...
…alleges the company is ending the deals so it wouldn't have to make financial disclosures required under the Wishart Act and because too many "unacceptable ethnics" were applying for stores.
The...
The Grange Report is a comprehensive inquiry into the franchise industry in the province of Ontario, Canada.
Department of Financial and Commercial Affairs
June 1, 1971
Grange Report, Summary
S....
The Grange Report is a comprehensive inquiry into the franchise industry in the province of Ontario, Canada.
Department of Financial and Commercial Affairs
June 1, 1971
The Grange Report,...
The poor dears in their suits and corner offices can't change. They can't help themselves. They have to make immense amounts of money, by any means, because that's all there is to their lives.
The...
"Keith is not the main issue. We don't know Keith. We know Green Acres. We bought the franchise because of Green Acres and Keith is just a manager, area manager. That's all," says one...
…real issue wasn't with the law, but the "culture of non-enforcement. There seems to be a reluctance on the part of authorities to act when cases are brought before them, as we have seen in the...
The company will honour the ironing franchises given out by Lapham to his 200 victims, provided they meet ""standard qualifying criteria"". These criteria include ""citizenship and the ability to...
About a hundred members of the newly formed support group Franchise Watch gathered outside Green Acres head office in Auckland on Friday to protest. Group spokesman Ketan Trivedi says the package...
The group, representing 190 victims, issued a statement saying the package was a ""clever move to divide and create confusion among the members"".
http://tvnz.co.nz/
January 14, 2008
Green Acres...
Last night Green Acres spokesman Allan Botica said the company had been told by the SFO not to comment.
The New Zealand Herald
January 13, 2008
Green Acres victims take to legal action
Lincoln...
"We are hoping the MPs can help us talk to the banks and finance companies to help put the loan repayments on hold at least until after the matter is resolved with Green Acres…The amount is small...
Lapham was an independent contractor who had purchased, under a franchise agreement, the right to use the company's system and as part of the grant of the franchise rights, he was entitled to sell...
"The franchising industry is definitely likely to feel the effects of the recent Green Acres situation: it won't be a mortal blow, but it is severe."
The New Zealand Herald
January 29, 2008
Green...
…describing the decision "as a huge victory for the communities of Toronto." The bylaw stands as the best evidence yet that council is willing to stand behind the pro-people, pro-sidewalk vision...
""Why would we want to make something like this up if we were getting paid from the company? Would franchisees even dare to go to the police with lies?""
The New Zealand Herald
February 28,...
Yesterday, He Qi Ann, a franchisee who claimed to have been defrauded by Green Power, challenged the company to "settle the matter once and for all" by going to the police. Ms Ding said the company...
…KFC managed to strain relationships with three core constituents: consumers, the media and franchisees that swallowed the cost of the free food themselves… KFC told Ad Age the company did fund...
Customers of Grocery Gateway Inc. can now order almost anything the liquor store carries from Canada's largest online grocery delivery company and have it delivered to their door along with their...
"The wives wanted to present their claims before a jury because the terms of the arbitration clause limits their legal rights by shortening the time to bring suit, limits the scope of pre-trial...
The IOC will be one of the largest cooperatively owned franchise organizations in the country. The bankruptcy process and coming together of our group has made us realize our great potential...
…the Ground Round Franchisee Council has entered into an agreement to acquire the chain's franchise rights and will form a new, cooperatively owned franchise operation - one of the few of its...
…Judge William Hillman approved the franchisees' $4.85 million bid over protests from U.S. Restaurant Properties, which bid $6.5 million. Hillman said his decision was influenced by the...
Taragon will ask the court to quash the current bankruptcy plan, which was accepted in a vote by creditors last month. Among the most serious allegations in the court documents is that Country...
Three Second Cup outlets in Montreal were the targets of firebombs Thursday night, four weeks after a French-language extremist group publicly threatened the Toronto-based chain because of its...
Quebec-based grocery chain Metro Inc. has decided to quit fretting about being a juicy corporate takeover target and focus on improving its business, executives told the company's annual meeting...
They would apply for and get GST rebates on car sales even though no money or vehicles had ever changed hands, according to investigators. The transactions occurred on paper only. Revenue officials...
Unfortunately, Grand and Toy Ltd., a division of the American parent company, Boise Cascade Office Products, announced in June of this year that it is not renewing our agreement when it expires....
"Not only did I do my best work on the file, despite the fact that I didn't get paid, but I think every lawyer in Ontario should do what I did," Singh said.
The Toronto Star
February 23,...
The hearing panel ordered Singh suspended for a month beginning last Nov. 19 - to continue indefinitely until he provided accurate records.
The Toronto Star
February 21, 2006
Guelph lawyer under...
Qezil, who had worked for Maple Leaf Foods for nearly seven years, lost her job on March 16, Assistant Crown attorney Pamela Borghesan said Friday in a phone interview. On March 17, Qezil entered...
…it is quite clear that patterns on abuse, or even anecdotal reports, are not prerequisites to the movement toward franchising laws; in many of these countries, the record is totally lacking in...
"It is very carefully crafted," she says. "They are very good. They know you're in a vulnerable spot. They can pick on your Achilles heel. They home right in on your vulnerability and maximize it....
…so if we don't need to name my franchise, I'd rather not…One of the things I've learned very quickly is that if you don't go along then you can end up in some very serious fights with the...
"He has closed his doors and disappeared with all monies franchisees gave him," Ontario franchisee Garry Shearer said yesterday from his Peterborough operation. "When we confronted him and asked to...
But, $80,000 and nine months later, Raftis was taking the company to court. His dreams of security, profitability and success were dashed. Like many franchising neophytes, be bought into the...
Hartco Corp. on Tuesday blamed its third-quarter loss on store closures.
Reuters
December 12, 2000
Hartco blames third-quarter loss on store closures
MONTREAL, Dec 12 (Reuters) - Hartco Corp....
A NSW federal MP, Joanna Gash, has used the protection of parliamentary privilege to air de Leeuw's alleged grievances. Among the MP's dramatic allegations are claims of fraud, inducing financial...
Simply put, the Firkin chain of pubs has come to dominate the pub market in Toronto. There are 36 now standing or being built, which means a pretty big chunk of the GTA has its own neighbourhood...
At least 235 people became sick during the outbreak that originated at the Harvey's restaurant on Algonquin Avenue. Forty-seven of those were confirmed cases of E. coli O157:H7 infection. It's the...
Ontario Superior Court of Justice
December 14, 2001
Hearing Request Form
Commercial List
Hearing Request Form
Commercial List Court No: 01-CL-4352
Superior Court File No.
Weekly Court File No.
Date...
The Liquor Control Board of Ontario is once again up to its monopolistic strong-arm tactics. Already loathed by several suppliers—including brewers, vintners and distillers who claim the LCBO...
Canadian telemarketers who work for U.S. clients risk high legal bills, bad publicity, lost business and stiff regulatory penalties if they resist complying with a national do-not-call list south...
Quebec provincial police have dismantled what they say is an elaborate attempt by the Hells Angels to bully their way into the province's bricklaying industry and use legitimate businesses for...
"We have a great platform, huge sales and a great brand but we've just got to … bring it more in line with where we are today … We're fighting over the light and lapsed [customer]," he...
The man who lost the most, Doc Roberts, out $13-million, made no efforts through the courts to recover his money. The $13-million barely made a dent in his assets, but Roberts spent the last few...
"He was a product of Canada,"" she said. ""If you are cynical, you can't help but look at the fact that it (the deportation) was an end run around a jury verdict."
The Toronto Star
November 5,...
The trans fat content of French fries ranges from four grams (McDonald's) to seven grams (Burger King.)
It should be noted, however, that since the testing was done, McDonald's announced, with much...
A hidden franchise involves the characteristics of a franchise even though neither party intended to create a franchise relationship.
The Denver Business Journal
July 30, 2004
Hidden franchises can...
"Most people cannot afford an attorney on an hourly basis," he says. "Most attorneys probably can't afford an attorney. They've priced themselves out of the market."
The Globe and Mail
October 4,...
Jai Bhagwan Goyal, the local head of Shiv Sena, was skeptical of the McDonald's assurance, saying the company had made similar promises in the United States 10 years ago, but continued to use beef...
We are former franchisees from the most blue chip systems.
History of WikidFranchise
We:
started as a McDonald's crew guy 37 years ago,
believed that franchising was safer and a legitimate form of...
Barring a miracle, a strike or lockout will wipe out much or all of the 2004-2005 season…Mr. Dowbiggin is charitable to a fault with the agents, some of whom he greatly admires. His broad...
…she began a court battle against Joyce to get her shares of Tim Donut Ltd. back. She also sued the lawyer who represented her during the transaction, alleging he didn’t get enough money for...
McNeely said it would be hard for the public to believe Holoday would not commit another crime if the court allowed him to remain free in view of the litany of bounced cheques.
The Toronto...
When the British government announced this month that it was considering a ""Big Mac sin tax"" to fund anti-fat initiatives, observers took it as one more sign that Big Food is replacing Big...
Of the three Hooters restaurants to have opened in Australia, one has closed down and liquidators are searching for buyers for the other two, which are still trading. According to company...
"This is really a very elaborately thought-out plan," said Elisabeth Bruckmann, a lawyer with Parkdale Community Legal Services…"I think quite a number of employers have identified that new...
This documentary explores how the pursuit of fame and wealth tore apart Horton and his family in a haze of booze and drugs, just as his business career was finally taking off.
The Globe and...
That big players have information, connections and access that ordinary investors simply can't match, and that stock markets aren't the efficient, level playing fields they are supposed to...
Among those arrested was a 24-year-old woman whose 5-year-old son was found sleeping in a vehicle that police allege was the getaway car, said Detective Sergeant Wilf Townley of Toronto's holdup...
The courts aren't going to work for these people. How many people are you willing to sacrifice? You said you wanted to protect franchisees and we took you at your word.
Legislative Assembly of...
The Canadian Franchise Association refused to accept a registered letter of complaint from Bulk Barn franchisees. When I tried to deliver it to the president of the CFA during the hearings in...
This is only the tip of the iceberg. I'm also hearing from other franchisees in the restaurant sector as well who are losing their lifelong investments.
Legislative Assembly of Ontario
October 31,...
A year later, you've done absolutely nothing, and people like Les and Terry Stewart are paying the price of your inaction. When will your government listen to these small business owners and...
The franchising industry has been stressed for a number of years now by unscrupulous big franchisers taking advantage of unsuspecting, anxious small entrepreneurs, among many others, immigrants...
…I would like to ask the minister if there is not a mandatory dispute resolution mechanism provided in the Arthur Wishart Act, and if not, why not? Why would there not be any dispute resolution...
Franchising is important to the men and women who see a franchise as a way to achieve their dreams of a better tomorrow. This legislation is a result of extensive consultation and will at the end...
This bill is complementary to the bill introduced yesterday by the Minister of Consumer and Commercial Relations, Mr Runciman. I am happy to report to the House that I had a meeting with Mr...
This bill will amend the current legislation to include regulations for fair dealings after the contract is signed.
Legislative Assembly of Ontario
November 21, 2001
House Debates
Introduction of...
They lost their franchise. The rug was pulled from under them. They found themselves flat on their face with no recourse to any resolution mechanism and lost their livelihood, and lost their...
I find it unbelievable that today in Ontario a franchisor is under no obligation to provide appropriate notice or compensation when ending an agreement with a franchisee.
The Legislative Assembly...
I have a real concern for this small business element of my community and for the community as a whole if this issue is not resolved and clear rules are not laid out and enshrined in...
We predicted then that what is actually happening now with Grand and Toy would in fact happen, that if you weren't willing to regulate the relationship, we would continue to have trouble, because...
If this government wanted to really do something about small business…they would bring forward a franchise act that I have tabled twice now in this House and that I propose to table again,...
As a conservative Republican who supports smaller government and less regulation, many people have asked me why I support franchise legislation. First of all…it's about protecting freedom. The...
He offered me $50,000 for the equipment on a $500,000 restaurant. That's why I went to court. I couldn't sit back and—that's why I spoke up and that's why I talked to the other franchisees. I...
December, 2003, Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce avoided prosecution by accepting responsibility for crimes committed by employees who knowingly participated in complicated transactions that...
But they lack the same capacity as normal people to feel emotional experiences…Their response is more cognitive — as if they are thinking through the issue of emotions, and how to respond —...
Readers may finish the book determined never to invest in a franchise. But Opportunity Knocks suggests the allure of self-employment, and the myth of being your own boss, will continue to seduce...
I wasn't disappointed: My fight with the Blue Jays ended up garnering international media attention. I'm confident I parlayed that $355.37 into six figures' worth of print and broadcast exposure....
“The franchise offering circular should say something about the number of franchises that are up and running. If you’re listing a bunch that aren’t running, that may be a material omission....
Nothing is going right for Krispy Kreme: its sales are falling, some franchisees are in financial trouble, and the company has been tainted by an investigation into its accounting practices. Its...
After decades of debate and false starts, Ontario, Canada’s most populous province, now has franchise legislation.
Franchise Times
February 1, 2001
How the Ontario law will affect U.S....
Trying to hitch a ride on the franchise boom to financial security may leave you plucked and basted if you aren't careful…”Despite the hype that franchising is the safest way to go when...
Anyone who thinks Enron's collapse is an isolated incident that couldn't happen in Canada is, to put it mildly, naive. If anything, the probability that Canadian investors could fall victim to an...
If you are allowed to edit pages in this Site, simply click on edit button at the bottom of the page. This will open an editor.
To create a link to a new page, use syntax: [[[new page name]]] or...
“Some don’t want to worry about a franchisee who becomes so strong that it’s a threat.”…With relationships often tilted heavily in favour of franchisors, anything that gives franchisees...
Franchise relationships are notoriously lopsided: The chains demand to know every detail of a prospective franchisee’s financial health, but they are often under no obligation to divulge anything...
“The Bothams inquiry and the report handed down yesterday has failed to address the central issue in regards to the bullying tactics being employed by a multinational in taking over an Australian...
"Most franchisees would believe that if they perform well, they can expect their agreements to be renewed on reasonable terms when they expire, and not have their business turned over or churned to...
If indicted, CIBC too would have faced eradication. In the months before the settlement, rival Canadian banks began to fear for their own health — if Justice were to nuke CIBC, the fallout would...
"I'm going to become the biggest pain in his ass," Bono joked. "Paul Martin thinks he likes me, but he doesn't know what he signed on to. More lobbying about debt, begging letters about people who...
"With regards to how we roll out the locations in the company, we want to be very involved in the set-up of locations and make sure everything is running well. We will offer franchises in time at a...
Ben & Jerry's, the pricey, all-natural Vermont-based ice cream company that was swallowed by giant Unilever NV, has ambitious plans for about 100 stores in Canada. Ben & Jerry's Canadian...
"On January 15, 2005 I lost my home and was forced to move. My life was turned upside down. I was devastated," Rosa Basso said. "I had to leave my home of 28 years and leave behind my whole life....
To help franchising's leaders find solutions to challenges posed by today's unstable economy, the International Franchise Association is launching a multicity series of Leadership Roundtable...
When I bought my franchise, it was located in Florida. Little did I know the success ratio of this particular concept in Florida was zero. Today, out of at least seven or eight franchise sales,...
None of this changes the fact that, for Steven Page and 27,499 other environmentally conscious consumers, Toyota is providing the car they want. Stop-gap measure or not, the Japanese giant is once...
Environment Minister David Anderson… He insists he wasn't familiarizing himself with the Irvings' production of low-sulphur fuel, months before his department introduced regulations requiring...
But the first mistake is thinking that entrepreneurs and ideal franchisees have much in common…What franchisors are looking for are intrepreneurs, not entrepreneurs. Intrepreneurs are...
A Muslim franchisee of a suburban Chicago Dunkin' Donuts store must surrender ownership after losing a legal battle over his religious objections to selling pork…The Massachusetts-based chain...
The fraud was detected during a routine random audit in August, 2002, when a bank official noticed that the signature of the applicant was the same as the handwriting of the person who filled out...
"The question is really safety, and the fact is that the study comes back and says that Canadian procedures for safety are comparable and sometimes even better." "That's a very powerful...
John Hunkin was desperate. After five years at the helm of CIBC, share performance and profitability were mediocre. He invented a plan: The bank would slip some Canadian Tire money into each of its...
But the new law requires that a three-part test be met before an individual can be considered an independent contractor.
The Boston Globe
June 20, 2005
Immigrants cry foul over cleaning...
Most miners were forced to live in company-owned housing with imposed rents, paid in scrip rather than cash and left with no choice but to shop at company-owned stores where prices were...
Governance experts were particularly critical of the trading done by David Maynard, head of Inco's global marketing unit in Britain. He made a profit of $359,660 after selling 26,000 shares at...
The guidelines are designed to promote more consistent disclosure practices among income funds, especially in such areas as executive compensation and the statement of risk factors. Because income...
"This case will hinge on the definition of the distributor's relationship with Tupperware," says Stewart. "Our contention is this is a franchise." Tupperware declines to comment on allegations from...
Breaking her 20-year franchise agreement with Fleet Feet, a national chain of specialty running stores, wasn't easy, but Gallardo says it was the best thing for her three stores, which generate...
If they weren't so greedy, doing so many, they might have gotten away with it because they wouldn't have set off any bells."…would not comment on how the alleged fraud could go undetected for...
Too often, the consumer/victim of abuse starts to go down the legal path in an effort to recoup their lost retirement capital. But the closer they get to exposing the villains in court or the...
Big Auto
Big Franchising
Big Grocery
Big Oil
Big Pharma
Big Tobacco
Blocking for the industry
Close ties: IFA & CFA
Conspiracy
Conspiracy to commit fraud
Conspiracy to hide the true nature of...
Owner Kevin Hendren says the restaurant closed last Tuesday, due to "lack of business after the YouTube incident."
http://www.foxcharlotte.com/
September 27, 2009
Infamous Domino’s Closes in...
…the local industry was completely unregulated and franchisees were heavily dependent on the franchisor, which had a lot of power. "It's all about the contract that you sign," she said. "Although...
“Companies like Coverall are competing for commercial cleaning contracts against regular janitorial companies that pay their workers as employees, which means they pay worker’s compensation and...
Again and again, we've seen professionals entrusted by their clients with confidential information turn around and abuse their privileged positions by trading on their inside knowledge. And again...
Ontario government investigators had a single-minded focus on inspecting adult video stores while ignoring thousands of consumer complaints about collection agencies and motor vehicle repairs,...
Psychopaths…are manipulative, dangerous individuals who live and work in our communities, often leaving behind a wake of broken hearts, empty wallets, and ruined lives. Sooner or later…everyone...
[Gibbons] This was not a down-and-dirty CCAA for a quick flip.
Canadian Business magazine
April 1, 2002
In the hole
A restructuring plan at Country Style doughnuts has some feeling fried
Kevin...
The Wall Street Journal
March 24, 2009
Blogs Provide Insight to Would-Be Franchises
Sites Offer News, Comments, Updates on the Happenings at Other Businesses; Complaints Are Welcome Too
Richard...
“The CFA has been of no help to many hundreds of entrepreneurs who lost their shirts in shoddy franchise deals,” Martin said. “Instead of taking the CFA’s advice this government should be...
…Lackstein had reason to fear for how the net balance of his social contributions would soon be perceived. Indeed, the Canadian franchise partner of socially responsible Ben &...
Bryers was bankrupted in October, but despite his bankrupt status is permitted to travel between New Zealand and Australia. By his own estimation he owes $173 million and claims his only assets are...
"If the settlement decision is approved, the matter will be closed," he said. "There will be no recourse for us against Garber. We will have to just forget about this $15-million that has been...
"We now have been able to find 13 people who paid out more than a million dollars to this suspect, and we believe there are more victims out there who have yet to come forward," says Const. Tim...
But Ng claimed that he stopped receiving the vouchers and cash payouts earlier this year, adding that he had not been able to contact any of the company’s four directors — including the one who...
King was at a loss to say how investors could have protected themselves. None of the references she checked before admitting Global Silver as a BBB member last January raised any red flags, she...
Ms. Warne said that even though Loblaw's stock is pricey, it has remained steady. The market is paying a premium for the solid and consistent performance of Loblaw, she said.
The Globe and...
While McDonald’s has told the rest of the country it wasn’t franchising in Iowa, the company franchised two more (stores) to Mr. O’Brien. The only restrictions I see on his business are the...
After the Franchise Act was passed, affording Iowa franchisees guarantees against encroachment and arbitrary contract cancellations, major franchise organizations threatened to bring all...
According to retail observers, consumers are exhibiting an increasingly short fuse. Whereas a frustrated shopper may once have put items back on the shelf and left the store, these days shopping...
…many franchisees did not want to accept the rescue package as it could not guarantee pre-arranged minimum weekly incomes, and prevented any franchisees suing the company for lost earnings.
The...
"I think there's a little bit of a disconnect in a way that is actually a connection," he said. "It's like: 'Why would they call that Bluecanoe? Let me go check that out. I want to experience what...
Canadians can ignore "the sky is falling" pronouncements about shortages in our pharmaceutical supply — because at the end of the day, money talks. And multinational drug companies are still...
"It is an abomination that at this late date there is a sector where good faith and fair dealing should not apply and where it is even debated as to whether it should," Sagar stated.
Nation's...
"If any promise is made, you should have it in writing, and if you put it in writing and it isn't included in a franchise agreement, you should assume you are dealing with a liar and a scoundrel,"...
Once you're in the clown clan, there is no opting out if it has been a bad fiscal year. "I tell people when they start, the only way out of this is you've got to be transferred or die. When you are...
Who is squeezing the produce at Sobeys? The grocer's stock, which sold off a little yesterday, seemed to be attracting a lot of attention last week.
The Globe and Mail
Novermber 27, 2001
Is some...
It's the same man who led the original company to grow — according to a new marketing prospectus — to more than $120 million in annual sales and raised $13 million in an IPO. At one time,...
A Competition Commission investigation established that Italtile compelled franchisees to charge prices set centrally and that any deviations in price required prior head-office...
Green Acres, which was rocked by revelations of alleged fraud by a master franchisee last year, has installed a new IT system, giving senior managers improved business information…introducing the...
“Many franchisors advertise that franchising is the safest business to get into, safer than an independent business,” Sotos said. “But at least one recent study has shown just the opposite:...
…the ACCC and "other interested parties". Given that the first-mentioned of the above have had Emerson's ear in the 11 months since the joint parliamentary committee reported, one can easily...
According to the United Federation of Workers (CUT) in Colombia, last year at least 129 union activists were murdered. By one count, so far this year more than sixty have been assassinated…...
Groups advocating for franchisees (purchasers of franchised businesses are characterized as small-business owners) say the legislation is long overdue, but probably does not go far enough to...
Many immigrants looking to secure a place and a future for themselves and their families bet their life savings and lose or become indentured. In too many cases, investments are made with all due...
“Franchisors that move toward a collaborative decision making system, a so-called partnership of equals, can be successful in the future,” says Selden, “while those older, vertical,...
Rosenfeld told him it was "20 times safer to be a lawyer involved in this activity," because of the country's lax rules and regulations, Majcher testified. Chambers separately told him it was "one...
The company also announced plans to refranchise 150 corporate locations to help pay down debt and finance growth.
Nation's Restaurant News
June 1, 2009
Jamba inks $35M stock deal
Lisa...
Speculation is growing that Jean Coutu Group Inc. is preparing to link up with a partner in a joint bid for U.S. drugstore giant Eckerd Corp.
The Globe and Mail
October 3, 2003
Jean Coutu deal...
The 13-year prison sentence given to the Louisiana Democrat is the longest ever handed down to a former Member of Congress. Before handing down the sentence, U.S. District Judge T.S. Ellis said:...
