Subway's new 20-year franchise contracts

[spaniardx]

the chain could take over stores if they close for snowstorms, powercuts, or terrorist attacks, legal experts said

Hoping these links work, they been sitting in my post it notes folder for several days.

[vitugglan]

"Act of God" - wouldn't snowstorms and power cuts (due to weather) be considered acts of God? Snowstorms are acts of God no matter what some legal experts think. Just because a snowstorm can now be predicted, that doesn't mean it isn't beyond the abilities of Man to control. In fact, it's more likely that a store will close down due to a predicted bad snowstorm, thereby saving the lives of both workers and potential customers.

I would love to see the PR disaster if a company took a franchise away from a franchisee because of a terrorist attack, especially one like 9/11. Imagine, if you will, a company going out of business so hard it becomes the picture in the dictionary for such stupidity.

If the new contract is so draconian, the franchisees are already doing what they need to do to change it.

[spaniardx]

Subway^TM is just making things so much harder on themselves. And the scandals are gonna pile so deep they will simply be buried by their own arrogance and stupidity hoist on their own petard.

They've had the footlongs aren't actually a foot long debacle.

Accusations of your bread has ground up yoga mats in it! (turns out one of the ingredients to keep the bread shelf stable is also used in yoga mats, probably also as a stabilizer. Subway^TM isn't the only company using it in their bread products, but no one was screaming at Mrs. Baird's, Sunbeam or Wonder Bread -- among so many others -- about it. )

Jared (nuff said!)

And now this...

Wondering if this might be one of the reasons for Wal-Mart's changing the franchise(s) they have in their superstores. I read (last month, I think so no chance of finding a relevant article and link now) that some of the stores will be not renewing the lease on the space to current chains so they can bring in new ones. Our local one has a Subway^TM while the one located one county over has a Micky D's. 

[vitugglan]

I don't even pay attention to the shops along the front of Walmart. Other than my eye doctor, of course, and I use the outer door to get in and out. The only time I interact with their Walmart side is to pick out, then pick up, the new frames and lenses.

Jared was a problem they didn't foresee. They can't, really, and who wants corporations (or governments or anyone) pre-emptively firing someone based on what they think that person may or may not do without evidence?

I have a feeling they'll be revising this position as more input comes in.