Quiznos Franchise Narrowly Avoids Bankruptcy
Through a last second deal with a deep-pocketed private equity investor, the once-celebrated Quiznos franchise has managed to narrowly avoid bankruptcy. The sandwich chain negotiated the extinguishing of some $300 million in obligations while securing a fresh $150 million in capital from NYC-based private equity backer Avenue Capital, a distressed investment fund with approximately $20 billion in assets under management.
Despite a bruising economy and brutal competition from sandwich rival Subway, Quiznos was able to stave off total collapse at the franchisor level for years, leaning on (some franchisees would contend crushing) its franchisees by imposing rising supply costs and promotional efforts on its franchisee network. That strategy kept the franchisor afloat, but brought about a rapid shuttering of units, with some 600 Quiznos restaurants faltering in 2010 alone.
With a second lease on life and control of the franchisor squarely in the hands of private equity professionals, will Quiznos be able to navigate a still-shaky economy, challenge Subway for supremacy, and win back the trust of its surviving franchisees?
Read more about the Quiznos deal with Avenue Capital on NPR.
What is a Franchise?
Most of you are probably already familiar with franchises. You may even patronize a variety of franchised businesses without realising that they are franchises. These businesses range from car servicing and financial services to yogurt and home repairs. According to the International Franchise Association(IFA) franchises employed nearly 9,000,000 Americans in 2015 and generated nearly $880 billion. Franchising is difficult to escape.
Top 5 Reasons to Join an Emerging Franchise
Investing in any franchise is a risk. You’re counting on franchisors for guidance; other franchisees for support and you’re investing a ton of money to build your business. Now add the risk factor of investing in an emerging franchise, a franchise with only a few franchisees. Does it add risk? Maybe, but there are far more benefits of investing in an emerging franchise that the little added risk, is a fleeting concern. Your voice is not only heard by the franchisors, but it’s also helping to make positive changes for future franchisees. Take a extremely large franchise such as, McDonalds or Hilton. Can you imagine a franchisee picking up the phone to call the President of the company to share an idea they had on how to make franchisees daily operations more efficient? In an emerging franchise, you are able to have a close relationship with the corporate team behind the concept and your ideas will be taken seriously. They believe in you as much as you believe in them. Here are five more reasons to join an emerging franchise:
Social Media Tips for Franchisors and Franchisees (from a Franchise Lawyer)
No, these aren’t marketing tips. I can’t help you get more Twitter followers, and I can’t help direct more traffic to your Facebook page. What I can do, however, is provide information that might help keep you out of trouble while you do these things on your own.
