McDonald's franchise strife deserves barely a Grimace compared with Quiznos' past

The backhand McDonald’s caught from its franchisees last week is proof that friction can erupt between the home office and field operations of any restaurant chain, regardless of its success.

By Big Mac standards, the strife is a low point in relations with a group the franchisor has long lauded as its secret sauce. But the strain is nothing compared to the hostilities that very openly erupted between a hot concept and its licensees 20 years ago.

Join me on this week’s episode of Restaurant Rewind, Restaurant Business’ retro-focused podcast, as we look back at the war that raged in the court of public opinion—and in the actual legal sort—between Quiznos franchisees and their franchisor at the time.

Download the episode from wherever you get your podcasts.  

And let me know of any topic you’d like me to resurrect from the past for additional insight into what’s happening in the business today. Email me at [email protected].