A major spread in the Globe and Mail dissected the checkered career of Jeff Givens, the former owner of the Just Desserts restaurant, scene of the gruesome murder of Vivi Leimonis in Toronto some...
The little guy doesn't have pockets deep enough to take them on. Not only do you have a bad relationship as you go down the road, but you're going to have to take a pot of money along with you to...
…because our contract is fair and it is reviewed on a five-year program with the corporation to ensure that the viability of both the franchisor and franchisee, it’s just a very fair program...
When they started practicing law, the Internet was only in its infancy. But this past year, Minneapolis attorneys J. Michael Dady and J. Michael Garner won a landmark Internet battle involving the...
"It's make it or break it right now, but with a lot of hard work, we can be successful," Mrs. Winterhalter said, after explaining that her husband's severance check is being used to fund the...
"I have assessed the current trading position of outlets run by Restaurant Management Services Ltd and it is with regret that I have concluded that there is no option other than to close five of...
In short, Mr. Chairman, a growing number of American business people must routinely sign away their basic rights and legal remedies as citizens and as business owners in order to purchase a...
The Globe and Mail
May 6, 2006
John Kenneth Galbraith, 1908-2006
POETIC JUSTICE
John Allemang
He knew the numbers always lied:
They left out money's moral side,
The greater good that wealth can...
"Let there be a coalition of the concerned," he urged. "The affluent would still be affluent, the comfortable still comfortable, but the poor would be part of the political system."
The New York...
MR TONY MARTIN: I suggest to you that the bill we have in front of us continues a regime where it's all take on the part of the franchisor and all give on the part of the franchisee. If at this...
Although regular data are not collected by any government in this area, industry estimates suggest franchises in Ontario account for an estimated $45 billion to $50 billion in annual sales. That's...
MARTIN: Would it be better to have no legislation than to put a piece of legislation in that gives people a false sense of security, given some of the statistics? SOTOS: That obviously is a...
…'many cases' of companies selling franchises without providing investors with suitable disclosure documents."" That's under legislation that is similar to the legislation you are asking us to...
"I sold out my sweetheart…Given another chance, I'd never do that again." In 1995, he sold the entire $600-million operation to Wendy's, becoming the largest shareholder of the U.S. fast-food...
The judge called the company's actions ''a charade driven not by Quiznos' genuine concern about whether its franchisees were making sandwiches to spec, but rather its overriding public relations...
Echlin faulted the bank for its failure to exercise "greater due diligence" in the face of numerous "red flags," including the fact that $30,000 was paid to mortgage brokers for a "standard...
When Charles discovered a muffin in his takeout bag instead of the apple fritter he had ordered, he stormed back to the window and tossed the muffin at the employee, striking her in the chest, said...
For the moment, Tupperware Canada Inc. has put a lid on Internet-based criticism of how it deals with its sales force…Tupperware sought an injunction against CAFO and its president, Les Stewart,...
They showed Holoday conducted unauthorized trades, issued phony reports to clients, covered their losses, borrowed from them and lied to brokerage officials about his actions - all contrary to...
Some former franchisees, including other clients of Sidlofsky, are trying to collect large court judgements from Solhi and his companies…the appointment of an inspector is a relatively drastic...
The judge said Mr. Yemec's staff engaged in high-pressure sales tactics, particularly with seniors. He also said there is compelling evidence he sold tickets in states where such sales are not...
…a federal judge ruled during the ongoing trial between Quiznos and over three dozen franchise owners that Quiznos had abused the discovery process. It was found that the attorneys representing...
"The middle class has been abandoned by the legal profession." The number of new civil cases filed in the court dropped 54 per cent between 1990 and 2005, he said, while the number of people...
"The middle class, probably even the upper middle class, have been abandoned by the legal profession," she said. Judge Koenigsberg said that because of the high fees, between 10 and 20 per cent of...
…Joseph King, an Edmonton-based eye doctor who, along with Mockovak, founded the Clearly Lasik franchise, which has outlets in Washington, Oregon, Alberta and British Columbia. According to court...
An attorney for Batie, Grant Walsh, told the Morning News that the first ruling, which acknowledged a violation of the U.S. Servicemembers Civil Relief Act, means the case can move on to the...
…it appears [Mr. O'Reilly] merely continued a policy of paying his income tax on a minimal and infrequent basis. Apparently in his program, the taxman came last,"" Judge Farley said.
The Globe...
Stuart Ariff associate Chris Horn said it was hoped a deal could be struck with franchisees, landlords and all creditors to keep the company from collapsing.
The Courier-Mail
June 22, 2005
Juice...
"We felt Exxon thought they were going to get away with this," jury foreman Joe King, a teacher, said yesterday. "We wanted to send a message that they were not, and that this corporation can't get...
A federal jury awarded more than $3 million to eight Massachusetts gas station operators after finding Shell Oil Co. used unfair tactics that were effectively intended to drive them out of...
In the last decade, Ontario has witnessed an escalation in sensational franchise battles, coupled with a costly explosion in franchisee-franchisor litigation – estimated to be as high as 5,000...
So Ontario finally got around to enacting that franchise law we’ve been talking about for …how long? That’s right, almost 30 years.
Franchise Times
January 2001
Just across the border
Philip...
Grant was 35 when he was gunned down in the bus terminus on Darling St. in the tough west end of Jamaica's capital. He was shot several times by two men who walked up to him in the very busy area,...
Ms. Leimonis was shot during a bungled robbery as she chatted with a friend in a trendy Just Desserts café in downtown Toronto.
The Globe and Mail
November 3, 2006
Just Desserts killer abruptly...
Lawyers hold a jealously guarded monopoly on the provision of legal services, controlling entry, education, discipline and regulation. Against this basic fact, claims about the equity of market...
"They're using their agreement to legally defend "unethical" and "bad business"" practices on its franchisees - that's the best argument yet showing the need for the standards of conduct contained...
Mr. Giancamilli's first challenge will be to supervise the restructuring of Snyders Drug Stores Inc., a subsidiary in the United States which filed for court protection from creditors in...
"The difference between the Keg and a lot of other chains is that the others try to be all things to all people — they try to do nachos and pizza but they don't do any of them well, while the Keg...
This legislation allows franchisees to associate with each other and exchange information. It's really funny: around 1991 a group of four IGA dealers attempted to form an association. Within two to...
The ability of franchisors to use contracts with franchisees to shield behavior that would be deemed abusive or illegal in all other business relationships was a constant theme in the five years of...
Like KFC's, Quiznos' promotion was created at corporate headquarters, while local franchisees were expected to honor the coupons at their own cost…When national franchisors put on promotions like...
Yum Brands Inc.'s KFC unit promised on Thursday not to make unsupported health claims as part of a settlement with U.S. regulators over ads touting fried chicken as a good choice for...
Restaurant Brands's key Kentucky Fried Chicken chain dished up another spoilt serving today in the form of a sales slump. The profit warning, the second in three months, sent the company's shares...
“This strategy is trying to take advantage of a void in Australian law that allows this kind of behaviour, which ironically is outlawed in many parts of the US,” Mr Cowin said. “If a...
Natalie Brown, a spokesperson for KFC Canada, declined to comment on the lawsuit or the type of the frying oil used in Canada. "It's a U.S.-only issue at this time,"…
The Toronto Star
June 14,...
"We are in debt with no income from this and it's just basically soul destroying. They might have been successful at selling their concepts, but not successful at fulfilling their obligations as...
Requesting that the doctor remain jailed Friday, Storey argued that the multi-millionaire is a demonstrated danger to others. "During the investigation of this case, (he) has demonstrated to...
The franchisees say they don't want to sue the company, but a civil suit is the only mechanism available to them. The franchising law doesn't provide any mechanism to settle disputes.
The...
Act MP Rodney Hide said the refusal by the three Hawkes Bay Books & More stores to host a branch showed how anaemic Kiwibank's launch would be. There had been ""huge slippage"" in Kiwibank's...
"Kiwibank can't stand on its own two feet. Jim Anderton has already robbed the taxpayer of $80 million to set it up and, in order to make it pay, is robbing the franchise holders."
Stuff Business...
Now the group says it does not want to be a part of the deal. The chain of 34 NZ Post franchises stretches from Whangarei to Timaru, making up 10% of Kiwibank's proposed outlets…Act MP Rodney...
The Business Herald understands that disgruntled franchisees are also unhappy about being kept out of the loop in negotiations between Kiwibank and the NZ Post Franchise Association, which they do...
The franchise revolt has appeared to endanger one of the bank's biggest selling points - lots of branches nationwide. NZ Post wants a Kiwibank at every post outlet nationwide, but of the 300 post...
Secured creditors such as Westpac are owed about $28 million, while customers' deposits come to around $27 million with trade customers and suppliers owed $16 million. Administrators confirmed...
"[The Australian Securities and Investments Commission] are investigating the situation and if there's any evidence that this company was trading insolvently than the directors should feel the full...
Kleenmaid's cash-flow problems stretched back at least two years, with the group having a net asset deficiency of $20 million in June 2007, according to a report by the liquidators. Directors...
…he bought the franchise in November last year, and became suspicious about the financial health of the group in December. "I'm probably down $270,000 plus expenses," he said. "I've heard nothing...
"They have continued to trade for some time notwithstanding this deficiency … continuing to make sales and taking customer deposits, and indeed the full payment from many customers as well, right...
So while the "public" face of Kleenmaid showed $567,000 in assets, the "private" side, Orchard KM, contained $82 million in debts. In late 2007, the financial waters were muddied by a complicated...
In the past two months, Deloitte has placed caveats banning the sale of two properties linked to Andrew Young. The landlord of the company headquarters in Maroochydore has also commenced legal...
"Once the owner was in trouble, the franchisees were tied to the destiny of the franchisor," he said. Franchisees had no capacity to do their own thing.
http://smallbusiness.smh.com.au
June 13,...
A group franchisees of embattled jewellery chain Kleins is set to join with an unnamed company to make a bid for the company, which was placed in administration earlier this month with $20 million...
"Rather than engage in discussion of the issues I raised, instead of talking about obesity or the treatment of animals or aggressive marketing to the poor, they attempted to besmirch my reputation....
The tools of knowledge management include databases, document management systems and indexing tools that organize and cross-reference material by subject, practice area and other criteria to make...
…franchise relationships too often sour and end in lawsuits, says Mr. Stewart. He wants an independent national agency that would monitor and enforce franchise law.
The Ottawa Citizen
October 19,...
The Kraft Group, owners of the National Football League's three-time Super Bowl Champion New England Patriots and Major League Soccer's New England Revolution, is investing in New Orleans-based...
But there are pitfalls in the franchise model, and Krispy Kreme — through a combination of ambition, greed, and inexperience — managed to stumble into most of them.
http://www.cfo.com
June 1,...
Krispy Kreme improperly accounted for its incentive compensation plan for senior executive officers and for three transactions related to the acquisition of company franchises in order to...
Last month, it disclosed that the Securities and Exchange Commission had launched an informal inquiry into the way it has accounted for franchise buybacks, along with the circumstances surrounding...
"That would be a factor that would be considered to decrease the value of certain of these franchise rights," he said. "Krispy Kreme is making the case that they don't believe their franchise...
Krispy Kreme's shares, which have sunk 76 per cent in the past year…has blamed the low-carb diet trend for much of its problems…The SEC probe of the company is focusing two aspects of Krispy...
The company, which has lost more than 80 per cent of its market value since last year…The company said its outside auditor will not be able to sign off on its second- and third-quarter financials...
But like Loewen, Krispy Kreme is a stock market phenomenon that can't last, no matter how good the company's products are or how big it's capable of growing. Like all great growth stocks, the story...
He blamed Krispy Kreme for pressuring the franchise to expand too quickly, for overcharging it on supplies and equipment and for failing to promote the brand, even though Sweet Traditions has paid...
"In addition to the possibility of an earnings restatement, we believe many fundamental problems persist, exclusive of any 'low-carb' impact,”…Some of those franchisees have included Krispy...
Krispy Kreme Doughnut Corp.'s largest franchise has sued the company, claiming executives misappropriated marketing money and lied to the franchisees about how much they would be charged.
The...
Krispy Kreme Doughnuts Inc., the one-time stock market and media darling that has been troubled by regulatory and financial problems for much of the past year, said yesterday it has obtained...
What's more, it said it has guaranteed $52.3-million in loans to its franchisees but warned that if it is forced to honour those guarantees, it may not have enough cash on hand to continue...
Shares of Krispy Kreme fell 10 per cent on the news….Shares plummeted, stores closed, shareholders sued and executives confirmed that Krispy Kreme is the subject of an "informal, non-public...
Krispy Kreme's business has been hit by rising costs, declining sales, a U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission investigation, and a share price that's plunged more than 70 per cent this...
Mr. Livengood is confident that the formula will work — even in Canada, a country that has more doughnut shops per capita than anywhere in the world. He has committed to building 31 more outlets...
The lawsuit filed Sept. 29 in Los Angeles County Superior Court accuses Krispy Kreme and its executives of making false representations to persuade franchise owners to personally guarantee the...
South Australian MP Tony Piccolo raises possibilty of introducing Franchise legislation on a state level and laments the lack of federal action on a report recommending changes to the franchising...
"We are not trying to politicise anything, Husaini is also one of the victims and he has been elected as chairman," Mr Trevidi said. "What we need is a strong voice in the Government and in...
Sotos, one of a handful of Ontario lawyers who specializes in franchise disputes, says he sees the legacy of “broken relationships, ruined lives and alienated children,” in his office...
Shakey's reached a peak of about 500 restaurants in the 1970s, but has since dwindled to just 73 in the United States, according to the complaint.
Los Angeles Times
March 30, 2001
L.A. Franchisee...
Untrammelled by references to the world of private transaction, this renewed vision of civic responsibility, duty, quiet efficiency and loyalty would be grounded in a simple acknowledgement of the...
Closing franchise outlets can be an expensive and difficult proposition, but keeping them open can also be financially onerous. Country Style had 10- to 15-year contracts with more than 100...
…Mr Lapham had told him in a telephone call that he had met his lawyer and was prepared to tell his side of his story to the SFO. "Keith said he was ready to talk and he will be speaking with his...
At least four Lapham accomplices ran the bogus operation out of his Mt Albert home, with all of them aware the ironing franchisees were being duped, Mr Joyce says…The Serious Fraud Office is...
I left the ivory tower as executive vice president of Shakey's and from 1978 to 1984 I lived in Burbank, California, where I owned and operated four Shakey's Pizza restaurants in the Los Angeles...
"With this type of personality, they get very, very close and personal to their intended targets or their victims and it's that actual attack on their own self-confidence that really makes it a...
According to people involved in the negotiations, there are more than two dozen core U.S. and Canadian law firms with hundreds of lawyers working for General Motors, Chrysler, Fiat, Washington,...
Over the years, Mr. Wolas is alleged to have assumed three different identities, including that of an old school chum and a Washington librarian, to bilk millions of dollars out of a wide range of...
Franchising has made it possible for millions of people to achieve their ""American Dream.""…Do we need further regulation or legislation to change it?…I think not.
U.S.A. House of...
"When they (law society staff) want to bury something, they really bury something," said one bencher, speaking on condition of anonymity. "They're the experts."
The Toronto Star
July 17, 2004
Law...
But University of Auckland Business School senior lecturer Gehan Gunasekara said existing law did little to protect or provide remedy for deceived franchisees, and not all franchises were members...
The suggestion that police officers are beholden to the store management because of a predilection for doughnuts or because patrol officers accept free coffee is part of a lawsuit against the...
The plaintiffs, all former friends and associates of Heavin, alleged they quit their jobs, mortgaged homes, maxed out credit cards and slept in their cars to help Heavin launch Curves in the early...
An entrepreneur forced from his Des Moines business by unpaid debts now faces a federal racketeering lawsuit — as does the West Des Moines bank accused of helping him and others misspend as much...
Suddenly, on the third day, two police officers arrived. They stood by as Grand & Toy managers told the franchisees that their contracts were being terminated and their stores taken away,...
Biller, a managing counsel for Toyota Motor Sales, USA, Inc., in Torrance, Calif., from 2003 to 2007, claimed in his lawsuit that he repeatedly complained to supervisors that the company was...
Madam Justice Patricia German acquitted lawyer Tom Baker of six criminal counts in a resounding judgment that described Baker as an honest man who was duped by a con artist.
The Toronto Star
May 2,...
Krispy Kreme, based in Winston-Salem, said the potential adjustments relate primarily to accounting for buying back franchises in Michigan and northern California. Krispy Kreme is under a formal...
Rosenfeld has declared bankruptcy and last summer the Ontario Court of Appeal rejected his attempt to be discharged, saying he had not been fully forthcoming about his assets.
The Toronto...
O'Reilly, who's a Queen's Counsel and has practised bankruptcy law since 1963, has had his own financial problems. He declared personal bankruptcy twice.
The Toronto Star
February 9, 2006
Lawyer...
…Barrie-area lawyer is accused of fraudulently mortgaging the home of one of his employees to the tune of $160,000. Myles McLellan, 51, of Innisfil is facing eight criminal charges including...
…Shoniker's now infamous remarks about being "untouchable" and boasting to the undercover agent that there wasn't a ""f -ing judge"" in this city who would approve a wiretap on his phone.
The...
In the recordings, Mr. Rosenfeld boasted that he had been "cleaning money" for more than a decade and said he had been operating offshore bank accounts for 24 years. He also talked about lying...
Chief Justice Scott said the problem is especially acute in the family-law field, where he described legal aid as being ""practically non-existent."" Approximately one of every four family cases...
“I’m sure it happens more often than not that lawyers are charging out at senior rates and having juniors do the work; it shouldn’t be done. Lawyers accounts are horribly inflated, and...
The three-week trial focused on the increasing role of lawyers as facilitators in money laundering.
The Toronto Star
March 31, 2005
Lawyer sentenced to three years
Judge also imposes $43,230 fine...
But the most alarming proposal: A carte blanche authority by the Competition Bureau to examine an industry and interrogate businesses, even in the absence of evidence that would suggest abusive...
"We are seeing, in almost every case we are doing, there's a willful blindness or negligence on the part of a number of lawyers that have participated with the stock promoters."
The Globe and...
Solhi and Bagherzadeh have moved on to new ventures without paying the damages or costs awarded to the Jans.
The Toronto Star
September 12, 2006
Lawyer vindicated in cost award case
Chidley-Hill...
The plaintiffs in the class-action lawsuit have found it considerably more lucrative to go after Enron's roster of bankers and financial advisers, including the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce...
LCBO agency stores will not be located in urban areas or in communities where the local municipality is opposed to the establishment of an LCBO agency store.
LCBO Website
February 27, 2002
LCBO...
…Minister Norm Sterling unveiled 17 proposed communities to host new “LCBO agency stores
News Release
January 17, 2002
LCBO ""Agency Stores"" in Central Ontario
Ministry of Consumer and...
…Minister Norm Sterling unveiled 35 proposed communities to host new “LCBO agency stores”.
News Release
February 15, 2002
LCBO ""agency stores"" in Niagara Region and Western Ontario
Ministry...
…Norm Sterling unveiled 12 proposed communities to host new “LCBO agency stores.
News Release
January 31, 2002
LCBO ""agency stores"" in Northern Ontario
Ministry of Consumer and Business...
The dispute was over a letter the provincially owned liquor board sent earlier this month to all of its small-town alcohol retailers, or agency stores. Signed by Gar Sherwood, a LCBO senior...
The new system will also give the LCBO a new — and wholly undeserved — green reputation. Some of the flaws in the new scheme arise because the monopoly has for years resisted anything that...
…in the past six years, the LCBO has spent more than $300-million of taxpayer money to give its stores the Armani treatment.
National Post
April 27, 2004
LCBO profit a façade
On one level,...
A group of 10 small housewares retailers, which go by the name Pro Kitchens, has complained to the federal Competition Bureau, saying that the LCBO is abusing its monopoly position and stealing...
The Ontario government's biggest cash cow got a little fatter last year as the LCBO reported record profits for the seventh straight year…The government announced in September that it would sell...
Selling the LCBO would be a mistake just as it was to sell off Highway 407 for a one-time cash infusion, Conservative leadership candidate Chris Stockwell said during last night's television...
http://lesstewart.wordpress.com
August 27, 2008
lebensunwertes Leben: A Life Unworthy of Life
Les Stewart
Medical doctors understand the way a human body functions. The Hippocratic Oath compels...
"Sadly, this pattern of laxity, secrecy and delay is nationwide. According to the most recent American Bar Association statistics, more than 93% of attorney discipline cases lead to no punishment,...
The Canadian Franchise Association’s position is that legislation is not needed in Ontario, says Patricia Phelan, CFA chairwoman. But if legislation goes ahead, CFA wants to vet it.
National...
Critics, including NDP leader Howard Hampton and Les Stewart, who speaks for a small minority of disgruntled franchisees, are wrong to claim it won’t help clean up the mess in the franchise...
It would strengthen "know your client" standards, extend Fintrac's reach to money service businesses that wire money or issue travellers' cheques, increase requirements for compliance, monitoring...
Manitoba Finance Minister Greg Selinger is not trying to drive payday lenders out of existence in his province, just regulate the practice. "We want to ensure that borrowers are protected against...
Gerurdas Gerrit Heijne, 44, who lived in the apartment with Mr Cianciosi, on Saturday appeared in the East Perth Magistrates Court charged with murder…The two men were the co-founders of the...
Many of Richtree's restaurants have been moneymakers, but the company has made some mis-steps over the years. In particular, Richtree was embroiled in a bitter franchisee dispute with Mövenpick...
Mr. Le Pan has offered no reasons publicly for his departure, which comes five years into his seven-year term of office, but he is expected to make a statement today.
The Globe and Mail
July 14,...
Once you've signed the agreement you have entered into a hidden world, a world that is certainly never disclosed to you…I believe we have an industry that is sadly in need of a new image, and the...
Nutrilawn did not renew Stewart’s franchise in 1997…Nutrilawn sued Stewart for breach of contract. Stewart claimed Nutrilawn did not renew his contract because he had become a franchisee...
Let us be totally candid. Your client is well aware that her future as a Great Canadian Bagel Franchisee is in serious jeopardy. Accordingly, her motives for calling this meeting at this point in...
Mark, in my opinion, your claims are frivolous and do not support your refusal to make payments to our company. We have forwarded your letter to our legal counsel for his direction.
Letter...
The corporate franchise world has realized that in Ontario it’s open season. There is nothing to protect the hard working people who buy their own franchise to support themselves and their...
As you know, Country Style is in the process of seeking court direction to send police in to forcibly close these stores, some of which are in my riding, and lockout the franchisees.
Tony Martin,...
Thank you so much, on behalf of the 40,000 franchisees in the province of Ontario, for your tireless effort and unwavering commitment to having franchise legislation enacted in this...
I also demand that you immediately provide me with a list of those persons to whom you have circulated such false and defamatory statements; immediately retract those statements and apologize to me...
I am sorry that I could not provide more assistance with this matter but I urge you to keep me updated on the progress of your efforts on behalf of my constituents affected by these closures. Thank...
Since the corporate stores have no involvement with the lawsuit, we consider your communication with them as interference with business. Please desist immediately. If you fail to do so, we will...
To the extent that you also intend to approach any of Grand & Toy’s customers concerning the subject matter of the litigation, you should be advised that Grand & Toy will, if necessary,...
Please accept this letter as a complaint against your member, the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce, CIBC. It has breached the following provisions of the Canadian Franchise Association's (CFA)...
It is my experience, that the financial and personal risks associated with franchising are seriously understated in the June article, “Lawn & Landscape Takes a Look at...
