Jan 17
I never knew Quiznos was evil. I saw an advertisement in the newspaper yesterday for their new 200-calorie Sammie for just $2. So, I was thinking of picking one up for lunch. I wanted to know more about the Sammie, so I consulted Wikipedia. Instead of information about the Sammie, I found this information:
- Quiznos has been the target of several lawsuits related to its treatment of franchisees.
- Quiznos often collects and pockets a $25,000 licensing fee without fulfilling its obligation to find store locations for franchisees.
- Quiznos licensing agreements compel franchisees to buy all their supplies from Quiznos-owned vendors that charge higher prices than those of independent suppliers.
- On November of 2006, Bhupinder Baber, the franchise owner of two Quiznos, committed suicide by shooting himself in the stomach three times while inside the bathroom of a Quiznos located in California. In a two page suicide note found on Baber’s body, he accused Quiznos of mistreating franchise owners like him, contributing to a rapid decline in his physical and mental health.
- A group of critical Quiznos franchisees posted Baber’s note on their website intending to raise funds for his family. Quiznos, stating that the group was defaming the company, responded by terminating the contracts of eight franchise owners belonging to the group.
- The Senior Vice President of Marketing was arrested for attempting to solicit a 13 year old girl in an Internet chat room.
After all that, I realized I’d never be able to eat a Sammie with a clear conscience. I’ll just have a Lean Cuisine instead.
