Ref the piece I posted about Subway

a few days back, I wrote to Subway about it and got a reply last night. Here it is:
Dear XXXXXXXX,

At SUBWAY(R) restaurants we appreciate and sincerely thank the men and women who unselfishly provide service to their country. We are also proud of the members of the SUBWAY(R) team, in stores, at HQ and in our offices around the world, who have served or supported the troops who have served.

The SUBWAY(R) restaurant chain has more than 31,000 locations in 90 countries, all owned and operated by independent entrepreneurs who have turned to the SUBWAY(R) franchise model to open and run their own businesses.

The SUBWAY(R) restaurant has a system in place to provide tools, knowledge and support for each franchisee as they try to operate a successful business. It benefits the entire brand for all SUBWAY(R) restaurants to remain open and operating. However, the results are not always the same with every franchisee and, on occasion, a franchisee may be advised to sell their store before closure becomes imminent. Less than 1 percent of SUBWAY(R) restaurants close each year for various circumstances. When that happens, each territory office will work to get that store reopened with either a new or existing franchisee.(bold theirs)

We are aware of the situation with Lt. Col. Batie. We appreciate your concern and applaud your support for our service men and women. As a company policy we can not comment on specific franchisee situations or on pending litigation. However, there's much more to this story, and available public information, than what was reported in the newspaper.

As a mater of public record, the following points can be gathered from court documents pertaining to the case:

1. Leon Batie’s brother Chris had Power of Attorney to operate his SUBWAY locations and represent Leon during a March 2006 court appearance for failing to pay his rent at one of his two SUBWAY locations. The court recognized the Power of Attorney as valid and ruled to evict Leon Batie from that location for failure to pay rent to the landlord.

2. Leon Batie appeared in court a few days later for failing to pay rent at his second location and the court ruled to evict him from the second location as well for failure to pay rent to the landlord.

3. On two occasions, the United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas has dismissed the exact claims now pending in the Texas State Court.


Thank you,
XXXXXXXX
Customer Care

The piece I linked to showed that the people he trusted weren't worthy of it. Which doesn't speak of the way the franchise was taken and resold, and to who, and at what profit. Which, I suppose, might eventually come out in the wash. In any case, this is what they had to say.