I hope McDonald's smartens up and realizes that it can't control every issue that is tossed its way. McDonald's: Listen to these people, they are likely your regular customers. Live by your motto...
Later that afternoon, when called by a reporter again, Mr. Arsenault referred comment to Ms. Jameson. "I’d like to talk, I don’t have anything to hide, but I can’t," he said. "We have been...
Ms. Tripp claimed officials leaked the arrest in retaliation for her key role in the impeachment proceedings against Mr. Clinton. Stephen Kohn, one of three lawyers who represented Ms. Tripp, would...
You've basically laid out a new twist on "blame the franchisee." The franchisees somehow, in your view, in some instances - and perhaps it is true - don't disclose everything. They say they've got...
"He's desperate for revenue," said Jim Flaherty, a former Tory cabinet minister who advocates LCBO privatization. "This is privatization by stealth," added Marilyn Churley, a former New Democrat...
Since taking over the Grand & Toy store downtown more than seven years ago, franchisee Bruce Erler earned a reputation for stellar customer service, won numerous corporate awards and held his...
“I wouldn’t touch a franchise in Ontario again,” he said, adding there’s nothing to protect the licencee. “What the law really needs is something to force the franchisee or to mediate...
…the manufacturers used a marketing strategy that promoted light cigarettes as a lower-risk alternative to regular cigarettes, even though their own internal documents indicated they knew the...
“There wasn’t another Cold Stone in Providence, so we got most of the area’s business.” Gedutis said when the downtown Cold Stone opened, she saw revenue drop. “I am bitter toward...
Gil Gutknecht, a leader of the group and proponent of legalizing drug imports from Canada, said in an interview this week the ultimate solution to high drug prices in the United States is creating...
Bonnie Notermann, a Shakopee resident who has owned the restaurant with her husband Bert since 1977, said she couldn't disclose the terms of the settlement. "It's a mutually beneficial resolution,"...
…she also could not go into details, other than to say that Lion's Tap — which has a single location on Flying Cloud Drive in Eden Prairie — is keeping the slogan and that it is not lending...
In a letter sent this week to the LCBO's senior legal counsel, the group's lawyer argues that the mandate of the LCBO, as set out in the Liquor Control Act, is to monitor the sale of booze, not be...
…is the second time Little Caesars has closed the units…In December of 1999, the company announced plans to open 400 restaurants in Japan and operate as Little Caesars...
Rooyakker doesn't say he uses copycat ingredients, but told The Detroit News for a Sunday story that the Little Caesar spices he is required to buy are overvalued. Little Caesar has revoked...
Sometimes I'm right, sometimes I'm wrong. But I don't have trouble making decisions. The best, obviously, was entering the french fry and frozen food business. Second best was getting involved with...
…is seen by some as a unique way of side-stepping usury laws. The Criminal Code sets the limit at 60 per cent per annum interest on loans, but legitimate insurance fees are not included. When...
The ""Etc."" in a downtown Boston Mailboxes Etc. store stood for shipping, packing services and, according to state banking officials, loan-sharking.
APBnews.com
April 21, 2000
Loan-shark charge...
Loblaw Cos. Ltd., Canada's biggest supermarket operator, checked out of 2000 fiscal year with a 25 per cent increase in profit on a 7 per cent rise in sales.
The Toronto Star
February 23,...
Richard Currie was given a $10-million going-away present when he retired as president of Loblaw Cos. Ltd. At the end of last year, and has been promised $10-million more when he retires as...
Loblaw Cos. Ltd., the country's largest grocery chain, has quietly rolled out a President's Choice Web site selling gift baskets on-line — with an eye to expanding it into a major cyber gift...
"All the companies want to use Wal-Mart to set the lowest standards they can even where Wal-Mart isn't a problem," he said, noting Loblaw enjoys industry-leading profits and dominates up to half of...
…squeezing out additional growth is becoming a challenge…Even as the stock soars, Loblaw's profit growth is slowing.
The Globe and Mail
February 9, 2005
Loblaw looks to grow beyond food
With a...
Loblaw has already tried, and failed, to gain control of the three names, through the arbitration process set up by the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers.
The Globe and Mail
May...
Loblaw Cos. Ltd. today announced a major push into Canada's fast-growing Asian market with a $225 million offer to purchase the T&T Supermarket chain…In the quarter ended June 20, the company...
“We’re trying to level the playing field and put some basic protections in place for current and would-be franchisees. Then we can avoid some of the 5,000 court cases that take place every year...
“Provigo has used this type of legal intimidation in the past in Ontario and recently in Quebec and we will not stop our $200 million legal action against them.”…lawsuit accuses Loeb of...
…Sobey's corporate policies don't enable shop owners to buy locally, in part because they stipulate that only federally inspected meat can be sold. This rules out many small local suppliers,...
Provigo’s latest move was in response to a $200 million lawsuit filed by the 21 Loeb franchisees – including the Cairns, Williamson and Blind River Loeb operator Paul Monette – who are suing...
Two local operators – Larry Cairns and Mike Williamson – are among 21 franchisees who launched a $200 million lawsuit against Provigo Inc. and its Loeb Inc. division – and among 19 who face a...
Local Loeb store operators Larry Cairns and Mike Williamson are feeling a little like the biblical David hoping to fell a giant with a slingshot and a pebble…Cairns and Williamson also say that...
The company explains that given the attitude of the group of franchisees, it saw no other way to protect market share and the jobs in the stores in question…says the group intends to fight...
Staff were also urged to “consider the implication of their actions” and that encouraging customers to become involved would “hurt sales” and “any decrease in sales affects the future of...
…a limit on the number of products not offered on 7-Eleven's recommended list. Under the new agreement, 85 percent of inventory purchases (at cost) had to come from approved vendors, he...
The Ontario government should appoint a fact finder to see if need exists for more disclosure by franchisors in view of the controversy surrounding the Pizza Pizza chain, opposition critics say. A...
…young businesses started without the benefit of a parent franchisor generated higher profits and had lower failure rates…Buying a franchise from a previous owner is particularly risky for...
Yes, franchisors can profit from transfers. All too often, however, franchisees do not.
Franchise Times
August 1997
Looking deep into transfer cases
Author maintains franchisors can profit, don't...
“We’re going to be the Wal-Mart of the c-store industry,” he says. That prediction looks like it has a good chance of coming true.
Canadian Business Magazine
October 29, 2001
Look out, Mom...
"I don't see it as selling out," she said. "L'Oréal has displayed visionary leadership in wanting to be an authentic advocate and supporter of our values." But criticism of the deal came yesterday...
And now the wild waters awaken
Then boat and the boatman are gone.
And this is what with her singing,
The Lorelei has done.
Lorelei
Heinrich Heine
I wish I knew the meaning,
A sadness has fallen on...
“It’s one thing for the franchisor to say ‘I’m losing money on this store’ but if the franchisor is also the producer and the distributor, the mill that makes the sugar and maybe even the...
Last year, Mad Dogs engaged Realties Business Brokers to sell various pub franchises, including St Lukes, but Realties Business Brokers claimed that the commission due was never paid. Mad Dogs was...
The office found Ashby responsible for a total loss to creditors of at least $1.22 million.
The New Zealand Herald
October 3, 2005
Mad Dogs pubs founder banned until 2009
Anne Gibson
The deputy...
It seems the McDonald’s juggernaut – the very word derives from the Hindi term Jagganath, referring to the local deity Krishna – has met its match in India.
The Toronto Star
November 6,...
…U.S. surveys 30 to 40 percent of Americans with an identifiable legal problem say they do nothing to resolve it, compared with just 5 percent in Britain.
The Washington Post
March 12,...
Kezios said a survey of AFA franchisees showed 63% would not encourage others to buy a franchise. While entrepreneurs may buy a franchise to become master of their domain, they may instead find...
All these claims are considered racketeering under Georgia’s Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) statute. The lawsuit says Raving Brands received undisclosed kickbacks from...
He says in the statement that he feels he was wrongly put under scrutiny and followed by a security guard in a crowded liquor store at Bay and Dundas Streets because he and a friend he was with are...
"The notion that management has its own set of priorities including among other things compensation for itself" has only recently come to the surface, Galbraith said. This compensation often...
Here's the math: Amy earned five bucks on the sale of a hundred bucks worth of stamps, and 12 per cent on the price of parcels although, if customers paid for their shipping over the Internet, all...
Police later arrested Woody Duclos, a Burger King employee, on charges of poisoning food with intent to kill or injure a person. They also charged his co-worker Bryant Jones after they said he...
…the city took an "unenthusiastic view of drive-ins" in setting the rules. Restrictions were needed to prevent them from blossoming everywhere, Carlson said: "Out where I live on the edge of...
After taking the money, the man would simply vanish, often leaving his victims feeling too embarrassed to report the theft, police say.
The Globe and Mail
March 9, 2006
Man posed as Trump friend,...
That growth may have been simply too ambitious, and now there's quiet speculation that some chains may not survive the economic downturn. "We don't think this trend is sustainable," Hottovy said of...
Maple Leaf Foods (MFI: TSX) today announced the appointment of Stephen Graham to the new position of Chief Marketing Officer …"I am very pleased that Stephen has agreed to join Maple Leaf in this...
A high-level Maple Leaf Foods executive has been caught on camera joking about last year's listeriosis outbreak that killed 22 people… "We have a deep commitment to becoming a global leader in...
Huffman said there was never any reason to be worried about the safety of the food produced at the plant…The plant reopened on Sept. 18, 2008, but during a checkup less than a month later,...
Going back to the comment that nothing is forever, if you're someone who saved a bit from your paycheque for years and you invest in this business and you open it up, and because of the scheme set...
“When the Minister says franchisees are able to sue for damages, we all know what that means. Hard working men and women, who have mortgaged their homes and invested their life savings into their...
Bountrogianni stated, “that although the government is aware that the majority of franchise problems occur after signing the contract, this government deliberately chose to disregard advice to...
…as the Commerce Commission and Serious Fraud Office both announced investigations into Blue Chip, Bryers and Bangerter were huddled at Blue Chip's Queen St headquarters. At the same time, boxes...
…Have you read Bill 33? Mr Connolly: No, I haven't read it. I was just told about the hearings.
Legislative Assembly of Ontario
March 8, 2000
Public Hearing Testimony
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Mr....
The flavours may be frosty over at CoolBrands International Inc., but the recent market action surrounding this frozen dessert maker has been hot enough to melt several truckloads worth of its...
Under the reorganization plan announced yesterday, the Calgary company will convert 144 Work World stores and eight Docker stores to Mark's Work Wearhouse outlets. The revamped stores will carry...
A meeting of several dozen franchisees held in February expressed dissatisfaction with the supply arrangements for their ingredients and other goods…TPF set up its own supply and distribution...
…is suing Wendy's after an employee admitted to putting pubic hair on the deputy's cheeseburger…The lawsuit sites negligence on Wendy's part for not providing reasonable care to protect patrons...
“Withdrawing the court application to send in the police, would be a very good place to start.”
News Release
December 19, 2001
Martel supports Canadian Style Plan for Country Style...
“The ball is now in the court of the government and Country Style Donuts. The next move is up to them,” Martin said. “Withdrawing the court application to send the police in would be a very...
I'm tabling a request to the ministry, through the committee, to explore the relationship between the Canadian Franchise Association and legal counsel to franchisors in legal conflict with their...
The system that prohibits franchisees from shopping around for better deals has been in place for decades in the industry…"The oil companies are too powerful," Fiore said. "It's an issue of big...
…McLuhan was a poet-visionary" in the manner of William Blake, "and, like all such visionaries, often derided." Indeed, the apparent outrageousness of some of his observations "tempted his...
"…argued that Shell's goal was to drive independent operators out of business as part of a corporate strategy by the world's third-largest oil company to boost profits by increasing the number of...
Schmeling used the money from the bouts to buy the licence to the Coca-Cola franchise in Germany and grew wealthy in the post-war era.
The Globe and Mail
February 5, 2005
Max Schmeling,...
“Being part of UPS gives us a tremendous growth potential,” he said.
Franchise Times
April 1, 2001
MBE franchisees excited about what UPS can deliver
Julie Bennett
After she learned about the...
“Most of us have put our life savings into our business,” Boyd said. “We just want this to work.”
Franchise Times
August 1, 2000
MBE redesign sparks association formation
The new MBE 2000...
On April 27 this year, the Appeals Court overturned the High Court's decision and allowed Suppiah to re-attach “Mc” to the name of his eatery. The David and Goliath battle finally ended on Sept...
In the eight-year legal battle, the Federal Court unanimously dismissed McDonald’s appeal against the Court of Appeal’s findings over McCurry’s usage of “Mc”, on the grounds that the...
He also added that as a majority shareholder in BNR, McDonald's should shoulder the responsibility for the mismanagement. "They appointed all the key people in the management, this is their...
The world's Number 1 restaurant chain wound up with 15 per cent lower earnings for 2001, which chairman and CEO Jack Greenberg called the most challenging year in the company's history.
The Toronto...
"By putting the franchisee profits first and creating that better food for the ultimate end customer, they made money for the franchisees … whereas before [franchisees] were angry they were...
Richard Ellis, vice-president of McDonald’s Restaurants of Canada, conceded in committee testimony that the company had failed to achieve its targets. New Democrat MP Pat Martin accused the...
After a long battle, McDonald's Canada has abandoned its highly contested plans to open a drive-through at its franchise there…"The rallying cry for the neighbourhood was to build a live-in...
The Daily Telegraph can reveal the McDonald's overhaul comes amid police warnings retailers must be more vigilant in maintaining EFTPOS security. Criminals snatched EFTPOS devices at McDonald's...
“Standard & Poor’s does not believe that McDonald’s will be able to regain its former stature for the foreseeable future,” analyst Gerald Hirschberg wrote in a research note.
National...
Cantalupo also wrote that "more than 1,000 of the men and women who own and operate McDonald's restaurants today got their start by serving customers behind the counter."…"McJOBS is trademarked...
McDonald's Corp., based in Oak Brook, Ill., issued a profit warning last summer, saying it could not hit analysts earnings targets. The company, whose share price has dropped 21% in the past year,...
A transgender teenager in the United States says a McDonald's restaurant in Florida discriminated against her when managers refused to interview her for a job, according to a complaint filed...
In response to overwhelming neighbourhood opposition to a plan to add a drive-through to a McDonald's at St. Clair Ave. W. and Christie St., Toronto City Council has passed an interim control bylaw...
Restaurant staff turnover of roughly 130 per cent and manager turnover of about 42 per cent has also made matters difficult for the industry's image.
The New Zealand Herald
June 30, 2005
McDonald's...
"Late Monday evening the A.L.F. Press Office received an unsigned statement from activists who are claiming responsibility for the half-million dollar fire that destroyed a Tucson-area McDonald's...
The restaurant operators say these methods are part of a broad campaign by McDonald's in Germany, one of the company's biggest markets, to reclaim stores held by franchisees and to slow unit growth...
A woman who claimed she was permanently scarred by a hot pickle from a McDonald’s hamburger has settled her lawsuit against the chain.
The Toronto Star
April 14, 2001
McDonald’s gets out of a...
"Sales in certain European countries were tempered by the decline in consumer confidence regarding the safety of the European beef supply," Jack Greenberg, McDonald's chairman and chief executive,...
McDonald's Corp. has been in talks to settle a lawsuit filed against the marketing firm whose employees allegedly hatched a scam involving the fast food giant's promotional games, an attorney said...
U.S. fast food giant McDonald's Corp (NYSE:MCD - news) said on Wednesday its Japanese unit would become its first global subsidiary to go public, listing on either Nasdaq Japan or the country's...
U.S. comparable store sales climbed 8.8 per cent in August, the fifth consecutive monthly increase, giving the company the confidence two weeks ago to announce a 70-per-cent increase in its...
If ever there was a sign of the moral bankruptcy of Silvio Berlusconi's government, it is the sight of a McDonald's apron wrapped around the svelte frame of the Minister of Agriculture, Luca Zaia...
Muntzel said he spent more than $300,000 to retool the kitchens at three of his stores. "I spent a lot of money and haven't benefited at all."
The Los Angeles Times
December 15, 2001
McDonald’s...
Fast food giant McDonald's is hoping to offer PhDs after receiving approval to award its own nationally recognized qualifications in Britain.
http://www.bartlesvillelive.com
May 11, 2009
McDonald's...
The company said in November that the two closures did not signal a rash of future terminations.
www.stuff.co.nz
May 24, 2004
McDonalds loses another link in its chain
Errol Kiong
A third...
El Salvador's Supreme Court has upheld an order requiring fast food chain McDonald's to pay $US24 million ($28 million) in damages to a franchise owner who says his contract was unfairly...
"On any given day, 11 percent of McDonald's customers are dissatisfied with their visit and take the time to share their complaint with the restaurant," the materials said.
The Chicago Tribune
July...
The world's No.1 restaurant chain wound up with 15 per cent lower earnings for 2001, which chairman and CEO Jack Greenberg called the most challenging year in the company's history.
The Toronto...
But Ms Paz would not offer a guarantee to customers using EFTPOS that they would not be caught up in the scam….It is understood that bank accounts have been emptied from other parts of Australia,...
McDonald’s Canada is co-operating with Winnipeg police as they investigate allegations of debit card fraud targeting at least one of the fast-food chain’s local outlets and ranging as far as...
The task force said McDonald's customers were being bombarded with an increasing number of messages and promotional clutter inside restaurants. The internal report said a test in an outlet with far...
In March, three activist investor groups won an agreement from McDonald's to promote best practices to cut pesticide use by its American potato suppliers. So far, the groups say the company is...
''It's a fait accompli and it's very sad,'' said Dyck's wife, Ginny, one of many in the town who fear the presence of a McDonald's will set a precedent for more fast-food restaurants lining the...
Stephen Joseph sued over complaints the firm did not properly inform the public of delays in plans to lessen the trans fats in cooking oils.
The Toronto Star
February 12, 2005
McDonald's to pay...
"I've sold more hamburgers in the last few months than ever before, but the cost is prohibitive. It just makes no sense," Ogmundsson told Reuters. "For a kilo of onion, imported from Germany, I'm...
Had the agreement not been reached, the resolution would have appeared in the company's upcoming proxy statement and come up for a vote at the company's shareholder meeting later this year…"We...
A Moscow court ruled yesterday that McDonald’s improperly disciplined an employee, a decision that could be a boost to workers seeking to unionize the company’s factory outside Moscow.
The...
Druzhinin says that before he joined the fledgling union last year, he was presided by managers as one of the best workers at the McComplex. Since then, he says, he has been hit with a series of...
On the McItaly's promotional material is a seal saying "Under the patronage of" the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry — a highly coveted government endorsement that is more often seen on...
The federal NDP wants tougher laws to protect people who buy franchises, its leader, Audrey McLaughlin, said today in a pre-election speech. “Many people unfortunately have lost their life...
“On many occasions, bank managers will phone us and alert us to a franchisee’s problems,” says World World’s Graves. “We may go out there and take a closer look.”
Canadian Banker...
Together, those questions form four quadrants — extension, reversal, retrieval and obsolescence — that managers can use to investigate innovations, processes, hiring and other issues…But the...
De Kerckhove and Federman argue that managers can understand their business, and the products or services they provide, only if they subject business, products and services to frequent analysis via...
When Mr. Kroc started McDonald's, he shunned the kickbacks from suppliers that were common in the industry. Any supplier rebates went to the franchise owners, not the company, to make the...
The Maryland actions alleged among other things, that sellers violated registration requirements, misrepresented a material aspect of their franchise or business opportunity, or made unlawful...
Normally reporters and other members of the public would not be allowed into the sombre hearing room at the college's headquarters on College St. But that changed several months ago after Toronto...
But on closer inspection, it seemed that people were paying over and over again for another chance to win hopeless, remaindered albums — bands like Trooper and Chilliwack were too good for that...
…I think really deep down what (Sobeys) wanted was control so they could dictate the price."
The Toronto Star
July 18, 2009
Meat cleaves grocer's tie to Sobeys
Ex-franchisee goes independent to...
On June 13, 2001, G&T unilaterally announced they would not be renewing franchise agreements and would be taking back the franchised stores on Dec 31, 2001. No compensation has ever been...
The plaintiff must then identify in court filings the exact statements purportedly made by each anonymous poster, as well as show how those comments have caused damage. Maryland's court also went...
More than 150 Medicine Shoppe stores have closed since 2000, leaving the company with about 950 in the United States. Earlier this month another 70 franchise owners representing 82 Medicine Shoppe...
Their inspiration was a Ben & Jerry's store in Charlottesville, where the Shermans spent a lot of time when their teenage son, Jack, underwent chemotherapy at the University of Virginia Medical...
The police later took over the inquiry and took the matter to court. Brown originally faced nine charges of fraud and four of forgery. Judge Callaghan remanded Brown and Parr on bail for sentencing...
…elaborate means of concealing his ill-gotten gains. If the poker message boards are to be believed, Steve Haris's poker style – a combination of feckless and reckless – bears little...
… Ontario legislation designed to protect franchisees doesn’t apply to Crown corporations. Any rights that franchisees might have when it comes to dealing with companies such as McDonald’s,...
The tribunal instructed Metcash to clarify details of a loyalty agreement that formed part of the transaction. In terms of the agreement, Metcash would require 7-Eleven franchisees to buy a certain...
…said Lawrence [formerly Lorn Austin ed.] Austin, the company's new president and chief operating officer… “We needed a chain that had the brand recognition to be able to grow to 500 stores...
HON. RONALD MacKINLEY (L): But this here goes both ways. Like your person with the distributor, the franchisor he can go after the franchisees on this one too. MICHAEL WHITTAKER: But this goes too...
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission decided not to take any action last year after allegations of unconscionable conduct, while several franchisees have taken Midas to both the...
In times like this, "franchising lends itself to con artists and flim-flammers" who will "take advantage of naive individuals."
Financial Post
June 8, 2009
Middlemiss: Are you itching to buy a...
Police are investigating an alleged scam in which people, mainly Chinese immigrants, claim to have been sold non-existent franchise businesses.
The New Zealand Herald
February 26, 2008
Migrants cry...
I wonder whether the dispute resolution mechanisms in this bill are strong enough… What started off as a very successful entrepreneurial exercise ended up being a disaster for this individual...
"My clients are neither cheats nor liars nor did they defraud anyone," Cohen told the court…"Outright lies, deceit and illegal methods to dupe my clients into investing hundreds of thousands of...
"What's my mother going to think?" and then became remorseful saying, "Poor Frank, I can't believe it, he's such a kind soul".
The Australian
May 19, 2009
Millionaire 'strangled gay lover' to be...
Up to $8.5 million paid out of Pizza Pizza trust accounts has been questioned in a forensic accounting report commissioned by angry franchise owners who suspect mismanagement of their...
In the United States, franchisors are getting about one-fourth the potential franchisees they did in the early 90s, because laid-off workers can find jobs in the booming U.S. economy.
The London...
For his maxims, so revered in conservative salons in London, Washington and elsewhere, are contradicted by the facts on the ground, and his life story is at odds with some of his most fundamental...
We need a great debate on franchising. We need an objective, national inquiry. We need to determine the extent of any problem in franchisees getting justice and, if it exists, we need a better...
Many are naive at the complexities of the situation as they simply feel the money should be returned now.
http://www.infonews.co.nz
January 7, 2008
Minister of Commerce met devastated franchise...
…the Federal Government appears to be doing nothing to usher in much-hyped reforms to the $128-billion-a-year industry. The recent collapse of kitchen and laundry appliance franchise Kleenmaid is...
The government will work with the New Zealand Franchise Association to look at whether there is a need to tighten the legal framework around franchising to minimise risks involved in franchise...
