Universal Franchisee Bill of Rights BMM Wed, 06/22/2011 - 01:30 Forums Universal Franchisee Bill of Rights From the Coalition of Franchisee Associations Why franchisees need a bill of rights Franchising is one of the most powerful brand building tools ever created. It is reported that franchising is responsible for 760,000 businesses, 18 million jobs, 14 percent of the private sector employment, and over $500 billion in annual payroll. Total sales by businesses operated by franchisees are projected to reach over $2 trillion this year. 1 out of every 12 businesses is independently owned an ..read more

3D Printing Pioneer Still Enthusiastic 30 Years Later Hans Langer, 36 at the time with two young children and just over $50,000 to his name, founded EOS, which manufactured 3D printers at the dawn of their appearance in 1989. Although he saw the potential in the new cutting-edge technology, at the same time he knew he could lose much. It has indeed been a bumpy 30 years. But at 67, now-billionaire Langer is as enthusiastic as ever about 3D printers and their ability to significantly improve on and surpass today's technology.  Tucked away in the forests of Bavaria, in a building th ..read more

Perkins Seeking to Terminate One of Its Largest Franchisees Just a year ago, in January 2018, Pennsylvania-based 5171 Campbells Land Co. LLC bought 27 Perkins restaurants in Pennsylvania, New York and Ohio from bankruptcy court for $7.8 million. The purchase made the franchisee one of troubled Perkins' largest.  Now, just 17 months later, the owner of those restaurants has been asked by the Perkins company and subsequently ordered — at least temporarily — by a federal judge to discontinue using the Perkins name, not to operate within a three-mile radius of any Perkins restaurant ..read more

Fear of Franchisor Silences Tim Hortons US Franchisees Tim Hortons' U.S. franchisee association, the Great White North Franchisee Association USA (GWNFA USA), has stated that they have no comment on the recent revisions to their lawsuit for fear of retaliation from their Canadian-based franchisor. And no wonder! American franchisees are well aware that multi-unit Canadian franchisees Mark Kuziora and David Hughes, who spoke up, swiftly lost their restaurants. The association wouldn’t comment on the revised lawsuit, in a statement through its attorneys. “We have no comment due to a ..read more

Soft-Serve Truck Owner Charges 'Influencers' Double Fed up with the requests he gets from social media "influencers" who want his frozen treat for nothing, a soft-serve truck owner says he now charges the would-be free loaders double. Last week he received an invitation to spend a day on the weekend supplying a 300-person party for free. The exasperated small business owner created a sign advising influencer mooches that he not only won't give them ice cream for free, but he will charge them $8 instead of the normal $4 per cone. He posted pictures of the sign on Instagram, where ..read more

In Search of the Best for Fried Chicken Day Saturday, July 6, is National Fried Chicken Day. If that gets you wondering how the different chains stack up, one man has rated the tastiness of the output of mostly well-known brands, beginning at okay and running up the ladder to what he says is the best. To celebrate National Fried Chicken Day, we’re here to help you find the crispiest, juiciest, most delectable piece of poultry in fast food. Americans are passionate about fried chicken and loyal to their favorites, but there’s no denying that some chains do it better than others. Le ..read more

Chick-fil-A on Track to Be Third Largest Restaurant Chain Chick-fil-A appears to be on the way to becoming the third largest U.S. restaurant chain by sales, behind only McDonald’s and Starbucks. It was in the number 7 slot in 2017.  Some of the reasons The Wall Street Journal attributes to Chick-fil-A's rise include: Simple ingredients Simple menu additions Efficient drive-through performance The company's single-owner franchise system America's taste for chicken has grown, while beef has dropped Increased market share when compared to other chicken-centric restaurant chains —Sara ..read more

Papa John’s Shaq Deal Not an Easy Win Papa John’s has bet big to team up with retired basketball great Shaquille O’Neal, hoping the deal will help smooth the road ahead after the company’s recent rough ride. But there is no assurance that the outcome will be a winner. There aren't many products Shaq hasn't been willing to lend his name to since retiring from the National Basketball Association, with USA Today saying he's endorsed over 50 products and companies, earning himself the nickname The King of Endorsements. Yet among those are numerous examples where lending his name could ..read more

Domino's Australia Denies Misleading Franchisees on Pay A lawsuit filed in Australian federal court alleges that Domino's misled franchisees by telling them not to pay employees in accordance with minimum wage law. Domino’s denies it, but says it has not formally received the court documents in the class action suit. It [Domino's] reiterated that it would defend itself against the class action, although it said the lead applicant had not made any claim against his franchisee employer and no franchisee employer was party to the action. Instead, employees are seeking compensation ag ..read more

AHLA Launches Fight against Human Trafficking Chip Rogers, president and CEO of the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA), has announced a national campaign against human trafficking in hotels. Prior to joining AHLA earlier this year, Rogers was president and CEO of the Asian American Hotel Owners Association (AAHOA). With the lofty goal of training every hotel employee on the perils of human trafficking, the AHLA (American Hotel & Lodging Association) earlier this week launched a national campaign designed to unite the industry to combat the widespread issue. ...The ..read more