Two years after Don Fox became CEO of Firehouse Subs in 2003, he did something most franchise owners wouldn’t dream of: he encouraged franchisees to gather and form an independent franchisee association, and pledged the brand would recognize it. Ten years later, he made another move that might raise an eyebrow: he added four franchisee…
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Starbucks announced this week that it has reached an agreement with Duracell Powermat to begin offering “free” wireless cell phone recharging for customers at its coffee shops around the country. The technology allows phones and tablets to be charged by simply laying them on pads, which will be installed in Starbucks counters and tables. The…
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Our analyst John Gordon reports that Dunkin’ Donuts scored strongly in Harris Poll ‘Equi Trend‘ report, composed via their research in the coffeehouse sector. Dunkin’ was number one, followed by Einstein and Starbucks in that order. In terms of bulk coffee sales scores, Folgers was 1st, followed by Green Mountain, Seattle’s Best, and Dunkin’ Donuts blend in…
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We took great notice of the recent news coverage that several 7-Eleven franchisees were among those indicted in a far-reaching case of immigrant exploitation. According to the New York Times, franchisees “recruited more than 50 illegal immigrants and gave them identities stolen from American citizens, including children and dead people. The employees worked for 100…
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As the battle continues between franchisor Steak ‘N Shake and some of its franchisees, a US District Court Judge this week granted the franchisees a restraining order against Steak ‘N Shake requiring the franchisor to restore the disabled systems to the two stores owned by the franchisees. The franchisor turned off the POS system and…
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Last week we advised that Tim Horton’s continues to focus their growth efforts on US markets. This week they announced the addition of single serve K-cups to their retail offerings. In other competitor news, Sonic Drive-Ins announced they will soon offer egg whites as an addition to their breakfast menu as well as several new…
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Tim Horton’s new CEO reaffirmed the US was a “must win” market for Tim’s. Their Q2 US same store sales were +1.4%, driven mostly by traffic – a deceleration versus trend. In contrast, Dunkin’ US posted accelerating same store sale sales versus trend last month. Tim’s announced they would revert to larger, better capitalized US franchisee development partner…
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North Carolina’s Changing Environment – North Carolina takes a different view of environmental considerations when it comes to rezoning proposals and the jobs it can represent. Currently, in Charlotte, residents may protest rezoning issues and force a supermajority requirement on the Charlotte City Council. The legislature however is within one final vote of passing the Create…
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Pressure from Avian flu and the December poultry supply incident in China contributed to a 15% decline in income at Yum! Brands, Inc. during the second quarter.
Read More »According to the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal, Caribou Coffee Co. Inc. will close 80 stores nationwide and rebrand another 88 under the banner of its corporate cousin, Peet’s Coffee & Tea, in a restructuring that will cut the chain’s footprint by more than 25 percent. News of the closings filtered out throughout the weekend, as employees posted signs…
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