"Of particular concern is that despite the (inquiry's) report having been tabled over three months ago, there is still no indication from the minister as to if and when…This had created a policy...
Peel police homicide Insp. Norm English would not reveal the cause of death yesterday or whether Koutroubis's body was found in the trunk of his car. Investigators are working with other police...
Create a stand-alone database that would quantify what the outcome was for each franchisee, by trade-mark system, Standard Industrial Code, by territory, now and over time. Create industry...
“He’s a very easy guy to get along with and to talk to,” says Jamie Spreng, an analyst at Canaccord Capital. “But he doesn’t let a lot get in the way.”
Report on Business...
But today, at least, we prefer to celebrate. The world has got a little smaller, a little smarter and a little fairer, thanks to the Internet and MIT.
The Globe and Mail
April 6, 2001
MIT’s shot...
In Australia, an amendment to the Trade Practices Act saw a compulsory Franchising Code of Conduct introduced in 1998 which has been described as "the most stringent national regulations for...
There’s a lesson here for franchisors that profess to offer a higher profitability of success than independent business. The proof is what they do when a franchise is in difficulty, as well as...
Laura Secord was put up for sale by Archibald last year after the parent ran into problems with its own U.S. chocolate business, ultimately being forced into bankruptcy protection. The sale of...
The FTC alleges the company allowed its system to be used by fraudulent telemarketers, most based in Canada, to bilk thousands of Americans out of more than $80-million (U.S.). The commission said...
Emerging trends in the money laundering scene include bulk movements of cash, both domestically and internationally, and the use of money service businesses such as currency exchange companies to...
During these robberies, two employees of Money Mart and their families were held hostage overnight by a gang. In the morning, the victims were taken to the Money Marts where they were forced to...
…breached section 347 of the Criminal Code by charging and collecting fees and interest at an effective annual interest rate in excess of 60 per cent on its so-called payday loans. But lawyer...
"In terms of market recognition, they're it. They're the McDonald's of the industry," said Windsor lawyer Jasminka Kalajdzic…"I guess if you're going to label them best to the worst, they're the...
Money Mart charged "criminal" interest rates on 4.5 million payday loans over 10 years, a lawyer representing 264,000 borrowers told a judge during the first day of a class-action suit against the...
Shoe repair and retail chain Moneysworth and Best Shoe Care Inc. filed for bankruptcy yesterday, struggling under $8.9-million in debt against just $4.3- million in assets.
The Globe and Mail
July...
From 2004 to 2008, federal officials say, MoneyGram ignored 41,103 fraud complaints from consumers who had lost at least $85 million to scams using its service. Law enforcement agencies also had...
At the end of it, three pieces of produce were discovered with pins stuck in them. This is the same store that dealt with a tampering issue last month. In that case, bulk bakery products, bulk food...
A Calgary grocery store has discovered more pins in its products, this time pushed into plastic juice bottles.
http://www.cbc.ca
January 19, 2010
More pins found in Co-op grocery products
Police...
The two executives are "important witnesses for the jury to hear from regarding budget cutbacks that threatened the safety of BP operations, the poor state of BP refineries before the explosion and...
ACORN's Young blamed the growth of payday lending on closures of bank branches in low-income areas.
The Toronto Star
November 30, 2004
Most payday lenders to end rollover loans
About three-quarters...
…product-liability lawsuits have been relatively uncommon in Canada, unlike in the United States, where an estimated 70,000 are filed each year. "In the United States, it's not uncommon for a...
The pressures of the franchise alienate and distance me from my family making me more dependent on the franchise itself. I feel I need to work harder at the franchise and rationalize that this will...
Maple Leaf closed its Bartor Road deli-meat plant for nearly a month last year after its products tested positive for a bacteria called Listeria monocytogenes. Twenty-two people died and many more...
“It’s predatory lending. (CIBC) didn’t do any of the due diligence they should have done,” says Mr. Oudovikine, who sent the Citizen e-mails confirming the RCMP investigation. An RCMP...
An Ontario Superior Court judge yesterday awarded the Mounties the right to unionize in a landmark decision that may have huge implications for the RCMP, its culture, and government budgets across...
The firm behind the troubled Mövenpick restaurant franchises in Canada is asking employees to work longer hours and transfer the extra earnings into a fund to buy company stock for them.
The...
North American franchisees of Movenpick have filed a second lawsuit against the Swiss restaurant and hotel giant, seeking close to US$700-million in damages for alleged breaches of contract and...
Mr. West said he was fired after raising concerns with directors about the Reicherts' plan to buy some of the company's restaurants. Richtree is considering selling some restaurants to franchisees...
Things came to a head in October, when Mr. Reichert proposed acquiring some of the restaurants. At the time, the company was considering becoming a franchisor by selling eateries to franchisees...
The employees of Mövenpick restaurants in North America have agreed to accept shares in lieu of some wages from the financially troubled company that operates the chain.
The Toronto Star
February...
…he first heard of Norman seven or eight years ago, when Golf Digest ran a long cover feature on the Canadian, an autistic savant once described by Lee Trevino as "the best ball-striker I ever...
“People are losing homes and life savings…the people being bilked the most are new immigrants,” Wiseman said in an interview. “They think they are going to be working for a company that is...
Consumers need safeguards to protect them if the government allows banks to promote insurance in their branches, said the chairman of the federal committee that will study the issue…"This is a...
A U.S. judge has approved subpoenas for former Washington lobbyist Jack Abramoff and an ex-business partner to answer questions about he mob-style slaying of the owner of a gambling fleet they...
At least four former franchisees in KwaZulu-Natal have confirmed they were forced to close their shops because they could not pay their debts. Some have lost everything because their assets were...
…The Country Style team has successfully rebranded its image and has built a strong and profitable operation over the past 24 months. Both companies share similar values, and are committed to...
The financial adviser, who was already on the run from Canadian authorities who suspected him of fraud, then assumed Mr. Platt's identity and began a seemingly normal life in Britain with his...
But it's about more than money. Market timing debased the fund companies' currency with clients, the trust of people like you and me.
The Globe and Mail
December 17, 2004
Mutual-fund giants pay...
…the mutual fund industry has become a "study in institutionalized conflicts of interest."…"Unfortunately, the mutual fund industry has disintegrated into the world's largest skimming...
Eric Pelletier, a spokesman for the Ontario Securities Commission, confirmed that OSC officials had consulted with Mr. Zitzewitz regarding his study, but said his Canadian sample "wasn't sufficient...
So Chrysler’s list is now public and people are scrambling to find out if they’re a victim or a temporary survivor.
http://bloodyfranchise.wordpress.com
May 15, 2009
Nardelli finds out –...
Country Style Donuts, a large donut chain based in Toronto, has decided to join the growing boycott of Daishowa paper products.
Friends of the Lubicon
March 27, 1992
National Donut Chain Joins...
“If you scratch a franchisor, you’ll find that underneath there’s absolutely no interest in any legislation at all.”
National Post
February 16, 1996
National franchising rules are in the...
“Good work, Scouts,” said Naughty Ned with a naughty grin. “You have done a fine job. I think you should put in for a Lost Cub Merit Badge.”
Scholastic Inc.
January 1, 1998
Naughty Ned
The...
…Mr. Nash's name will soon be on 16 locations across his home province. But the plan is to use Mr. Nash's status as a Canadian sports hero to help the chain expand nationally, said Mr....
Martin: I find it interesting that you're coming today, supporting disclosure legislation as being enough. In an article in the Report on Business in December 1998 you're quoted as saying that in...
An opponent of plans by Pizza Pizza president Michael Overs to build houses on the west side of Grenadier Pond filed a complaint with police yesterday, alleging Overs had threatened him…Wiggers...
…an engaging, smart, ruthless agent who befriends and entices business people, mostly immigrants, into signing franchise contracts based on fraudulent misrepresentations and an accountant who...
Canadian golf retailer Nevada Bob’s Canada Inc. said on Tuesday its financial situation is in peril and it will file for bankruptcy unless it can secure financing and sell about 80 of its retail...
…Nevada Bob’s Golf Inc. is $30.3 million in the hole…
The Toronto Star
October 11, 2000
Nevada Bob’s deep in the rough, reports firm’s future in doubt
Second-quarter loss reaches $19.5...
Sporting goods retailer Forzani Group says it has signed a letter of intent to purchase the Canadian interests of golf equipment chain Nevada Bob's International Inc.
The Toronto Star
August 20,...
In a marked change of course, retailer Nevada Bob's Golf Inc. has announced it plans to sell off ownership of its stores and turn them back into franchises in an effort to raise much-needed cash...
The apartment was worth about $180,000 in today's market, she said, and was "way overvalued" in 2005. She was currently paying 8.85 per cent on a mortgage of $422,000…some of the original Hudson...
“In Ontario, you have more protection buying a vacuum cleaner than you do a franchise,” he complained…Cunningham disputes Stewart’s notion about abuses, saying one of the reasons the...
In May, the bank sent a Toronto customer, who had requested details of his own account activity, details of transactions involving more than 100 other CIBC customers as well.
The Toronto Star
June...
"I [Jameson] am the official spokesperson, and until I confirm or deny anything, it simply doesn't exist," she said Tuesday…"I'm disappointed in senior management, truly disappointed," he said....
TeleGrocer Inc., which launched operations in Ottawa in 1996, began quietly offering its services in Toronto on Feb. 1 and plans to expand gradually into the outlying regions, says Garfield Coore,...
A McDonald's franchise isn't the sure thing it once was. The old certainties about steadily growing sales, profits and market value have given way to anxieties about disappointing new products,...
Minister of Consumer and Commercial Relations Bob Runciman announced today that the Ontario government's legislation providing for fairness in the franchise marketplace has been proclaimed and the...
For years, efforts to help franchisees have been quashed by franchisor resistance…Franchisors have been intransigent for too long.
Franchise Times
June – July 1999
New franchise legislation...
"The lack of a private right of action and the lack of required performance data are pretty devastating," he said. "The first questions a prospective franchisee ask are, 'How much will I make?' and...
“This is the wooliest thing I’ve ever seen,”…Commercial Relations Minister Dave Tsubouchi “is just like one of the franchise hustlers,” said Stewart. “He’s selling an idea and...
A McDonald's franchise was fined £12,400 last month after admitting 20 offences of illegally employing children aged 15 and 16 at two Surrey restaurants. The fines, among the highest imposed on...
The bill comes after years of demands from opposition parties and even from the industry itself. They say the absence of guidelines has allowed unscrupulous lenders to charge sky-high rates,...
It's time the province took a look at offering Internet gambling…"Money is going out of this province to other provinces as well as offshore sites," he said.
The Toronto Star
February 20,...
…the lawsuit was resolved concurrently with the close of the acquisition, which saw virtually all of Shakey’s assets transferred to a group of new Jacmar companies that will be known...
Parts of the Franchises Act came into effect last summer. Government created the legislation following complaints from some Islanders who bought franchises from off-Island companies.
CBC...
Bob Whitelaw, chief executive officer of the CACFS, said that punishments for breaking the regulations, which include fines and expulsion from the association, will be enforced, and he denied that...
To avoid the perception that it is in the buggy-whip business…
The Globe and Mail
March 14, 2000
Newsflash:
To avoid the perception that it is in the buggy-whip business, the post office has...
"Country Style Donuts has declared open season on its Northern franchise owners — and there's nothing on the books that can possibly help these people out," Martin said.
News Release
December 4,...
"The NHL is excluding competition and restraining trade in [the United States and Canada] through the application of unreasonable restrictions in its constitution and bylaws, which are preventing...
"We investigated the situation, and we're satisfied there was no personal association at all," said Bill Daly, chief legal counsel for the NHL. Jim Moody, a former head of the FBI's organized crime...
The townsfolk of Niagara-on-the-Lake have fought off subdivisions and strip malls, and now the picturesque Ontario community is waging war against McDonald's.
National Post
March 8,...
David Kassie had a very good year in 2000, but not, one suspects, a very good day yesterday. CIBC revealed it paid him almost $14-million last year to run CIBC World Markets Inc., its corporate and...
At the risk of self-promotion, I wish that all franchisors, regardless of maturity and size, could embrace the same philosophy of franchising and demonstrate a “franchisee first” attitude that...
..on a personal note, I'm sick and tired of the Pizza Pizza situation. No one can argue that it was a very unfortunate example of the franchise relationship having gone sour and what can happen...
The complaint says one of Linardos' early partners was actor/producer Leo Rossi, a friend of Tony Luke, Jr who worked with him on "The Nail: The Story of Joey Nardone." Locally raised Rossi is no...
…88 gas station operators, including at least 24 from New Jersey, are suing Exxon Mobil Corp. accusing the company of delaying deliveries when prices rise to manipulate the price of gas as well...
The judge said the wives have an independent right to sue for economic and emotional damages they say they suffered because Snap-on's negligent misrepresentation wiped out family...
New South Wales and Australian Federal Police raided the post office on Kent Street at Millers Point yesterday afternoon, seizing documents and arresting the 43-year-old licensee. He was charged...
I have nothing against Eggspectations. But if I were forced to find immediate fault with it, I’d point to the silliness of its name, the bleakness of its surroundings, and its hard-as-rock chairs...
…were also deprived of free speech by the 1997 ruling…
The Toronto Star
February 17, 2005
No fair trial in McDonald's libel case, court rules
Two Britons found to have libelled McDonald's after...
In Portland, at one of Goodridge's Subway restaurants, the workers who are paid $8 to $10 an hour appreciate the free meals. As it stands, the free lunches save each worker about $100 a month. But...
He also wanted to pay tribute — it is an authorized biography — to the man he considers the world's greatest living economist.
The Toronto Star
March 4, 2005
No heir to Galbraith in sight
Carol...
And he was a failed businessman who didn't live long enough to cash in on his one big score, the Tim Hortons doughnuts franchise. A year after his death, Lori sold the family's half of the...
Richtree went public in 1997, but its stock now has a market value of about $1.6 million – considerably less than the sale value of its restaurants.
National Post
October 30, 2003
No longer the...
But McDonald's followers said they were fed up with the latest excuses from the company, which has struggled with flat demand in its home U.S. market and a string of failed product launches since...
Non-compete clauses are difficult to uphold, said Rick Powers, business law professor at the University of Toronto and former in-house counsel to Honda of Canada…"If an employer is too greedy,...
Officers from the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) yesterday searched the offices of Siam Foods Franchise Co that runs Kuay Tiew Bangkok noodle stalls chain, while the number of...
Consumer Minister Marilyn Churley says she has no immediate plans to introduce legislation to protect franchisees in the aftermath of revelations about the troubled Pizza Pizza chain…...
Pizza Pizza chairman Michael Overs has called disclosures in The Star about he company’s operations and senior management “blatantly false and irresponsible.”…that The Star’s reports...
Though McDonald's risk-taking CEO has handily survived a problem-plagued tenure, his future is riding on his drive to restore the fast-food giant to its past profitability.
The Chicago...
What have they told you so far? MOORE: Other than they’re coming in to shut down, nothing. So it was through a form of a letter.
CBC-FM Sudbury
December 7, 2001
Country Style Donut Shops
Radio...
My biggest fear is that if it passes without the changes discussed above, the franchisors will claim they have been dealt a serious blow and yet will still be allowed to do as they wish with their...
McDonald's calculates that low turnover – which currently averages 44 per cent of the firm's 1.6 million employees worldwide – saves about $10,000 (U.S.) in overhead per store; and that a...
But unlike McD's, which has sold so many Big Macs that their Styro-boxes litter the Earth from Antarctica to Red Square and has come to epitomize all that is tainted in North American culture,...
Investors and lawyers have contacted the Toronto Star in the past month saying they or their clients have paid nearly $900,000 since last fall for eight Pizza One or Anthony's Kitchen franchises....
A 2001 survey by the Canadian Association of Liquor Jurisdictions showed Ontario has the second lowest beverage alcohol prices on average in Canada (New Brunswick was first). For wine, Ontario had...
But in the early years that practice threatened to bankrupt Kroc's cash-poor company…"Our numbers were funny numbers, but without them we would never have gotten the loans to expand, because we...
…the Sotos firm has franchise cases ongoing where Cassels Brock are lawyers are on the other side, including the Quizno's case, which was certified and is under appeal. Quizno's has been...
…left them competing with Apple and Speedy for the same customers and the attention of their new parent company. The franchisees alleged TCG breached their franchise agreement, hindered business...
If the SBA wants to live up to its own mission statement - "helping small business succeed" - it will close its doors…What we don't need is a federal agency that cynically uses small business as...
A Nova Scotia woman was sentenced yesterday to 28 months in prison for crimes that involved duping her boyfriend's family into believing she was pregnant with triplets.
The Toronto Star
March 11,...
Maydonik wouldn't guarantee the new owner would fulfil existing Nutri-Lawn contracts. "The new party will most likely fulfil the commitment of service," Maydonik said. "I can't guarantee it because...
In total, the company has debts of over €4 million. O'Briens employs just 20 staff directly, but a further 800 people are indirectly employed in its 85 franchised outlets in Ireland. The company...
In one e-mail, Mr Sweeney told Kathleen Ryan, the franchisee of an O’Brien’s sandwich bar in Ennis, Co Clare, to withhold rent. In the e-mail sent last April, Mr Sweeney wrote: “Depending on...
…O’Briens holds the head leases on most of the 85 stores around the country, and then sub-leases the locations to individual franchisees…However, with many locations struggling to pay their...
Difficulties have arisen due to the number of his franchise holders who have closed their business — leaving him to pick up the rental bill…"Two weeks ago we received an anonymous email from an...
Canada's Competition Bureau is plagued by an inconsistent policy framework, hampered by national monopolies, undercut by a lack of resources and tainted with a reputation for having no...
Saturday, The Star revealed that Austin was involved with a secret web of companies that has bled as much as $1.5 million from other people’s pockets between 1989 and 1993.
The Toronto Star
June...
(Emms, a Grade 10 graduate, had been convicted of fraud on six previous occasions since 1982. Seven times he was jailed briefly, including once for assaulting a peace officer and once for failing...
Ms de Leeuw once owned three Bakers Delight stores on NSW's south coast, and claimed Bakers Delight and the ANZ Bank colluded to force her out of business, and causing her to lose $2m. Both Bakers...
Pizza billionaire Tom Monaghan believes the Lord is with him as he lays the foundations for the town he calls Ave Maria — Hail Mary — on 2,000 hectares of land, 145 kilometres north of...
Disclosure regulation, at best, is only a 5% solution. The real dirty tricks come out when the franchise agreement is signed.
The INFO Franchise Newsletter
July 1, 1998
Ontario Disclosure – The...
He regrets the decision to omit a dispute resolution mechanism. “If I hadn’t worked on the team, I’d think it was a big step forward. But it didn’t come up to my expectations.”
The Globe...
Franchisees generally carry different risks than other business purchasers/investors. In franchise relationships, the franchisee typically invests the bulk of the capital, yet the franchisor has...
“The industry cannot manage itself, that is absolutely clear,” Sotos said. He said about one-third of franchise organizations have serious problems with members…decide to give an industry...
…16 of its IGA grocery store franchisees in Ontario are suing it for as much as $262 million, accusing the company of breaking their contract.
The Toronto Star
June 15, 2000
Ontario grocers suing...
"These operators are low life, feeding off the poorest income earners in this province, and they should have the brakes put on them immediately," NDP consumer issues critic Peter Kormos (Niagara...
“Everything goes to (the chain) … These people cheat us and we’ve lost everything.”…Vahdati said she and her husband spent $100,000 on legal costs in a fruitless court fight against the...
…“reputable” franchisors agree that if legislation is inevitable, it should center around disclosure, not relationship issues.
Continental Franchise Review
April 17, 1998
Ontario Legislation...
The government-owned Liquor Control Board of Ontario is threatening to cut off supplies to small-town alcohol retailers in an attempt to block a private-sector distributor's plans to sell them...
“Many U.S. states have good systems in place to ensure that there is fairness in the system and speedy resolution of disputes,” said one franchise operator.
The Ottawa Citizen
July 17,...
The dream of owning a small business can become a nightmare for franchise owners who discover too late they’ve sign away their lives – and their profits. Well-intentioned investors can wind up...
Ontario "has pulled the covers up over its head and has not acted in this area," Hudak said. "Unfortunately, many fly-by-night payday loan operators get away with scamming hundreds of thousands of...
The optimistic view of these amendments is that they were necessary to avoid more troubling changes being made to the statute. The pessimists, on the other hand, are saying the sky is falling on...
In any case, the CFA is not an impartial body; it’s a franchisors organization. While the Ontario government is in no position to take on the regulatory task itself, it is concerned about fair...
Mr. Stewart… said what’s needed is some form of dispute resolution and protection for franchise operators from encroachment on their territories. Without some recourse other than through the...
“At this point I would not advise anybody to become a franchisee, frankly,” says the franchise law expert and Stanford University professor.
The Sault Star
February 10, 2000
Ontario rules make...
Les Stewart, president of the newly formed Canadian Association of Franchise Operators, claim that disclosure regulations is, at best, only a 5 percent solution. “The real dirty tricks come out...
One lawyer who asked not to be identified, however, said contingency fees are a regrettable way to broaden access to justice…He also said he is unaware of any studies that confirm that...
“If we don’t get franchise disclosure legislation now, it’s a crime,” Mr. Levitt says. “We need it for franchisees, but also for franchisors. Franchisors don’t need any more...
…the government proposal for legislating in the franchise sector represents a virtual total abdication of its stated objective. To maintain as this Consultation Paper attempts, that it wants...
For these critics, the choice is between cooperating and getting some real advances for franchisees now or taking responsibility for killing the Bill and maintaining the status quo.
The INFO...
Until this type of law is passed, CAFO recommends potential franchise investors to talk in the only language Queen’s Park and the franchisor’s seem to understand – keep your chequebooks in...
Draft legislation tabled yesterday at Queen’s Park would require franchisors to disclose certain business details to prospective franchisees before they sign on the dotted line. But it includes...
The Ontario government is going to allow franchising of its marquee LCBO wine and liquor stores but has no plans for the wholesale privatization of the government-owned stores, Consumer Minister...
"It can be argued that payday loans involving exorbitant interest rates, high fees and punishing penalties for people who cannot pay are nothing more than loansharking with a quasi-legal face,"...
Guelph police Const. Kevin McCord said a consumer found the needle in the sausage after frying it up and putting in their mouth. "As the person began to eat it, they sensed that there was something...
The mills had been producing legions of the Original Glazed since well before dawn yesterday. Equipment capable of producing 200 dozen doughnuts per hour never slowed, whirring full-steam to fill...
Opportunism: strip cash from the defenseless
1,001 ways to make your life miserable
101 ways to terminate a contract
20 terminations turn into 200
30 different programs of kickbacks, shelf...
”Why are franchises thought of as foolproof when most of them do not, in fact, succeed?…Why have the Canadian banking sector and the federal government helped fuel the abuses in the country's...
”Why are franchises thought of as foolproof when most of them do not, in fact, succeed?…Why have the Canadian banking sector and the federal government helped fuel the abuses in the country's...
”Why are franchises thought of as foolproof when most of them do not, in fact, succeed?…Why have the Canadian banking sector and the federal government helped fuel the abuses in the country's...
Readers across the country have reported franchises not cooperating, long waits, and chicken outages…franchised stores are not being reimbursed for the coupons. I was told that Oprah is backing...
Organized crime groups are engaged in a wide diversity of crime, from violent acts of murder, assault and robbery to sophisticated financial crimes, including stock market manipulation, money...
…U.S. regulators have been zealous in their pursuit of revenue inflating, phony-sales-posting companies — often tech companies — which stuffed product that hadn't a hope of being sold into...
Andrew Keith Lech has been soliciting and collecting funds for investment purposes from Ontario residents "from at least 1988 to present," according to allegations released by the Ontario...
CIBC paid $80-million (U.S.) in a settlement with U.S. securities regulators at the end of 2003 over allegations it aided and abetted the accounting fraud at Enron…"Remember that denial wins no...
In light of the upcoming mediation and the gross inaccuracies and misrepresentations contained in Les Stewart’s letter to Mr. Cunningham, President of the CFA, I trust that you will recommend to...
An Industry Canada loan program for small business continues to lose money and annoy bankers a decade after it was redesigned to avoid those very problems… An earlier incarnation of the program,...
“We have a huge problem in Alberta, in British Columbia, now organized crime is spreading all over the country,” Nicaso said. “The government — any kind of government, any colour — have...
[Tim Hortons] The chief symbol of our shameful failure as punctuators is the doughnut chain celebrated by the late Pierre Berton as the essential Canadian story, a tale of "success and tragedy, of...
Outback Steakhouse, Inc. today reported that comparable store sales for the five-week period ended December 29, 2001, increased by approximately 1.8% and 4.9% for domestic Outback Steakhouses and...
The EEOC alleged in its lawsuit that Outback Steakhouse discriminated against its female employees, not allowing them to be promoted to higher-level management positions in the restaurants. The...
“It’s a frustrating pill to swallow. We lost everything. It’s amazing my wife and I survived the pressure of it all.”…Unsecured creditors, received a total of $2 million, to be paid in...
…said the ruling is certainly a disappointment for the OSC, "but the fact they demonstrated a willingness to pursue vigorously a charge of this type also sends a message to the Street that they...
The competition bureau says it laid charges after numerous businesses received solicitations from an Internet directory that look like invoices. Some businesses mistakenly sent payments.
The...
The company is trying to revive sales at Hardee's, its biggest chain, by improving service and cleanliness. Profit was hurt by costs to remodel restaurants.
Los Angeles Times
December 15,...
…the financial position of the 17 “ranges from the desperate to the barely okay,”
The INFO Franchise Newsletter
April 1, 1993
Owners of 17 Pizza Pizza franchises
OWNERS of 17 Ontario Pizza...
The problem, according to John and Brayton Weber, is that the mall sued two people who never promised to be responsible for its debts.The Webers, father and son, allege in a second Polk County...
The decision not to renew the agreements…"We just decided that this business model no longer works for us," Ward said. "It is certainly no reflection on the hard work the licensees have brought...
…They got tired of breaking even. They were working real hard to break even.”…"They thought the restaurant business was going to be fun,"…
Palm Beach Post
May 12, 2009
Palm Beach County's...
Actress Pamela Anderson is taking on KFC Canada’s parent company, calling for an international boycott of the fast-food chain for what she calls the cruel treatment of its chickens. “If people...
By 1973, however, a combination of tightening credit, over-expansion and recession had crippled the company, leading Lapin to sell his stake for just $50,000…In 1989, he declared bankruptcy.
The...
A statement of claim prepared by Toronto franchise lawyer Ben Hanunka proposes the lawsuit be certified as a class action. It asks the court to order a refund of excess profits for all franchisees,...
Melbourne Magistrates' Court heard Brodie Panlock endured more than a year of abuse, 12 hours a day, six days a week working at Cafe Vamp. She was held down by workmates, had fish oil poured in her...
Thirteen New Zealand franchisees have won a partial victory against Worldsites International, a Canada-based franchisor they say ripped them off. In the High Court at Auckland last week, Justice...
I'm not sure Tupperware executives are thrilled to know that someone is out there demonstrating the many unlikely bedroom uses for their products, nor that the tumblers with no-spill straw seal are...
For the nine months ended Sept 30, Partyco lost $3.3 million on sales of $19.3 million…a loss of $2 million on sales of $14.5 million, a year earlier. Despite the losses, Party City has opened 11...
Booze and other hot-ticket items were long gone from the failed Eggspectation franchise by sunrise. People started snatching things overnight after bailiffs arrived the night before to clear out...
…the passing of our friend and one time franchisee from Canada "Gary Lackstein". He was forced to shut down 17 shops across Canada…
http://mporghavam.blogspot.com
April 2, 2009
Passing of a...
Many franchisees I know that have lost their businesses, are going to lose there businesses, or are just plain hanging in there because there's nothing else they can do. I am extremely fortunate...
In Colorado, Bob and Sue Knight united with three other Cash Now franchisees to file a letter of complaint to the office of the state attorney-general after they each invested between $19,500 and...
If a Toronto loan shark were caught charging 300 per cent interest, he might well go to jail. So how is it that our lawmakers allow the storefront ""payday loan"" industry — in effect, poor...
For about five years, Stop ‘N’ Cash stores have been charging clients a death and disability insurance fee, equal to 24 per cent of the amount borrowed, on its paycheque-to-paycheque loans....
"Assuming these brokerage fees are interest, and that's the big question in the lawsuit, the interest on one loan for 14 days was 15,141 per cent," McNally said.
The Toronto Star
April 27,...
Payday loan shops have mushroomed since the early '90s when the banks pulled out of the lower end of the consumer market. It is now a $2 billion-a-year business.
The Toronto Star
February 1,...
B.C. Supreme Court Justice Brenda Brown ruled that late fees and processing fees charged by A OK Payday Loans Inc. - a small B.C. company - are interest. She found that the company was charging an...
"Don't be so naïve, that simply because it appears on a piece of paper, that that's sufficient protection for what are really very vulnerable borrowers, at the bottom of the economic ladder," the...
…the average payout will be about $380… The class action, which had sought $224 million plus interest, alleged the financial services company had charged "illegal" interest rates on 4.5 million...
More than 100 investors are suing the Mississauga-based outfit for $15 million for alleged breach of contract, negligent or fraudulent misrepresentation, and damages. Some investors lost as much as...
The company can contest the judgment but has to pay first, Mr. Matte said. If it wins its appeal, then it would be reimbursed…"In theory, they can seize everything," Mr. Matte said.
The Globe and...
"By this fall, I hope to have franchise agreements for three restaurants in both Ontario and Quebec," Mr. Weshler says. "And for sure, there will be more units in and around Montreal. My hope is...
"I think the bottom line with it is they're trying to switch from a post office with a postmaster and being in the lighthouse, to a franchise," he said. "They've got no franchise in Peggys Cove."...
I think the debate on the subject, from what I have witnessed, currently risks being hijacked by one or more well-intentioned but, I'll go so far as to say, somewhat obsessed individuals, along...
…franchises should grant franchisees more flexibility in purchasing agreements so that each franchisee could be sensitive to local consumer demands. If pricing and quality prove to be...
If a franchisor opposes Federal fair franchising legislation and protections being afforded small-business owners, the motivation behind such an objection should be scrutinized. More likely than...
The little post office, in a variety store on Dundas West near Keele, was on the chopping block because it was too small to accommodate a proposed facility redesign by Canada Post. Nobody in the...
Cash flow, providing a glimpse into an oil company's ability to fund development, rose to $879 million, or $3.31 a share, from $642 million, or $2.44 a share. Revenue climbed to $3 billion from...
"The stock remains cheap,"" says Yorkton Securities analyst Mark Heim. “It's the cheapest among its peers despite having some of the best growth."
The Globe and Mail
February 7, 2001
Petro-Canada...
Gatts said Carlisle has been subjected to verbal attacks and death threats since news of the photos broke in August. He said he wanted to take the case to trial, but Carlisle wanted to put the case...
Two employees in Conover, N.C., videotaped an unsanitary prank in the restaurant's kitchen and posted it on YouTube. By afternoon of April 15, the video had more than 1 million views. References to...
The Law Society does not specifically restrict lawyers from having sexual relations with clients. But its code of conduct requires lawyers to advise clients to seek independent legal advice about...
Ford engineers discovered in pre-production crash tests that rear-end collisions would rupture the Pinto's fuel system extremely easily. Because assembly-line machinery was already tooled when...
…a judge ordered Solhi's companies, 3 for 1 Pizza & Wings (Canada) and Triple Holdings Ltd., to refund the couple's deposit, plus other costs, for a total of $74,920. "The (Solhi) companies...
A 3-For-1 Pizza and Wings employee was taken hostage yesterday after a dispute at the pizza franchisor’s head office on Bay St.
The Toronto Star
March 31, 1998
Pizza company hostage released
A...
"You are going to see more agitation and expectations among middle-aged men who have been downsized and are now working as baristas or short-order cooks."
USA Today
September 22, 2006
Pizza...
A knife-wielding man held another man hostage for more than an hour in the downtown head office of 3-For-1 Pizza yesterday in an apparent dispute over a bad cheque…The company, owned by Reva...
Michael said the presence of senior management, coupled with telephone calls to operators all day yesterday urging them not to attend the newly formed association’s meeting, is a scare tactic....
One protester was dressed in black and white prison garb and was dragging a ball and chain. Another suited up in a gorilla costume calling himself, Con man the Barbarian. They chanted slogans like,...
Toronto Police have charged the founder of the 3 for 1 Pizza & Wings Inc. franchise chain with fraud. President Reza Solhi, 36, of Richmond Hill, faces charges on 13 counts of fraud over $5,000...
"It would be unjust to deny the franchisee (the Jans) a remedy merely because the personal defendants used the corporate structure for flagrantly and grossly improper means," said Paisley. "The...
Owners are seeking a ruling that allows them to convert franchises to independent restaurants as franchise agreements expire, rather than sign new agreements which they believe contain onerous...
Owners are seeking a ruling that allows them to convert franchises to independent restaurants as franchise agreements expire, rather than sign new agreements which they believe contain onerous...
Executive vice-president Mike Cyr calls her ""the gold standard"" among the system's franchisees, a past winner of major awards, including the highest score on a ""guest enjoyment meter"" from...
…asking that their franchise agreements with Picurro be dissolved. That would allow the businesses to take the Picurro name off their doors and operate independently. "We are trying to save the...
About 65 angry Pizza Pizza franchise owners gave head office a pizza their mind yesterday. Franchise owners demonstrated outside the Jarvis St. office to express their disapproval of vice-president...
An Oshawa Pizza Pizza franchisee changed the door locks and slept in her take-out restaurant Monday night to block a takevover by head office. “I’ve got too much blood, sweat and tears in this...
Pizza Pizza responded by cutting them off the centralized order system and stopped delivering supplies…Pizza Pizza has been locked in a bitter battle with some of its franchise owners, 34 of whom...
Senior management from the huge pizza company greeted about 80 individual operators at the door – a move operators say was meant to intimidate their association members, who are joining together...
“The level of fear, distrust, hate and contempt for (Pizza Pizza) is almost unbelievable,” says the report…franchisees are generally in a state of terror and feel helpless” due to threats,...
Pizza Pizza does not want the award or transcripts of the hearings made public. The franchisees do…While Pizza Pizza has seemingly limitless financial resources to continue the legal battle, the...
Besides eliminating what has become a black eye for franchising, the CFA hopes to forestall regulation which is now occurring in the U.S.
National Post
April 15, 1993
Pizza Pizza ‘at the...
As of today, the Friends of the Lubicon is calling off our boycott campaign of Pizza Pizza.
Friends of the Lubicon
March 4, 1992
Pizza Pizza boycott called off
Friends of the Lubicon
As of today,...
“I know a guy who paid $220,000 for his store. He’s doing $6,000 a week (in sales) and he’s crying. He’s losing his wife, he’s losing his life, everything.”
The Toronto Star
January 25,...
Complaints from Pizza Pizza franchisees cover such issues as the way the company accounts for fees paid by stores to cover rent and advertising charges. A group of 34 franchisees are taking the...
Pizza Pizza may have acted in a “cynical and heartless” manner when it scooped thousands of dollars from the pockets of individual storeowners, an appeal judge has said in upholding a $1.6...
The franchisees say Lorn Austin’s executive criminal record for theft, fraud and racketeering is an embarrassment to everyone in the company and makes it difficult for them to deal with the...
Effective immediately Pizza Pizza is changing their paper supplier and joining the boycott of Daishowa Canada Co. Ltd. to avoid any backlash against it's franchise owners.
Friends of the...
Pizza Pizza, one of Canada’s largest fast-food chains, has been kicked out of the Canadian Franchise Association…When the Pizza Pizza story became public last year, provincial consumer ministry...
Durocher noted in his ruling that Pizza Pizza not only broke the contract by terminating it abruptly but the company also ignored two court orders specifically telling Pizza Pizza not to interfere...
Canadian chain Pizza Pizza has opened its second traditional restaurant in British Columbia in the city of Burnaby. The company opened its first B.C. store in Delta earlier this...
Mr. Austin had a heart attack in 1995 and he decided to pursue a new business in Florida called Access America Financial. He alleges Mr. Overs agreed to the idea and became a joint owner in Access...
“Pizza Pizza is trying to bury us,” said franchise owner Tony Fammartino. “But we’re not going to opt for a quiet funeral.” “The harassment never stops,” franchise owner Dave Michael...
It all came down to the contract, the Pizza Pizza franchise agreement. According to the arbitration documents, one of Pizza Pizza’s own witnesses called it one of “the most tightly controlled...
The franchisee in central Ontario, who asked not to be named for fear of reprisals from head office, says he may be forced to declare bankruptcy. The money-losing store has been up for sale since...
Ownership of PJ's Coffee of New Orleans has returned to the city where it all began with the sale of the company to New Orleans Roast and New Orleans Brew – the largest existing franchisees of...
"Canada's objection to listing chrysotile is embarrassingly self-interested," said a statement from WWF, in a clear reference to the Canadian role as the world's third-largest producer of asbestos...
"They walk away free and clear, there's no default on any payments, nobody breathing down their neck, and they just walked away with $70,000. Good scam," said Cosentino.
The Toronto Star
March 4,...
"He certainly appeared to know what he was talking about, so I let him take some photographs inside the coffee shop, because he wanted to show me how he could put together a brochure to promote the...
…Green Acres says at least 150 bogus ironing businesses have been sold by a master licensee for about $3 million. But more than 100 victims, mostly migrants, called to a meeting at the company's...
Elisabeth Bruckmann, of Parkdale Community Legal Services, said the province has to stop taking a hands-off, consumer-beware approach when it comes to people trying to earn an honest living....
The Ponzi scheme first emerged in 1920 when Charles Ponzi fraudulently raised millions of dollars across New England. To do so he invented a phony investment plan and promised investors a 50 per...
The lawyer invoked a Reconstruction-era law, which was enacted to protect freed slaves after the Civil War. It provides that "all persons … shall have the same right … to make and enforce...
About 100 investors were recently fleeced of several thousand dollars each by Toronto con artists offering a chance to buy into an Internet pornography franchise.
The Globe and Mail
March 29,...
New Zealand Post says the closure of some of its Post Shops and Kiwi Bank services is part of a review of its franchise and network outlets. A number of franchise owners are angry that their...
…in honour of the retired 69-year-old lawyer who made much of his fortune in Kentucky Fried Chicken franchises. It will bring together more than 40 scientific researchers and their teams from the...
This week it was reported Sam's faced disputes over its two flagship restaurants, the former managers of a franchise and wholesale operation had fallen into voluntary administration, and two former...
The FTC says Mr. Winslow engaged in an overall ""web of deceit,"" including a shell corporation, phantom offices and bounced checks. An FTC employee, posing as a potential franchisee, tape-recorded...
"Please know that the government of Ontario and the government of Canada did not ask GM to reduce their dealer network," McGuinty wrote in the July 10, 2009 letter that surfaced in a court case on...
Among the concerns is that there is no guaranteed right of appeal. ""You have to take what the arbitrator decides,""…
The Wall Street Journal
June 3, 2009
Pressure Grows to Rethink the Use Of...
Zodwa Ntuli, the commission's compliance division manager, said this week that the Competition Act clearly stated that "the practice of minimum resale price maintenance is prohibited" irrespective...
“When the franchisor is the sole supplier, you can see the harm that can come to franchisees who the franchisor doesn’t like,” says Toronto franchise lawyer John Sotos. Without the threat of...
…will make initial payouts of 12 per cent a year. The company had sales of $482-million last year, and earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization of $46.7-million. The company...
"Safeguarding the confidential information of our clients, employees and businesses is critically important in maintaining the trust of all our stakeholders," stated Ron Lalonde, CIBC's chief...
"They're set up to placate, to cut off problems before they develop,"…Marin prefers government regulation…"That's why there are so few complaints. Consumers don't go forward with their cases...
“It is a concern expressed by a lot of (franchisees) where they are contractually told they cannot even talk to other people about their franchise. I think we could all agree that it is...
Stanford Law Review
Volume 42:927
April 1990
Problematic Relations: Franchising and the Law of Incomplete Contracts
Gillian K. Hadfield
Reprinted without Endnotes
Commitments to take or refrain...
Lack of choice and the "desperation of poverty" are forcing some to turn to payday loans and other costly fringe financial products they can ill afford to use, according to the United Way's report...
"There is no way the average person that mortgages his home and puts their life savings on the line … if a dispute should arise they do not stand a chance against the multi-national corporation...
…the very best solution would be to spell out in detail in legislation how franchisors can and cannot act when it comes to contentious issues such as contract termination. But that is likely pie...
“We’ve had eight CEOs in 13 years,” he said, flatly. “Does that bode well for the continuity and consistency (of the brand)? I don’t think so.”
Franchise Times
April 1, 2001
Protecting...
(Stewart’s) experience drove him to form the Canadian Alliance of Franchise Operators and the fruits of their efforts in part was last week’s introduction of the Franchise Disclosure...
A lively crowd of 7,000 people - including jugglers, singers and performers on stilts - paraded through Montpellier's winding streets Friday to show support for Jose Bove, the militant farmer who...
Laws in Ontario may not be protecting workers from questionable business activities, Government Services Minister Gerry Phillips acknowledged yesterday.
The Toronto Star
August 1, 2007
Province...
Rae made the comments after Pizza Pizza franchisees protested outside the Legislature building, demanding a law to protect other franchise buyers from the business nightmares they claim have forced...
"It just demonstrates that there are companies out there who had unscrupulous business practices, who took advantage of the consumer, who charged very high rates for the loan," said Keyes, noting...
Thirteen current and former PRstore Inc. franchisees have accused the company’s partners of fraud and racketeering in a federal lawsuit. And they’ll likely seek more than $6 million in...
Sounds easy, but the woods are full of people who plunged their savings into a franchise and wish they hadn’t. The complexity of the financing/royalty arrangements, the vagaries of location and...
"Psychopaths use superficial charm, manipulation, intimidation, and violence to control others and satisfy their own selfish needs," he says. ""They lack conscience and feelings for others,...
The B-Scan is a 360-degree assessment that works off an exhaustive questionnaire, filled in by anyone who works with the employee…They will grade the subject's tendencies in areas and categories...
They exhibit a cluster of distinctive personality traits, the most significant of which is an utter lack of conscience. They also have huge egos, short tempers, and an appetite for excitement — a...
…the parent company has approval for its second U.S. pub and restaurant with a different franchisee in the Virginia Beach area, said Todd Baldwin, director of franchise development at Fransmart...
Toby Young, 24, also wants to start his own business but he said franchising is not the route to go. “I want to be my own boss,” he said. “Franchise? You end up working for them.”
The...
Clearly the Tim's brewer can make a great cup of coffee, but is the price tag worth it? Only Cameron considers buying it. The others say, even if they had one, they'd still go to Tim's.
The Toronto...
Jose Cabrera's sudden death sparked panic among thousands of people who gave him a minimum of $10,000 each over two decades in exchange for up to 10 per cent monthly interest.
The Toronto...
Ronald McDonald is making Gerry and Ginny Dyck grimace.
The Toronto Star
January 1, 2001
Quaint town grapples with Big Mac attack
Eric Shinn
Ronald McDonald is making Gerry and Ginny Dyck...
…defines psychological harassment as: "any vexatious behaviour in the form of repeated and hostile or unwanted conduct, verbal comments, actions or gestures that affect an employee's dignity or...
…there was an endemic problem in Australia of middle-order franchisors systematically and deliberately recycling franchises. He claimed Lenard’s was a classic example of where owners did not...
The Whittier Daily News in California reported that Bob Baber walked into the restroom of a Quiznos restaurant on November 27, and shot himself three times. A detective on the scene reported that...
The president of a group of disgruntled Quiznos franchisees says the fast-food chain has been granted a court injunction, forcing him to close his three Oakville-area restaurants. Doug Johnson said...
To offer credits against the purchase of food or equipment to an estimated 2,300 operators who acquired franchises but never opened restaurants…That tally could total $57.5 million for Quiznos....
The settlement is “the culmination of several years of contentious litigation and reflects what we believe is a positive step for the future of the Quiznos system,” said Justin M. Klein, one of...
"Quiznos has killed me. Destroyed my life. Destroyed my family life for the past seven years," Baber said in the note.
The Denver Post
December 15, 2006
Quiznos fires 8 franchisees
The Denver-based...
The chain also will pay up to $11 million in plaintiffs' attorneys fees. "It's a pretty significant settlement for the franchisees," said Justin Klein, one of the plaintiffs' attorneys. "Not only...
The financial strain on the franchisees causes the business to fail, the suit maintains. When the franchise fails, Quiznos threatens the owners with lawsuits to enforce the agreement, which...
…known as a company beset by franchisee unrest. The company is the target of at least three class-action lawsuits involving franchisees. In November, Bob Baber, a distraught franchisee in Long...
The Wisconsin lawsuit cites a 2003 memorandum in which a Quiznos attorney wrote that 40 percent of open stores were ""not breaking even."" Plaintiffs say they were never given that information.
The...
Martin Dang, a franchise owner who currently operates a Quiznos location in Boulder, Colo., plans to reinvigorate two additional Colorado locations in Westminster and Louisville by the end of the...
…the settlement “contains financial benefits for current and former franchisees that elect to participate in the form of cash refunds, food purchase discounts and debt forgiveness.” The...
In a Dec. 8 letter from DLA Piper, Quiznos’ attorneys, the franchisor said it was terminating the franchise agreements of Toasted Subs’ eight board members, who represent 17 stores. The letter...
…Quiznos has negotiated more than 40 leases thus far, with an average reduction of 15-20 percent in lease payments. The store leases in consideration include leases that are expired as well as...
Toronto's notorious Just Desserts murder trial was "doomed from the start" after a trial judge naively invented an unorthodox jury selection technique aimed at including more blacks on the jury,...
The Barrie, Ont.-based company, whose holdings include 835 Radio Shack Canada stores and dealers, said yesterday that it will begin the process by changing its domicile from Delaware to Canada....
In an eleventh-hour twist, RadioShack Canada has emerged as the buyer of insolvent retailer Battery Plus Inc. During a hearing in Ontario Superior Court yesterday to approve the sale of Battery...
Depending on one's perspective, Roddick is either a visionary crucified for excessive enthusiasm or an exploiter of idealistic followers. The biggest problem for The Body Shop now is not...
Flaherty, who at least has the guts to talk revolutionary policy while apparent front-runner Ernie Eves coasts along on his confident lead, has the right idea of a privatization litmus test: If...
"I hope to bring attention to the right all Americans have to peacefully express their opinion in the form of civil disobedience," said the nine-time Grammy winner. "We exercised our right and...
Franchisees were unfairly pressured into opening stores with no or little consideration as to the financial ability of the existing business, says the claim.
http://smallbusiness.smh.com.au
June 3,...
A "pump and dump" scheme is one that involves artificially inflating the price of a stock or other security through phoney promotion in order to sell at an inflated price. The OSC issued...
As a result of these differences, the Canadian legal system is not overrun with frivolous lawsuits and, franchise claims are often settled before they are initiated or at the pre-trial...
Formerly Carpenter GMAC Real Estate, Indiana’s largest real estate company now boasts the name Carpenter Realtors(r) and a fresh new look as part of its new independent stature.
The...
"This was never about healthy diets," New Democratic Party MPP Marilyn Churley said. "This was about dealing with their deficit on the backs of the poor. Now they've caved into the big industry...
Robert Purvin, chairman of the American Association of Franchisees and Dealers, views sourcing of supplies and a franchisor’s ability to control purchasing as the prime issue in franchising…To...
"The evidence shows that A&P has engaged in a course of conduct that is intimidating, threatening and coercive," Winkler said in his decision. Winkler barred the company from communicating any...
…franchisees were defaulting on existing loans in record numbers. Defaults jumped 52 percent in fiscal 2008 over the previous year, for nearly $100 million in losses. Moreover, many of the...
Notably missing from the study’s list of success drivers was entrepreneurship. “It came out strongly that entrepreneurship wasn’t a desirable characteristic among franchisees,” Ms. Davey...
If you have grown tired and weary doing what you no longer like for a living, or if you recognize that you define your existence primarily by your occupation, it's probably a good time for some...
Throughout the five-week jury trial, Murat claimed that the hotel operator was motivated to protect its own financial interests in the Baton Rouge market. Red Roof Inns has one other hotel in the...
It has always been possible to say that nowhere in Latin America is there any franchise-specific legislation restricting the freedom of action of the parties. But if the law being advanced in...
Proper laws would lift the standard of business contracts and protect franchisees and consumers from being cheated…Sometimes, fraud was unintentionally committed because both franchisees and...
A dispute resolution tribunal … would save the people of Ontario millions of dollars in legal fees
… (and) a lot of agony.'- Mike Colle, minister of citizenship and immigration
The Toronto...
Hours after they gunned down Isidro Segundo Gil, paramilitaries broke into the office of the local union representing workers at a Coca- Cola bottling plant in northern Colombia and set their...
Remax NZ is attemping to liquidate One Tree Hill Realty, due to an unpaid debt but the former franchisee says the amount is seriously disputed. One Tree Hill Realty is a former franchisee of Remax,...
When a Globe reporter attempted to speak with his ex-wife…a man followed the reporter and ex-wife onto an elevator. The man eavesdropped as the ex-wife, who declined to give her name, cried and...
Kaile Warren, founder of the Rent-A-Husband home repair chain and a national TV personality, faces three felony charges, including securities fraud and theft by deception for misleading more than...
Warren says his lawyers are completing work on the franchise documents required since July 2008 under federal law for him to sell franchises. According to the Federal Trade Commission, it is...
Kaile Warren is charged in connection with the issuance of promissory notes by Warren and his Rent-a-Husband and KW Enterprises business. The Rent-A-Husband business conceived by Warren has...
RentCash shares dropped almost 30 per cent yesterday…
The Toronto Star
November 18, 2005
RentCash plunges on loan provision doubts
RentCash shares dropped almost 30 per cent yesterday over...
…the company's market value has shrunk by $335-million after a hilarious display of ineptitude — hilarious, that is, to everyone but Rentcash shareholders, who've lost 57 per cent of their...
Canada's record for prosecuting white-collar crime is improving, but a recent report by Pricewaterhouse-Coopers placed Canada in fourth place in the list of the world's most fraudulent countries...
CIBC has been stung many times in the past year. Its biggest wound came from the $2.63 billion after-tax charge it took last August in relation to lawsuits stemming from its dealings with the...
Three options exist long-term: Find a buyer. Create a publicly traded corporation. Retain the cooperative, with the owners continuing to do the work and taking the risks and earning the financial...
The memo says that by doing so the company is depriving them of the chance to recover goodwill, that it is misrepresenting financial aspects of the business to retailers before they sign their...
…asked the former Blue Chip adviser whether he had been concerned that a retired couple like the Bartles would be left exposed if Blue Chip failed. The former adviser said they had been assured...
In short, he questioned whether the hourly billing system encourages lawyers to drag out the case, instead of working for an early, and cheaper, resolution.
The Toronto Star
February 4, 2001
Revamp...
The review is an attempt to shore up the rail franchise system, under fire since National Express said in July it would hand its loss-making East Coast mainline back to the government. The changes...
Nine corporate insiders at Richtree Inc., which operates Moevenpick, Marché and Marchelino restaurants, have been slapped with a temporary cease-trading order because the firm hasn't filed...
Mövenpick's dereliction of duty has led to disastrous financial results at Richtree, hampered its expansion plans and caused a share slide that brought the company's market cap to a level low...
"It has always been part of our primary business plan to gradually transition the company towards franchising. We're at that sort of crossroads where we need to begin to act on that plan," West...
The directors alleged in court filings that the Reicherts took more than $1.2-million in unauthorized payments and tried to improperly acquire some company restaurants. The couple denied any...
"First, people buy a franchise because they think they'll finally own their own business and be the boss. Ha! I laugh…if there is any variation, you are in default of the agreement. The...
Donna Green is right on when she characterizes franchising relationships as being fundamentally imbalanced in terms of information and power. Thanks for publishing the real truth about franchising:...
Industry Minister Allan Rock flip-flopped yesterday and admitted an ethical breach when he accepted a free flight and vacation from the Irving family two years ago. He apologized to the Commons but...
The association — which doesn't include Internet loan providers, pawnbrokers or title loan providers — said it is developing penalties for companies that violate its code, including fines,...
Jenna was working away at her philosophy degree at Queen's University in Kingston when she decided to shift gears and head into her salad days in the new family business. Younger brother Justin,...
Last November he and Syrevich were charged in a fraud operation that involved switching PIN pads at fast-food outlets across Metro Vancouver. Gabureac, a refugee who came to Canada in 1999, was...
Mr Martin: Does the name Ed Barge mean anything? Mr Greenwood: Oh, it sure does. Yes. Mr Martin: We had him before us on Monday. Thank you very much.
Legislative Assembly of Ontario
March 8,...
"Now does anyone want to argue with me that we don’t have Enrons and Worldcoms in Canada?" Mr. Rosen asked after completing his long list. "If so, say so now because I’d like to strangle you in...
Among the CICA's beefs with Mr. Rosen is his persistent public denunciation of Canadian accounting standards. He describes them as a "massive Ponzi scheme," and says they attract fraudsters to this...
Reports circulated yesterday that troubled retail chain Nevada Bob's Golf Inc. is on the verge of signing a deal with a buyer. The golf supplies seller is said to be under the gun to sell from a...
Interpol is leading a worldwide hunt for the Rotorua couple who have fled with millions of dollars worth of Westpac's money. The couple, who ran Rotorua's BP Barnetts service station on Old Taupo...
…The Beer Store today launched its new "Retail Partners Program". Designed to add new value and services to existing and future agency stores, the Retail Partners Program will bring rural...
The bill calls most of Iraq's debt "odious" — a reference to the legal doctrine of odious debts that was outlined by a legal scholar in the 1920s in response to debt repudiations of the...
"Some of the interesting statistics include that 37% of franchisees didn't deem financial training provided by franchisors as sufficient," said Riaan Fouche, head of franchising at FNB. "Also, 40%...
…the appointment of administrators had upset the franchises which were not suffering from the same financial burden. "They are pretty upset about what is going on because of the effect to the...
'You can't run an inquiry without letting everybody have his say.'
The Globe and Mail
August 30, 2005
Samuel Grange, Jurist 1920-2005
Best known for heading the royal commission into the deaths of...
Walsh stopped using the O’Briens brand in recent months and renamed her outlets under the Finn McCool brand. O’Briens claim this was against the terms of their agreement, which ensured that she...
He was running the place before long. He joined the management of the chain, helping to sell franchises across Canada.
The Globe and Mail
February 8, 2001
Sandwich king gunned down
Former part...
…4,600 families have had their lives destroyed in this province, due to the unseemly, unethical behaviour of some franchise systems. In my view, they are indentured. They end up working seven...
One, they're told they can't use a local contractor in a particular situation, and two, ""You're going to have to use the contractor we send up,"" from, say, Toronto, ""and you pay for all of it.""...
This presentation alleges that a natural element of franchise agreements is to promote exclusivity for products and services. This creates a barrier to marketplace competition, sometimes denying...
He lambasted TD Bank for failing to exercise due diligence when it granted a mortgage to crooks posing as the condo's legitimate owners. He said the real owners, being absolutely blameless, should...
Canada does provide safer haven for very nasty folks who target the most vulnerable…Unethical companies are freer to collude, fix prices or take a chance that misleading advertising will make...
The father of five has been driving around Thornhill, where he lives, in a Mercedes SUV while his victims have lost large chunks of their life savings to schemes hatched by him and his brother,...
…has earned Canada an international reputation as the world’s telephone scam capital. Cross-border fraud remains one of the most pervasive forms of whit-collar crime in Canada and the U.S.,...
…the demands include a request for Green Acres to take full responsibility for Lapham's actions, asking for the return of the money paid to him and for loans for the purchases of the bogus...
Yang also borrowed $20,000 from FBL Finance - controlled by Green Acres' directors and shareholders - and her name was published in FBL's magazine.
http://tvnz.co.nz
January 3, 2008
Scam victims...
Dave Michael, the second ringleader in the lawsuit, said he is all for a solid contract that ensures quality and helps the company grow. But there are limits, he said, and they have been surpassed...
…he's been a lifelong critic of corporate culture in more than 35 books, including The Great Crash 1929 (1955), The New Industrial State (1967), and The Culture of Contentment (1992). Soon to be...
Buffet chain Valentines has denied disharmony is on its menu because of restaurant closures and a legal scrap with its South Auckland franchisee. The chain's Tauranga operator has left the...
A year and a day after being acquitted of masterminding a $2.7-billion (U.S.) fraud at HealthSouth Corp., Richard Scrushy was found guilty of bribery and mail fraud.
The Globe and Mail
June 30,...
The Canadian coffee market may be soaked in non-fat lattes and double tall mochas with whole milk and whipped cream, but there is still something missing, according to AFC Enterprises Inc., a U.S....
All of these men left CIBC between 2002 and 2003, but that is cold comfort for the bank, which has been trying to rehabilitate its public image following a series of embarrassing and costly...
The Globe and Mail
January 310, 2001
Second Cup
From Canada NewsWire, BCE Emergis e-News and ITG's CCN Disclosure
Tuesday, January 30, 2001
(SKL - TSE)
12 weeks ended Dec. 9 Year Ago to Dec....
Michael Bregman, a big shareholder of takeover candidate Second Cup Ltd., says he wants the chairman and chief executive of Cara Operations Ltd. Removed from Second Cup’s board of directors....
A battle is brewing for control of Second Cup after one of its minority shareholders moved Friday to oust Cara Operations executives from the board. Michael Bregman, whose family holds 24 per cent...
In its outlook for the year, Second Cup said Friday it expects to close 25 to 30 cafés this year compared with earlier guidance of 15 to 20 cafés as part of an effort to close unprofitable...
Second Cup chairman bought 160,766 company shares in July
The Globe and Mail
August 23, 2000
Second Cup chairman bought 160,766 company shares in July
Michael Bregman, chairman of Second Cup Ltd.,...
“[Mr. Tsampalieros] sees the future and he sees it slightly differently than Cara,” said Second Cup president Bruce Elliott.
The Glboe and Mail
June 14, 2006
Second Cup chairman to buy firm...
Second Cup Ltd. earnings fell in the second quarter due to an investment writeoff and a decline in sales in the specialty coffee market.
The Toronto Star
February 2, 2001
Second Cup earnings...
Second Cup Ltd. has adopted a poison pill to ward off a takeover bid by minority shareholder Cara Operations Ltd.
The Globe and Mail
November 30, 2001
Second Cup serves up poison pill
Moves to...
"I see myself as a brand steward, making sure the brand stays healthy and evolves in a truly unique, Canadian way," Mr. Tsampalieros said.
The Globe and Mail
June 15, 2006
Second Cup's new owner...
Cara Operations' takeover bid for the Second Cup coffee shop chain appears doomed after a major stockholder said today that owners of half the shares want a sweeter offer.
The Toronto Star
January...
Company chairman Michael Bregman, whose family holds 24% of Second Cup shares, has been a vocal opponent of the bid. Investors Group has a 17% interest.
The Financial Post
November 17, 2001
Second...
…a representative group of people who invested in three central Auckland developments through Blue Chip cannot get out of their sale and purchase agreements on the apartments…the three...
…he had $220,000 in floor stock when he shut his shop, and said Kleenmaid officials declined to buy it back to fill outstanding orders: "I've lost my life savings. I've got a young family and a...
Formerly a darling of the stock market…A stock that once traded at more than $50 fell to about $4 in 2006… shares were $1.12, down 2.6%, in after-hours trading. The stock price has fallen 79%...
"Compared to an Enron, it pales in comparison. But I am disgusted with the conduct of all the people involved in this. If they all didn't work together it couldn't have happened. You needed the...
After almost four years, the case has yet to go to trial. The franchisees’ legal costs to date: more than $200,000…“If mediation isn’t undertaken seriously, it’s just an additional cost...
Allegations have included charges that Krispy Kreme was too aggressive in its accounting of the buyback of franchises in Michigan and did not disclose that one of the sellers in another buyback was...
…the same thing happened to hundreds of other people, enabling them to get loans through Tasman Mortgages that they should never have qualified for. Tasman was owned by Blue Chip at the time many...
"[We were] struck by the extent to which alternative financial service providers — and the volume of business conducted by them — appear to be growing. We view their growth as somewhat...
Beating up a financial adviser with a Zimmer frame is more than the whole of America has managed to do with Wall Street since 1929. Some German pensioners now known as the OAP mob are now heroes...
KFC has pulled an ad that showed an elderly woman wearing a bucket of chicken as a hat, after the spot drew criticism from groups including the Alzheimer Society of Canada and the Canadian...
Critics accuse the company to drive growth are increasingly at the expense of franchisees. After all, every licensee rental payments of up to 20 percent of pay, plus five percent of net sales as a...
Will the service sector ever see brand-name superstars? It depends on whether franchisors remember that they also are a service industry. They serve their franchisees.
The Globe and Mail
July 7,...
…she was shocked to see how many employees were immigrants. She was amazed to see how these corporations had found a way to use the influx of immigrants to their advantage.
The Financial...
Not only is your pizza free if you are not greeted with a grin, but the offending employee is “history,” says Pizza Pizza’s executive director, Lorne Austin.
The Globe and Mail
January 12,...
One franchise on downtown Peel Street closed its doors in April, claiming a 300-per-cent hike in rent. The employees of that franchise received union accreditation in November of last year, and...
A former employee told the Herald some Wizard branches had a "cowboy culture", with "rampant over-declaration" of customers' incomes enabling them to qualify for loans. Wizard wrote a lot of...
The first-of-its-kind shareholder resolution filed by a college endowment fund has leveraged the giant McDonald’s chain to look seriously at reducing pesticide use. Pesticide use can negatively...
— and is paid in cash. "This is big money," one Dunkin' franchisee told The Post. "They must be really desperate to grow."
New York Post
December 29, 2009
Sharing the dough
Dunkin' giving sweet...
No Frills is owned by Loblaw Cos. Ltd. In an email message, Inge van den Berg, senior vice-president for corporate affairs, said the health and safety of the company’s customers is...
Next step for the operators: lobbying for amendments to Ontario’s franchise legislation. So, Australia, Brazil and Canada. Just the first three letters of the alphabet, but enough to suggest that...
With plans to double its Ontario presence within the next five years, a Toronto-based sports-themed restaurant chain is expanding into Ottawa.
Ottawa Business Journal
July 30, 2009
Shoeless Joe's...
"Dunkin' Donuts has sued franchise owners 154 times since 2006 - a far cry from McDonald's five lawsuits against owners and Subway's 12 lawsuits…and for anyone to suggest that we take legal...
Shoppers Drug Mart Inc., Canada's largest drug store chain, laid off as many as 200 of its head office employees yesterday — about one-fifth of its corporate and regional staff, according to...
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"Imagine having to travel perhaps up to 100 kilometres round trip to pick up your mail, which would involve bills sent to you, and in many cases, cheques that you rely on," Burgess said. "And would...
Mr. Brah complained to Subway about the dress code and asked for an apology. Instead, he received more reprimands. Finally, he said he had to sell several of his Subway shops after being found "out...
Where's the money, you bastard?'' one member of the packed public gallery grumbled before the judge announced the sentence.
The Toronto Star
February 6, 2001
Sinner sent to prison for...
I will tell the secret to you, to you, only you. Come closer. This song is a cry for help: Help me!
Only you, only you can, you are unique. At last. Alas it is a boring song but it works every...
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…the "largest skimming crime to have happened in Australia"… Det Snr Sgt Heise said WA McDonald's outlets were targeted because of the type of pin keypad they...
"Police are continuing to work closely with numerous financial institutions and McDonald's, with McDonald's being the only EFTPOS sale devices affected at this time," he said. Det Heise said more...
West Australians' bank accounts were continuing to be drained from old EFTPOS skimming rorts at McDonald's fast food restaurants, police said. The Fraud Squad have had numerous reports that bank...
He calls on consumers to lobby the U.S. Congress, to use boycotts to force the fast food giants to reform, to simply walk away from all that delicious mouthfeel. FAST FOOD NATION: THE DARK SIDE OF...
But McDonald's would be well advised to rethink its ill-conceived plans. As Adler says, the neighbourhood has come together as never before - expressly to stop the chain.
The Toronto Star
January...
Small- and medium-sized businesses are eager for Competition Act amendments to pass so they can begin to challenge unfair practices by larger competitors and suppliers…
The Financial Post
March...
A year into McDonald's Corp.'s much-publicized overhaul of its kitchens, customers sometimes face an unwelcome trade-off: Hotter, fresher food, but longer waits at the counter. For a company that...
At his sentencing last year, Madam Justice Louise Gauthier said Montpellier may only be able to imagine the anxiety, pain and real fear that he inflicted on investors…"Based on what he did, I...
At the end of a talk on organised crime, Dr. Robert Hare mentioned his belief that some of the year's worst accounting scandals could have been avoided if all chief executives were screened for...
At 20 per cent of revenue but only 14 per cent of EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization), it's clear that the unit – which supplies restaurants — was a bruised...
The Globe and Mail
June 15, 2000
Sobeys sued by IGA retailers
The Sobeys Inc. grocery chain says it has received notice that a statement of claim has been filed against it and its subsidiary,...
…the difficulty of dealing with independent franchisees, who do not necessarily want to follow the corporate line…”an advisory group that is intransigent, confrontational and unwilling to...
Industry analysts said the sale of SERCA did not come as a surprise because Sobeys has been trying to unload the orphan division since it was picked up as part of the acquisition of the IGA...
As Batie was returning from Afghanistan, he learned was being stripped of the two Subway restaurants he bought before mobilizing. The stores were sold to Subway insiders, with one transaction...
But some franchisers have stepped in to help applicants obtain financing by being a co-guarantor for loans and lines of credit. "We have literally done a handful of those, but it is not a big...
…he preys on women and less-savvy financial types, befriends them, then pursues any money or home equity of which he becomes aware. Once he has the money, they say, he would either stop...
THE founder of failed whitegoods company Kleenmaid offered his "sympathy" yesterday to creditors left $82 million out of pocket. Kleenmaid director Andrew Young then leap-frogged thousands of...
These are, incidentally, the same four boxes of documents that plaintiffs' lawyer Todd Tracy said in December didn't contain a "shred of evidence." Biller can't release the documents, an arbitrator...
"The whole thing was launched based on the popularity of the Seinfeld TV show," Mr. Greenspon said. "We came in on that wave and it got us launched very successfully, only to find out it was a...
Al Yeganeh, the New York City soup chef made famous in the mid-‘90s as the churlish “Soup Nazi” character on TV’s Seinfeld, is selling franchises. And he plans to include Toronto in his...
Original SoupMan spokesman John Rarrick chalked up the store failures to the normal "growing pains" associated with any new restaurant franchise. Of the struggling stores, he said, "They were...
"The state of franchise law in Canada is very weak," he says. "When it comes down to it, the franchise companies hold all the cards."
Canadian Business magazine
June 1, 2003
Sour dough
John...
A grand jury in Nevada has indicted him on four fraud charges relating to allegations he bilked investors out of more than $20-million (U.S.) and used the cash to cover personal expenses.
The Globe...
"It is not only the Opposition calling for urgent action, members on the government side are also calling for action," she said. Dr Emerson has met with franchisor representative group the...
"Why won't this work?" asked Wyatt, who is reportedly an intelligent and astute individual most of the time. "Just close already, goddammit." At press time, Wyatt was attempting to secure a square...
H&R Block Inc., the largest U.S. tax preparer, fraudulently marketed retirement savings plans that caused hundreds of thousands of mostly low-income clients to lose money…
The Globe and...
Spudbar CEO Kirsten Roberts was delighted to announce McNamara’s appointment as they prepare for a busy year of expansion. “I am very excited to be working alongside someone with such proven...
But, at the level of public trust, the damage has already been done. Mr. Radwanski's contribution was to accelerate the decline of deference. Citizens are increasingly suspicious of people in...
The FCA opposes most of the recommendations but Mr Penman said that stance was "just total garbage". He wanted franchisee advocates and major franchisors to jointly push for reforms, including...
Details of the "rescue package"" yesterday received a less-than-warm welcome from one man representing the defrauded franchisees…""They are trying to look as if they are doing something. It's not...
Of the 40,000 franchisees in Ontario, 5,000 are presently battling it out in court with their franchisors. Les Stewart is one of them. He’s locked into a lawsuit with the lawn care franchisor for...
A couple of weeks ago, in the predawn hours of a Monday, thieves hurled a large rock through the store's glass door, let themselves in and helped themselves to about 70 left-handed sticks. The...
“Their situation is very similar to one steelworkers faced with their corporate giant Dofasco in 1990…
The Sault Star
August 27, 1996
Steel union backing Loeb franchisees in corporate...
But are some companies now exploiting the law to their advantage?
The Toronto Star
March 19, 2005
Stelco profits and CCAA protection
Better known by its abbreviation, CCAA, the Companies' Creditors...
Abu Ahmed Golam Sarwar, 37, is charged with trafficking a controlled substance.
The Toronto Star
April 29, 2005
Steroids for sale next to soy
Undercover police bought illegal drugs. Health food...
…with more than 1,000 victims from small investors to large banks, the losses are in the millions…were conned into trading through these boiler rooms," Comey said. "The companies were called...
Streams of motorists desperate for their morning caffeine gather each day at Tim Hortons drive-throughs across St. John's, with lines of vehicles routinely backing up onto busy roads.That's great...
While backdating options isn't necessarily illegal, it can cause a company to improperly deduct employee-compensation expenses that could in turn exaggerate profit and lead to an underpayment of...
West Australian Premier Alan Carpenter announced an inquiry into franchise arrangements at the beginning of this month, after it was revealed in WA parliament that US-based Yum Restaurants...
“Basically they’re going to buy our inventory back from us at what price they deem is fair and with no additional financial compensation. They feel the contract is over, thanks, goodbye, we...
By the way, most of the individual franchisees and the association have the same attorney, and that attorney has filed several lawsuits against Shakey's over the last several years. It's a...
…with the personal bankruptcy of a bankruptcy trustee with a twice-bankrupt lawyer acting for him. "It certainly was a most unusual set of characters in a bankruptcy proceeding,"…
The Toronto...
"We have seen no case for the justification of the franchise of Mill Hill post office and we are not going to go away," said to them. "We would ask you to change your decision."
This is...
Mr. Martin at one point even called for an investigation into allegations against the Canadian Franchise Association – a body representing some Canadian franchisors – that is not meeting its...
Students at Indiana University are leading a campaign to get state agencies to reject doing business with a company accused of environmental abuses.
Bloomington Herald Times
October 25,...
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Compatible with 800x600
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Public Beta 1.1c
August 6, 2008
http://wiki-coke.wikidot.com/
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Clements worked at Subway before buying a franchise in Kaiapoi in 2005 for $480,000. After the success of that store, a year later she bought a second franchise at Northlands Mall for $410,000....
"A conservative estimate would be that 30 percent of the Subway franchisees in Germany are just scraping by at the subsistence level," says Bernd Fassbender, president of the Franchisee Association...
McDonald's still far outsells Subway, generating more than $40 billion, and surpasses the sandwich shop in global presence. The fact that there are more Subway restaurants in the country may be a...
When we realized that DAI wouldn't budge on several key items critical to the franchisees' rights, we felt we had no choice but to ask the court to enforce the Trust Agreement and to protect our...
Religious freedom, which includes the freedom to wear a head covering of choice, belongs to every Canadian, much as the right to ride on a city bus belongs to everyone. No one in this country needs...
The case, which garnered attention across the globe, took a big step in Batie's favor in October when a judge ruled that Subway Real Estate Corp. had violated Batie's rights under the...
Owners of Atom's Juice Cafe - which doesn't sell meat or dairy products - say that lawsuit and another suit filed against it by the mall owner are nothing more than an attempt to run them out of...
They're claiming trademark abuse and copyright infringement and want the case heard in the High Court rather than Leeds near where I live. I set up the website to give information to would-be...
What all that really means is that they control everything, and when they want to get rid of you, they can and will, without prior notice. They'll take everything and make sure that you can't...
"By deliberately setting more debt traps for low-income families …” Critics say the high fees and interest charged on the paycheque-to-paycheque loans trap already vulnerable borrowers in a...
This summary sets out the recommendations and concerns presented to the Standing Committee on Regulations and Private Bills during its consideration of Bill 33, Franchise Disclosure Act, 1999. It...
Sunk Costs: beg to get back 15%
Assets sold for fraction of cost or value
Credit note system
Designed to fail as franchise investment
Forced to invest in unproven concept
Leasehold improvements...
"Suncor's franchise operators have been treated as chattels in the amalgamation process. The operation of Ontario's franchise legislation will result in Sunoco's dealers, who built up the Sunoco...
The poll found that 70 per cent of respondents disagreed — 61 per cent ""strongly"" disagreed and 9 per cent disagreed ""somewhat"" — with the Gardens becoming a Loblaws store.
The Globe and...
…Mr and Mrs Smith don't have a chance,…The fact that you cannot buy locally and that you cannot buy the same quality of product or service at a competitive price leaves your gross margins...
Despite the highly visible role that franchising plays within our economy, there are fundamental flaws in its basic structure. Some franchisors take advantage of those flaws…Most Americans don't...
He has been called shameless and slick, a relentless self-promoter, a peddler of lousy penny stock. But you have got to give him this: Larry Ryckman has never lacked for chutzpa…
The Financial...
…Crackower's sentence was too lenient and pales in comparison to penalties for fraud in the U.S. Crackower is eligible for parole in 20 months. "It's just sad,"" Eisenberg said. "It's...
http://lesstewart.wordpress.com
September 19, 2008
Symbols: Strength through Unity
Les Stewart
Michael Webster over at Misleading Advertising Law picked up on my recent posting: Franchising is the...
At the Small Claims Court in Brampton, Ontario W-FIVE found thirty lawsuits against Morrissey and various Countrywide companies dating back to 2002…"It seemed to me that this was a carefully...
Waffle House Inc., which took over 121 restaurants owned by a failed franchise in February, could be called on to assume more than 100 units in Tennessee, Kentucky and Mississippi. Waffle House...
After Vazquez posted his complaints on Internet blogs, he was contacted by so many other Jan-Pro franchisees, they decided to file a class-action lawsuit. He is now one of the 12 lead plaintiffs...
The federal privacy commissioner, alerted by a reporter, is also looking into the incident.
…the bank learned the faxes were being sent to the wrong person on Sept. 29, when Soda contacted the...
Tanning beds are as certain to cause cancer as smoking, according to a new risk assessment.
http://www.bloomberg.com
July 29, 2009
Tanning Beds Are Deemed as Certain to Cause Cancer as Smoking
Eva...
Tanning beds and ultraviolet radiation cause cancer and have been moved up to the highest risk category by international cancer experts. The new classification means tanning beds and UV definitely...
In her judgment, Madam Justice Sandra Chapnik described Bellfield as "haughty," "cunning" and the "producer" in an international fraud…Under the scheme, wealthy people would invest in the...
If Mr. Flaherty really thinks the average Canadian is "overtaxed" he would restore the balance between individual and corporate tax payments. Don't count on it. Corporations have lobbyists and PR...
Tax authorities need to "make sure the lawyers, accounting firms and investment bankers are playing by the rules," he said.
The Toronto Star
August 4, 2006
Tax scam busted after Canadian, U.S....
Tenants say they deserve the same kind of power. "If landlords can legally demand information on prospective tenants' rental and employment history, the same should hold true for prospective...
Susan Kezios, president of the AFA…said she’s been surprised by the support such legislation is gaining among “white, Republican males who tell me that this (franchising) is not free...
Franchising…is part of the American Dream… But too often, the dream of business ownership is shattered by sharp disputes between franchisors and franchisees – and trial lawyers may find that...
Grief, said Elisabeth Kubler-Ross, has five stages. Denial is followed by anger, then bargaining, depression and, finally, acceptance. Even when we are thrashing around in fury or drowning in...
The major effect of this arrangement was that BCFS received a substantial portion of the NZ franchise's cash flows but could not be called upon to meet its liabilities. If the NZ operation got into...
This meant the sales process was not covered by the regulations which govern the way real estate agents operate, such as requiring the use of trust accounts when handling investors'...
It began in Wichita, Kansas, in 1921, spawning what was to become the first fast-food hamburger chain in the world. Now there are nearly 400 restaurants, selling over 500 million burgers a...
In the end, it is difficult, if not impossible, to defend a public monopoly on the enforcement of competition laws whose central raison d'tre is redressing the evils of private monopoly.
The...
Unsafe at any Speed
Franchisee abandons their investment
Franchises aren’t selling
Franchisor cashs out
Franchisor chooses to do nothing when told of investor losses
Franchisor negligent in not...
Mister Softee vice-president James Conway Jr., whose father and uncle founded the company in Philadelphia in 1956, said the ban on its trademark jingle would be a serious blow to its...
“I can’t tell if Ben & Jerry’s is just incompetent or criminally negligent,” said one franchisee, who is pumping $50,000 a year into his sinking stores. “It spends tens of millions of...
…some so-called settlement lawyers were charging interest rates of 52 per cent to lend former residential students money before they received cheques. According to Mr. Cannon's affidavit, Ms....
"We want people in this country to have healthy food," said Steen Stender, vice-president of the Danish Nutrition Council. "Instead of putting the word trans on the label and telling people what...
…(those owned by the Body Shop itself and run by company employees rather than franchisees) seemed to have no problem getting products. Why? Some franchisees claim the company was on a campaign...
By pleading guilty, Eagleson, a towering presence in Canadian hockey for 25 years, is admitting to lining his pockets with money that belonged to the players he was sworn to faithfully represent,...
An advisory council of franchise representatives is appointed and meets twice a year at head office with senior management to discuss opportunities and issues. Weekly, senior management gather...
Using the World Health Organization's checklist for personality types, Joel Bakan, author of The Corporation, concludes that the personality is that of a psychopath. A corporation has a callous...
Sadly, the number of seriously overweight children in France has more than doubled since the 1980s. There are fat camps in France where once the very idea was ridiculous. The report encourages...
Frustrated by the succession logjam, Ms. Regan remembers complaining to her father and her mother: "How can you do this to your child? I'm bright, have done the MBA, the PhD, I had kids and I...
Even with this growing empire, Rogers keeps humble.
Canadian Business Franchise Magazine
March/April 1998
The Franchise Company – growing in an unusual niche
From a basement apartment operation...
The Franchise Disclosure Act (Ontario) has introduced a seemingly absolute right of rescission to a franchisee, for breach on the part of the franchisor of its disclosure obligations under the...
”The representation by the franchise industry that buying any franchise is a guarantee of business success is false and irresponsible. It is The Franchise Fraud.” p. 10
Book:...
”The representation by the franchise industry that buying any franchise is a guarantee of business success is false and irresponsible. It is The Franchise Fraud.” p. 10
Book:...
”The representation by the franchise industry that buying any franchise is a guarantee of business success is false and irresponsible. It is The Franchise Fraud.” p. 10
Book:...
”The representation by the franchise industry that buying any franchise is a guarantee of business success is false and irresponsible. It is The Franchise Fraud.” p. 10
Book:...
The Australian dream of becoming self-employed can be the path to financial security, but it can also go disastrously wrong.
BRW
January 26, 2009
The franchising trap
The Australian dream of...
The family lost $150,000 and sadly, the man who put his life’s savings on this scheme, is today on welfare…“These people need to be protected. It is mostly the new immigrants who fall victims...
Malice that cannot speak its name, cold-blooded but secret hostility, impotent desire, hidden rancor, and spite all cluster at the center of envy. La Rochefoucauld opened the subject of envy nicely...
What a perfectly Canadian irony. Our own Roméo Dallaire is the genuine article, a world-class hero, and everyone in the world knows but him.
The Globe and Mail
November 1, 2003
The hero and the...
"I was impressed with Mister Donuts and wanted a franchise, but on my way back to Toronto, I thought, 'Why do I want a franchise? I can do that myself…Around that time, the idea man behind Tim...
A number of franchisees also contend the company misled them, giving them promises of profit potential that proved unrealistic or inaccurate revenue numbers from existing stores. And some say that...
Each had paid and borrowed between $145,000 and $325,000 to open a Baskin-Robbins — certainly not chump change, but still an option for entry-level entrepreneurs. (One Canadian franchisee, in...
Media makers – particularly advertisers – use a number of indentifiable techniques to inform and persuade media consumers. We can use our understanding of these techniques as specific tools for...
Lower risk makes the franchise business a good choice for baby boomers looking for a second career…"What a franchise offers is a lower-risk point of entry." Franchises make good customers because...
Mr. Levitt says he had no intention of letting a high-overhead whale feed off his “very lucrative” firm.
The Globe and Mail
December 7, 2005
The Law Page
Would you like fries with that...
Although the IFA has had its franchisee members in its march against this legislation, most legislators still see the battle as “David against Goliath.” IFA has not taken any kind of active...
"Think about it more as renting an apartment than as buying a home."
USA Today
April 12, 2002
The lowdown on franchising
What do McDonald's, Singer Sewing Machine, and Minnie Pearl have in common?...
The company claims the average weight loss on its program is 2 pounds a week. It also claims an 80 per cent success rate. The chain has 330 stores, most of them franchises, though one of Hudson's...
The truth is that corporations paid the equivalent of 60 per cent of all individual taxes collected in the early 1960s, according to national accounts. Since then, the figure has dropped to about...
Disagreement over the chain's future also estranged Mr. Blumes from his identical twin brother, Moe, who had served as Mark's chief financial officer before bolting. Mr. Blumes, 58, has wrestled...
Courting
Engagement
Wedding
Post Honeymoon
The Souring
Separation
The Affair
Divorce Court
Marriage Counselors
Bachelorhood
Franchise bar: Serving those most able to pick up the tab
95 per cent of legal fees are paid by franchisors
Competition rulings
Cost of doing business
Delaware-based corporation
Exponential...
Who are you going to Trust?
Activists
American Association of Franchisees and Dealers, AAFD
American Franchisee Association, AFA
Award-winning franchisees
Bob “Bhupinder” Baber
Canadian...
Franchising is like a marriage.
Top 30 Business Risks
Industry's players co-operate profitably
The Role of Confusion
There are 2 characteristics of franchise agreements that make them unique. You...
Credence goods: Experts often cheat
Accounting fraud
Accounting, creative
Appraisals were inflated
Breach of duty
Credence good fraudulent expert
Credence goods
Development agents really just...
Negative Externalites: Costs are dodged by those that profit
Alcoholism
Architectural conservation
Assault
Childhood obesity
Clinical depression
Corporate governance
Costs of scandals
Danger to...
Franchising is much riskier than non-franchised businesses
Banker says franchised is less risky than independent business
Bootstrapping the assets of a corporation
Fraud is widespread
Futility of...
Government loan programs: taxpayers on hook for misuses
Canada Small Business Financing Act
Government guaranteed loan approved extremely quickly
Government guaranteed loans, abolish...
Shame & Humiliate into silence
Blame the franchisee
Character assassination
Death threats
Dehumanization
Dissent
Franchisees accused of lying
Harassment
Humiliation
Identity
Industry third...
Franchisees' defensive tactics
1/3 franchises do well, 1/3 break even & 1/3 lose money
Abolish the FTC Rule
Academic research
Advice from franchise lawyer only
Affordable, early and non-legal...
Big Franchising: aligned self-interests (not a conspiracy)
Alpha Male attorney
Attempt to pull down website/weblog/wiki
Contempt for democracy
Dire warnings unsubstantiated with data
Franchise...
…"My critics think my interests are occult, when what I am doing is drawing our attention to the invisible." The supreme McLuhan paradox remains — so the often erudite essays in Understanding...
"The financial industry has the duty of care to provide products that are appropriately designed." And where were the securities commissions? Good question. "All those authorities who should have...
Lenard’s Chicken mogul Gerardus Heijne created so much fear even a police officer required protection…Canning MP Don Randall took up the cudgels for several disaffected Lenard’s franchisees...
Then there's the myth of the hockey hero Tim Horton himself, which has been dismantled over time, most recently in last year's The Perfect Husband, an ironically titled documentary that tore Horton...
And as [Ned] Levitt notes…”they don’t have the depth of knowledge about that business to really take on the responsibility of all these children called ‘franchisees’ – how to raise them...
The law also gives franchisees the right to associate freely or join independent franchisee associations without fear of being penalized, and demands both parties act in ""good faith to a...
A gang of pensioners alleged to have kidnapped and tortured their financial adviser when they lost nearly £2million in the global crisis were charged by police yesterday. American-born James...
Rosenfeld, who is appealing his three-year sentence, told an undercover RCMP officer that it was "20 times safer to be a lawyer involved in this activity," in Canada compared to the U.S. because of...
You could see Maple Leaf Foods CEO Michael McCain acting effectively during the listeriosis crisis. He sounded as if he'd taken the course and got an A. The role of PR is important because the...
"I always said that if I wasn't studying psychopaths in prison, I'd do so at the Vancouver Stock Exchange," he says, recalling the days when the VSE was still up and tumbling like the Wild West…...
Be prepared for a fight. “Power and control are important to psychopaths. They don’t like to lose, and will use charm, threats, intimidation, litigation and violence if they judge it is in...
He was an enforcer, ultimately addicted to hockey, painkillers and alcohol, who played into his 40s when financially, he didn't need to. He died on Feb. 21 1974, aged 44, while driving home in...
…argues that the American narcissist ""does not accumulate goods and provisions against the future, in the manner of the acquisitive individualist of nineteenth-century political economy, but...
Appearance of government oversight
Arbitration, secret
Assuming a busy store is a profitable store can be very dangerous
Attempts to rehabilitate image
Bait advertising
Be your own...
…the Russian mafia is attracted to hockey both in the former Soviet Union and abroad. He shows how organised crime figures deliberately targeted some of the top hockey players in the NHL and were...
Between 1990 and 1992, an additional $425,000 was paid to Lorn Austin from Pizza Pizza’s advertising trust fund, according to an affidavit by forensic accounting firm Lindquist, Avery, Macdonald,...
JOHN LESSIF of Tillsonburg, Ontario, is the Canadian Golden Arch winner this year. A partner and agent of change within the operator community for 20 years, John has grown his market to 4...
Arousing fear and desire (they may be beautiful, but their tails remind us that they are also grotesque misfits), they are aligned with all those other idols of perversity that have been identified...
…alleging that she had been "separately and independently defrauded." Snap-on hadn't allowed Nancy to sign the original franchise agreement, so she wasn't bound by the same rules as Brian. But...
Appearance of government oversight
Arbitration, secret
Assuming a busy store is a profitable store can be very dangerous
Attempts to rehabilitate image
Bait advertising
Be your own...
“Be your own boss” is a catch phrase many franchisors use to entice new buyers. Nothing could be farther from the truth in the Quiznos system. Once we (meaning the majority of Quiznos owners)...
Mr. Downer is still in business. He broke a window to get in, tore down the paper and sent the security guard home. He paid the $4,800 four days later, then was hit with Subway’s $4,600 legal...
“a good salesperson can sell around the disclosure document,” Levitt …
Report on Business magazine
December 1, 1998
The Sure Thing
Peter Thomas thought he’d bought into a can’t-miss...
Critics concede payday lenders are filling a need, but label the industry as predatory and driven by greed. It has to be heavily regulated to protect vulnerable borrowers, they say. In the United...
There's one more reason for the fund industry here to get out in front of the U.S. scandals. In a word, it's fees. New York Attorney-General Eliot Spitzer, the man behind the crackdown on the U.S....
Business model had never created adequate investor returns
Churning (serial reselling)
Disclosure laws: false sense of security
Encroachment (too many outlets put in territory)
Franchisees have no...
Canadian universities are agog after the Massachusetts Institute of Technology yesterday announced what appears to be a world first: It is making most of its course materials available to the...
The only way to be sure about any agreement is to check with other franchisees to see how they have been treated. Context – how the system is run – is far more important than the agreement...
In his role as social, political, and economic analyst, McLuhan was a clown.
Wired magazine
January 1996
The Wisdom of Saint Marshall, the Holy Fool
In the tumult of the digital revolution, McLuhan...
The basic franchise fee is$15,000 for a territory defined as having a 50,000 population, and $7,500 for every additional territory. Four territories are in the process of being franchised and there...
To date, the company has made good progress in its president's drive to become a billion-dollar business by 2006.
The Hamilton Spectator
July 11, 2001
They're gaining on Hortons
Strategy Afton...
Why were they so conspicuously silent when analysts were blatantly pumping up the shares of marginal tech companies in the late 1990s?…In other words, a third of the industry was knowingly...
Territory: wars are fought over it, marriages ruined, neighbors divided and political careers forged. No wonder territorial encroachment has become a flash point in the increasingly litigious...
WikidFranchise additions for the week of May 25, 2009:
Note: Each article mentions a set of risks in the footer area. These are key in studying franchising. There are over 1200 inherent risks...
Thomas' popularity derived from subtle contradictions. He was cool because he was anti-cool. He seemed slow in an industry that stressed fast. And his common-sense approach and ho-hum attitude...
Not all of the Carnett’s Car Wash locations will be branded as Mr. Clean. Although Procter & Gamble acquired the Georgia carwash chain’s assets in January, Carnett’s founder Bruce Arnett...
Perhaps solving one of South Florida's most notorious crimes, police arrested three men Tuesday in the 2001 ambush slaying of Konstaninos “Gus” Boulis — a murder that happened a few months...
He won acclaim for his condemnation of the widening U.S. income gap in his Zero-Sum Society (1980), arguing that the gains of the affluent came at the expense of the less politically...
Victims were instructed to send the difference in price to bank accounts in Toronto, the Bahamas or the United Kingdom or to specific mailboxes across Canada. More than 200 people fell for the...
…Barrie "Bazzz" Young, president of franchising for Snap-On Tools…"We're proactive in helping them exit the business," Young said. "That limits the financial risk of them getting out of the...
And he built up a business and then all of a sudden, this national company comes in and says, hey, we want so much more per cent (INDISTINCT) reasonable from you in order to sign this contract...
In short, the franchise route to self-employment is associated with higher business failure rates and lower profits than independent business ownership.
U.S.A. House of Representatives
June 24,...
Mr. Horton was complex and troubled, and often drank too much. But he was not a heartless goon and he was probably as close to his family as the long absences of a professional hockey career would...
Doughnut chain Tim Hortons continues to be a star performer for Wendy's International Inc.
The Toronto Star
February 9, 2002
Tim Hortons boosts Wendy's bottom line
Doughnut chain Tim Hortons...
Some day, Tim Hortons might well be everywhere from Alaska to Florida. But for now, the company is satisfied with steady, well-planned growth closer to its Ontario home.
The Globe and Mail
March...
The pump and dunk scheme left a small fortune on the table. It was also nasty. The rich guys — the hedge funds — got a lot richer; the poor schlubs who make the Tims shops their second home...
The two organizations announced a co-branding test initiative in March 2009 involving up to 50 locations in the US for each chain following a successful test in two Rhode Island Tim Hortons...
Tim Hortons, which has 2,971 outlets in Canada and 556 in the U.S, said same-store sales jumped in both Canada and the United States as third-quarter revenues increased 10.7%. Net income fell more...
…are attempting to turn the suit into a class action. They claim in the suit that the corporate decision in 2002 to manufacture doughnuts off-site and then ship frozen products to stores has...
"Always Fresh" apparently has its price, as doughnut king Tim Hortons is finding out the hard way. The icon of Canadian franchising has been hit with an attempted $1.95-billlion class-action suit...
In his Nov. 1, 2006, radio broadcast, Carroll said: "If Tim Hortons wants to have a franchise in Afghanistan, it's a pretty good public relations gesture … Then let them pay for it." In a Global...
"This is so blatantly sexist that I would never in a million years have expected it from Tim Hortons," Ms. Porter said. "I for one have lost respect for them and may even stop buying their coffee...
Ron Joyce, who co-founded the national institution nearly 40 years ago, this week lashed out at Tim Hortons' U.S.-based owners, saying he was "truly disappointed" by the move…He was particularly...
By last night, almost 2,000 people had signed a petition on change.org, a gay rights website, to urge Tim Hortons to drop its support of the event. Twitter was aflutter with irate tweets, and blogs...
The Alliance claims CDS plans to stiff the landlords, causing them to sue. Just 75 lease defaults would bankrupt the realty company. The food services company would then be put under bankruptcy or...
Timothy's Coffees of the World Inc. has acquired mmmuffins Canada Corp., one of the country's largest privately held franchise companies with more than 90 stores.
The Toronto Star
January 7,...
The financial terms of yesterday's deal between the two private companies weren't revealed, but it's the second major recent acquisition by Timothy's. Last year, the company acquired 52 GrabbaJabba...
Timothy's Coffees of the World Inc. has closed its U.S. operations, affecting about 20 outlets.
The Globe and Mail
February 5, 2002
Timothy's shuts U.S. outlets
Oliver Bertin
TORONTO — Timothy's...
Tim Hortons Inc.'s top executive Paul House bought more than $3.3-million worth of company stock on the day it went public last week…Mr. House is up about half a million dollars so far.
The Globe...
This forced it to behave in an unacceptably cagey, almost sinister manner as it slashed doughnut production costs on the sly. As in politics, so in food. It's not the culinary crime that'll kill...
Tims has about 2,700 stores in Canada but just 300 south of the border. Canadian stores contribute 91 per cent of company revenue and 98 per cent of Tims' pretax earnings, according to a research...
"As a Canadian, there are certain things that we can all be proud of and this is one of them," he said. "It's hard to see this translate here in America."
The Globe and Mail
July 27, 2009
Tim's...
…was appalled at the tobacco companies' tactics. "It's exceedingly rare for costs to be visited on lawyers," he says. "That's Draconian to seek costs against counsel." He argues that the high...
You probably would get it if you went to their lawyers —y ou certainly wouldn't get it from them today, because each one of them has signed the infamous gag order…They cannot speak to...
…three changes in ownership and two bankruptcies resulted in a trail of disaster for some 60-plus franchisees within my franchise system. Not only did these operators lose their initial...
They don't have any problem taking you to the wall and they will take you to the wall, and they will either make you walk away or they will break you financially for the rest of your life. It's...
Business model had never created adequate investor returns
Churning (serial reselling)
Disclosure laws: false sense of security
Encroachment (too many outlets put in territory)
Franchisees have no...
"I'm untouchable."… As Shoniker put it, there was "not a f-ing judge in this city that would grant an authorization" on his phone lines. And certainly no police officer would ever question the...
…the franchisees accuse UPS of intentional misrepresentation, concealment and breach of contract, intentionally failing to disclose performance and financial data, in addition to multiple...
As part of its investigation, the Star took out loans from 12 lenders in Toronto and found the fees and interest charged on a two-week loan — when combined and calculated as an annual percentage...
She warns there could be confrontations if police go into restaurants where franchise owners have refused to shut down. “No one wants to see that,” Martel says. “Likewise, you surely don’t...
Sale on tomatoes at the blue line! Toronto's greatest hockey shrine is to become a grocery store. Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment Inc., the owner of Maple Leaf Gardens on Carleton Street in...
“Franchisees provide the money but the franchiser controls it. That’s the fundamental (aspect) of the relationship and that’s where the abuse comes in. Control tactics are used in the...
"We are not closing the Palm Beach store because of the economy," said owner Susana Diaz, who disclosed that "problems" with the Barcelona-based Tous firm related to franchise agreements were the...
…Toyota officials responded that Mr. Biller was a disgruntled employee with a vendetta against the automaker and a history of breaking his word, including a nondisclosure promise made when he...
A former attorney for Toyota has accused the automaker of illegally withholding evidence in hundreds of rollover death and injury cases, in a "ruthless conspiracy" to keep evidence "of its...
…the litigation in the coming months could tie up Toyota for two to four years. He believes the company's exposure in the class-action case would be unlikely to exceed $1 billion — a manageable...
Any implications that an automaker is hiding safety data from car owners can have a spectacularly damaging impact on that automakers reputation. It’s been decades since Ford dealt with its Pinto...
Toyota Motor Corp.'s profits surged 53 per cent to a record high in the just-ended fiscal year as Japan's biggest auto maker boosted sales in the United States while dominating the market at home....
…Biller could become the Ralph Nader of Toyota, a reference to the longtime consumer advocate who shattered GM’s reputation back in the 1960s when he revealed safety problems with the small...
Thanks to the web, consumers complain more and sooner. It has forced regulators…
The Toronto Star
February 20, 2010
Toyota's troubles an example of consumer safety power
Because not so long ago,...
The Gallup Organization is fuming over the way the nation’s largest franchising trade group has used its research. “They traded off our reputation to try to get people to invest in...
"We believe, as a result of a net that we've cast, that the market timing, late trading issues are quite widespread. It is more widespread than we originally anticipated," Securities and Exchange...
The report estimated the annual economic cost of such ''psycho-social hazards'', measured in terms of absenteeism and poor performance, at nearly $15 billion. It also found that workplace bullying...
…low-paid workers, especially new immigrants desperate for a job, should not be left to pay for Ontario's poor track record in cracking down on illegal and unethical activities in the...
Instead, Algonquin has taken the acquisition route to double its size to about 100 franchises in the past four years. The twist is that Algonquin franchisees are behind all the acquisitions.
The...
John Syme, the bureau's commissioner of competition, said Sears intentionally deceived consumers by pretending to offer them special prices on major lines of all-season tires, while having little...
The owner of Pizza Hut, Taco Bell and KFC restaurants in the United States is adding seafood and root beer floats to its corporate pantry of fast-food chains. Tricon Global Restaurants Inc....
Even worse, new evidence suggests that the whole franchising model, far from being a consummate business paradigm for the late 20th century, as its advocates claim, is so riddled with problems and...
A franchisor’s power includes the right to protect the system and even set prices, Mr. Laniel says. “But if the power to renew is used as a club, that’s another issue.”
The Globe and...
But restless franchise owners may offer insight, indirectly, into why Tim Hortons seems reluctant to allow Guelphites a look into the giant distribution centre it built two years ago in Guelph's...
“It's also becoming what amounts to a sizable tax break, and the question that governments had better ask themselves is whether this is the sort of tax cut they want to be handing out to boost...
"We grew our sales one year to $1.3 million and still could not pay all of our bills," MacInnis of Barrie writes on the CAFO website. "They kept us in poverty for eight years."
The Toronto...
The case may become a contest between libel and trademark laws and the right to free speech in commercial disputes…Mr. Stewart described the women as victims of unfair pricing policies and other...
This has made Tupperware unhappy, as they allege that this information is false & libel, and have sued to shut down the site…As a trademark attorney, let me just say this is silly… Suing...
It is also perhaps quite obvious to anyone reading the section entitled "TupperWars" that the website is not part of Tupperware- and thus there is no confusion between the marks. The biggest issue...
The case may become a contest between libel and trademark laws and the right to free speech in commercial disputes…Mr. Stewart described the women as victims of unfair pricing policies and other...
TWO people have been arrested over an EFTPOS skimming scam in which $4 million was stolen from the accounts of McDonald's customers in Western Australia…the men formed part of a well organised...
Retired Halton fraud detective Carey Smith, who headed the investigation, testified that in all, Canada Revenue was bilked of at least $24-million, a figure the defence disputed…lawyers for the...
…Marketing Magazine visited 25 Tim Horton outlets in the Toronto and Buffalo, N.Y., areas. It asked counter staff a seemingly simple question: Who was Tim Horton? The number of employees who...
With Canadian cigarette maker JTI-Macdonald Corp. swaddled in bankruptcy protection, its current Japanese and former U.S. owners disagree on who will bear the loss if Quebec succeeds in a quest for...
The banking industry, he declared last April, "is still the most powerful lobby on Capitol Hill. And they frankly own the place."… The Obama administration is jam-packed with officials who have...
In a radical expression of dissatisfaction with company management, franchisees of Burger King are seeking to separate the hamburger chain from its British parent, Diageo PLC.
The Wall Street...
Loblaw insisted the deal be negotiated in secret because of concerns competitors might learn about its strategic and real estate plans, and insisted the deal not be submitted to a general...
On reviewers of his 40-plus books: Quoting the advice of his friend John Steinbeck: "Unless the reviewer has the courage to give you unqualified praise, I say ignore the bastard."
The Globe and...
The deaths of seven trade union activists from companies associated with Coca-Cola in Colombia have prompted US workers to organise in solidarity with their Colombian compadres.
Peace News
May 1,...
“You say to the bank, ‘Look guys, I have no money, I have no money personally.’ Now, some are going to have to go personally bankrupt, which is not a bad thing,” Austin said casually. Under...
Even for a downhiller who made his fame on the slopes, Mr. Brooker felt the playing field titled too steeply in favour of McDonald’s. Mr. Brooker’s lawyer said the McDonald’s franchise...
"We had an opportunity with Fineffe Group's success and their passion in what they've already built out, they were eager to be aggressive in continuing to grow the brand around the world, and we...
They complain that UPS has confused customers and is cannibalizing franchisee business with online sales that benefit the corporate office.
The Business Journal
September 23, 2005
UPS Store...
Organized as the Brown Board Owners Association Inc. of Atlanta, the group has complained about what it says are nominal drop-off rates, as well as UPS's cheaper online shipping rates and UPS...
…Chahine denies allegations of wrongdoing and is seeking to sue Laurentian, claiming it acted in bad faith and failed to provide promised financing. Badr also wants the courts to remove Deloitte...
Several major drug companies, including GlaxoSmithKline Plc and Pfizer Inc., have announced plans to curtail shipments to Canada in an effort to stop Internet sales…John Myers, a lawyer...
"We believe that we don't have the same level of problem in the Canadian industry as we've seen emerging in the United States," Mr. Pelletier said…While many industry executives have expressed...
"We believe that we don't have the same level of problem in the Canadian industry as we've seen emerging in the United States," Mr. Pelletier said…While many industry executives have expressed...
Judge Roberts worries that without life tenure, the independence of judges may be seriously compromised. He didn't say so explicitly, but the suggestion is that judges might craft decisions to...
"The USDA stepped in, and said, 'What's going on, it's always been a requirement, why aren't you doing it?' " he said of a 12-hour inspection cycle. "They have to do every 12 hours to have access...
…a significant percentage of Russian hockey players skating in the NHL have been extorted in some way," Senate investigator Michael Bopp told ESPN. "Based on the sample of players we spoke to, I...
Hudson is 44 and his boy-wonder years are behind him. His long look in the mirror recently allowed him "to go back and look at what went right and what went wrong in Newcourt. What my strengths and...
And if the law society can't provide those assurances, maybe it shouldn't be managing the profession and the job of regulating lawyers should be turned over to the Ontario government, Aaron...
"It's just such a one-sided affair. I just think it's totally unfair. We worked so hard, so long to turn it around and then lose it all."
CBC Television
July 11, 2000
Franchising
Full...
…soldiers returning from war and retired veterans are targeted by franchisee operators for employment and by franchisors as prospective franchise buyers.
Herald Tribune
July 7, 2008
Veterans have...
Through a program called the Veterans Transition Franchise Initiative (VetFran), Petersen and Totanes each received a $5,000 discount on their fees to open Virginia Barbeque franchises. (The...
I also have a franchise…I know what these guys are up against…I feel for those people…Most of these guys that run these franchises won't come and sit up here because they're scared for their...
"He's never been known to have a legitimate job," Thomas said. "For the last 20 years he has been living off the proceeds of various victims."
The Toronto Star
March 9, 2006
Victims conned out of...
…"quite a number" of other franchisees had contacted him saying they too had been facing pressure to sign the rescue package. "They tell me that they are being pressured by head office to either...
I don't know why a franchisee would sign an agreement with clauses that could be used against him by the franchisor.
Legislative Assembly of Ontario
March 9, 2000
Public Hearing Testimony
London,...
"…Justice Tony Randerson last month awarded the couple more than $550,000 and slammed United Video for its ""material misrepresentation as to the turnover and profitability of the business"".
The...
“We got blindsided by two idiots with a video camera and an awful idea,” said a Domino’s spokesman, Tim McIntyre, who added that the company was preparing a civil lawsuit… the Domino’s...
Low sentences and conditional sentences served at home aren't enough. We call it "make-believe jail," because people are sitting at home and it's hard to enforce. … There's no deterrent...
…you likely may have noticed - I don't know if there has been any study done on the franchisees' profile - many of them are immigrants, like myself. They are not aware and not strong enough to...
It has been criticised by the franchisor representative body the Franchise Council of Australia for interfering in matters covered by federal laws.
smartcompany.com.au
February 6, 2008
WA franchise...
There seems to be more litigation than ever. While franchisor and franchisee lawyers meet this month at the International Franchise Association’s legal symposium and debate the issues on...
Mr. Walker, once on the world's most-wanted list, is infamous for being caught in his own tightly constructed web of lies after he fled southwestern Ontario for Britain with millions of dollars...
Charise Clark provides an accurate view when she links the 5,000 new lawsuits per year with out-of-control franchisors. Let’s hope the Ontario government finally brings in protective laws so...
Fully one-quarter of Tricon Global Restaurants' 4,000 franchised Taco Bells units have defaulted or are about to default, estimates Raymond James Financial analyst Damon Brundage.
BusinessWeek...
“I've turned over files to the RCMP and nothing happens,” laments Al Rosen, the forensic accountant. “We just don't have people who are trained in what to look for. We have bad securities...
In Canada, lawsuits have swirled over a number of franchisors, including Pizza Pizza, 3-For-1 Pizza and Wings
The Toronto Sun
November 5, 1999
Want to be your own boss?
Linda Leatherdale
Ever...
…a franchisee in Hamilton, recalls that a uniformed company rep came to visit her husband's hospital room while he was dying of colon cancer at the age of 38. During the last four days of her...
Kalimeris and Bowman almost lost their chance at their franchises from difficulty obtaining insurance and the resistance of Canadian banks to lend money for small business start-ups. Because...
Critics say payday loans trap consumers in a cycle of debt and a number of class-action lawsuits have been proposed, alleging payday lenders charge interest rates higher than the 60 per cent per...
It is believed there is confusion among investors, many of whom equate trusts to more secure investments, such as bonds or preferred shares, because of their payouts, even though they are much...
"We would suggest that if the individual would like to contact our office and make a complaint, that individual could do so." The bank declined comment.
The Globe and Mail
March 9, 2006
Watchdog to...
His name is Rory McAlpine and he's the VP of Government and Industry Relations for Maple Leaf Foods Inc. - the same Maple Leaf Foods whose contaminated equipment caused the worst listeria outbreak...
Like the Olympic hockey team, Watertowne is scooping up some of the best players in its business with the aim of going public.
The Globe and Mail
April 4, 2001
Watertown taps well of...
More than 3500 people have been caught up in an EFTPOS scam in WA. The scam, which uses tampered EFTPOS machines to capture card and PIN details, has already netted thieves more than...
WAYNE FIANDER: None. Absolutely not. We provide a pharmacy marketing merchandising operation service to the stores. But there’s absolutely no indication of where they should buy, when they should...
As "senior partners" in the crime, governments reaped huge tax windfalls from tobacco sales while knowing the health risks smoking posed, he said, adding "we're very confident that we'll win in the...
Les Stewart
CoolBrands is also facing an investigation into trading of its stock because its shares were unusually active just before news of the lost Weight Watchers deal was announced last week.
National...
WikidFranchise.org — the world's first franchise wiki
n. 1 an attempt to identify, describe and quantify business risks (franchised v. non-franchised). 2 a free, indexed repository of published,...
…the sole franchisee for Wendy's in Japan, announced on Thursday that it will end its contract with Wendy's/Arby's Group Inc. on its use of the Wendy's trademark in Japan on Dec....
But how well can a fast-food company run other concepts? Mr. Schuessler says the plan isn’t to take over the concepts but rather lend Wendy’s expertise, such as franchising or showing a small...
Thomas got his big break in 1962 when the owner of the Hobby House, Phil Clauss, offered him a 45 per cent stake in four failing KFC outlets Clauss owned if Thomas could turn them around. In 1968,...
…the company "getting away from being the quality brand," Dave Norman, head of the Old Fashioned Franchisee Association, told Business First in May. The association was established in April in an...
Wendy's International Inc. and Ireland's Iaws Group PLC are building a $115 million bakery in Ontario in a joint venture to expand baked goods available to Tim Hortons outlets.
The Toronto...
in the U.S., when they say they're going to do something, they go after big fish. In Canada, when we say we're going to do something, we go after little fish. You don't inspire confidence … by...
Weston said he is confident the combined company will become “the undisputed leader in North America.”
The Toronto Star
May 10, 2001
Weston aims to be major U.S. baker
Soo Kim
George Weston...
“We have bought the best bakery in the industry,” said Galen Weston, the company’s chairman and controlling shareholder.
The Globe and Mail
May 10, 2001
Weston expects Bestfoods deal to close...
The result was overall profit of $481-million or $3.66 a share for the year ended Dec. 31, up 37 per cent from 1999, even though sales rose only 7 per cent to $22.3-billion.
The Globe and...
Franchisee associations have enabled franchisees to band together and to lobby more effectively for greater collective rights. There is still a considerable distance to go, particularly in securing...
For franchise buyers, the record of past franchisees is one question they should spend some time getting franchisors to answer. “The question to ask when faced with enormous claims of success,”...
Is he worried about competing on-line with his own franchisees? "No," he says, "they're two different sets of customers."
The Globe and Mail
October 11, 2000
What's new in franchising
Emerging...
…the Sikh owner of a Subway sandwich shop in Edmonton alleged that a representative of the company had banned him from wearing a "diaper on his head."…Hardip Singh Brah had been operating...
"Let me speak up for the millions of Scots … everywhere in expressing our annoyance at McD's for taking our surname prefix 'Mc' and turning it into a cheesy signifier for tasteless globalized...
…the franchising industry's image has been bruised by fractious relations with franchisees, who complain about poor support and onerous contracts that favor franchisers.
Business Week...
Secured creditors (banks) $29 million, England & Young Holdings Pty Ltd $9 million, 4,500 customer deposits $27 million, 2,800 trade creditors and suppliers $16 million, Landlords and warehouse...
As it stands now, this country’s competition rules are - how can we put this? - a farce.
Canadian Business magazine
November 26, 2001
When bigger isn’t better
It’s time for Ottawa to rethink...
“In many cases, you sign a contract in which you agree that you will always be in compliance with their policies and their procedures, but in effect, you are signing a moving target,” she said....
Buchan found that 13 out of 14 franchisees involved in a system collapse lost money – a staggering 93%. Most were unable to continue their businesses directly or indirectly as a result of the...
Sunstein suggests a propensity, not an iron law — but one supported by research — and a process in which additional information — perhaps valuable information — is effectively suppressed by...
This subtle but unmistakable difference is especially noteworthy in light of the overwhelming similarity in the views of U.S. and Canadian franchise leaders on most issues of policy and...
You can trust the franchisor based on its past history, he says, but many wary investors will choose to walk away from such unrestricted agreements. “The likely outcome then,” he says, “is...
The real test is whether franchising’s top “cats” can set standards of franchising behaviour that will continue to give new franchisees the confidence to invest.
The Globe and Mail
December...
He needled Mr. Kennedy…"Who is the man in your administration who decides what countries are strategic?" he wired the president. "I would like to have his name and address …"
The Globe and...
…is the contempt in which these elites, whether they be bishops or deputy ministers, tend to hold those who challenge the customary ways of doing things and threaten their authority. Such disdain...
For doctors, surgeries are roughly three times as profitable as more conservative treatment with medication, he said. Hospitals parcel out their operating room time and Mr. Harte suggested Dr....
Selling your franchise without the approval of your franchisor? Kids, don’t try this at home. As any experienced franchisee knows, franchisors usually hold all the cards in this kind of deal –...
Letting the courts decide when the rules have been broken has the attraction of low maintenance – no bureaucracy, no fees. But it offers a low level of protection for franchisees. That’s...
A&W chief financial officer Donald Leslie said the company has not yet decided whether to appeal the ruling on its claim. ""It takes a little time to digest these things,"" he said, in an...
The idea of franchisors regulating franchisors is probably a little scary to franchisees. Ms. Phelan allows that franchisees or outside business people might also serve, but it is clear who would...
…staff economist Dean Sagar concludes: "Subway is the biggest problem in franchising and emerges as one of the key examples of every abuse you can think of."
Fortune magazine
March 16, 1998
Why...
If business is so good, why is the stock being left behind?
The Globe and Mail
December 10, 2009
Why Tims' stale stock could be a sweet deal
Sales, earnings and dividends are up. Why aren't...
Kroc’s donations created Notre Dame’s Joan B. Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies in 1986 and the University of San Diego’s Joan B. Kroc Institute for Peace and Justice in 2001....
"Some landlords get it, some don't," Wiederhorn said. "They're misreading the economy. They sitting there demanding full payment of the rent or else. So they get nothing, a dark building, instead."...
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WikidFranchise Policy
WikidFranchise is a document collection of (1) published articles from reputable sources and (2) private documents (permission from author or recipient is needed).
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Wiki - (a technology for creating...
A difficulty the government faces in studying the Pizza Pizza case is that it has been argued in secrecy. Many financial disputes are resolved in private these days, away from regular court,...
Who may hold the key to Toyota’s future? Let’s meet Dimitrios Biller.
http://wallstreetpit.com
February 13, 2010
Will Dimitrios Biller Spell Doomsday for Toyota?
Larry Doyle
Will Dimitrios...
"My concern here is that the oil lobby is very, very close to this government," Mr. Williams said of his federal counterparts. "They have a significant voice in this government. And as a result,...
The doughnut chain, with nearly 550 locations around the world, saw its share price plummet from a high of nearly $50 in 2003 to a low of $1.15 earlier this year. Shares closed Wednesday at $3.25,...
Attorneys for Wireless Toyz said they are aiming to have the judgments against the company and Simtob dismissed after post-trial motions are heard by Judge Steven N. Andrews. They also are seeking...
The Abbo case is one of at least three pending lawsuits against Barbat and his company by franchisees that claim they each invested hundreds of thousands of dollars to open one or more Wireless...
Bray, who owns two Quiznos stores in Texas and has been a franchisee for nine years, said Quiznos "has slowly, methodically and deliberatively modified the business model, year over year, to make...
Moscatiello claimed that Ferrari told him it was Kidan who ordered the hit on Boulis. Kidan, who once had Moscatiello and Ferrari on SunCruz's payroll, had been publicly feuding with Boulis after...
The Australian dream of becoming self-employed can be the path to financial security, but it can also go disastrously wrong.
Sunday Star Times
January 25, 2009
Wizard conjures new mortgage life
Rob...
"There is no way that we would have signed, if we had known we would have ended up working for Aussie— and our commissions will be smaller, not bigger," one said. "We thought that Wizard would be...
The Wizard network sells about 2.5 per cent of all Australian mortgages through a franchise network of about 200 branches. The sale of Wizard comes a week after GE Money was publicly condemned by...
Last year, eight Sacramento-area women were charged in connection with a pyramid scheme also known as Women Helping Women. At the time, investigators said it operated more like Women Helping...
Dyer was ordered to pay a $50,000 fine in lieu of forfeiting her family home. Court heard that she pumped some $123,000 into renovations - including the addition of a three-car garage - on the...
According to documents filed at Nova Scotia Supreme Court, Mary Corbin of Shubenacadie, N.S., claims the woman who handed her the drink at a London, Ont., outlet of the burger chain was negligent...
"They are not ready, psychologically, to defend their rights. They still have a slave mentality."
The Globe and Mail
June 12, 2001
Workers of McDonald’s unite in Moscow union
Geoffrey York
MOSCOW...
…if the province wanted to stop the exploitation of workers it could start by enforcing its own franchise law, called the Arthur Wishart Act.
The Toronto Star
September 10, 2007
Workers’ plight...
…Canada's system "invites the crooks into the country because they know they won't get prosecuted - - you're the perfect targets, the easy prey.''
The Record
May 26, 2006
Would Enron convictions...
"What your company did, and what we alleged about your company, is that you committed fraud," Spitzer said of Merrill Lynch this week. "That's not risk," Spitzer said. "What you did was shift the...
He praises director Morgan Spurlock, who took Schlosser's thesis about the dangers of the fast-food industry one step farther with his current documentary Super Size Me, by showing the results of...
[* http://www.wikidfranchise.org/local--files/franchising-opportunism/Predatory Lending, IC Feb 2005.pdf Download paper]http://www.example.com...
“Franchise contracts are unilateral contracts which put one party in a superior position with a lot of discretion to change the contract unilaterally. There are no ground rules. Anyone can do...
Michael and Aaron Serruya first caught wind of the frozen yogurt craze during a Florida holiday. The brothers figured it would be a winner in Toronto, and opened their first Yogen Früz outlet in a...
Now a Toronto family has filed a $17.5 million lawsuit alleging a 9-year-old girl’s Big Mac contained a crushed rat’s head.
The Toronto Star
March 31, 2001
You deserve a beak today
Two all-beef...
“Far too many disputes are resolved on the basis that the franchisee can’t afford to fight it,” observes Ned Levitt, a Toronto franchise lawyer. “Period. Goodbye. Hand them a box of...
Your most important step is interviewing franchisees. They're your primary source for such vital information as earnings, return on investment, and cost of goods. Talk to at least 20 and preferably...
"In 1998, a psychiatrist noted that not only do you have many of the features of psychopathy, but added: 'Two people are dead, one was nearly killed, and it would be naive to think that his...
