International Law

Why the Meal Assembyly Franchise is Dead

Terrific thread at Ryan's Franchise Pundit blog about Why are Super Suppers Franchises Failing?

A number of good observations from the thread, here is an example:

Run DO NOT walk away from this concept. I'm a former Supper Thyme USA franchisee and anyone in the MAK business that is still selling franchises to unsuspecting schmoes should be ashamed of themselves.

The owner of my former franchise is mad because no one is buying a franchise after talking to current franchisees because they are telling them the truth! The STUSA corporate office has had staff cutbacks so deep that all that remain are one of the original owners and her husband, there is no franchisee support for current franchisees and they are still trying to sell seats on a sinking ship!

AMAZING!!!!

We were sold a franchise in an area that could not support it. We were told that we would be making money within 3-6 months after 18 months of NEVER breaking even we closed our doors. I didn't receive a paycheck for 18 months.

I spoke to one of the current franchisees and the comment made by one of the corporate employees several motnhs ago was that those stores that were in trouble were not something that STUSA corporate was going to focus on, it took too much of their valuable time away from those stores that were more profitable.

Duh WHAT?

No, it was fine when you were there with your hand out to take my franchisee fee and my royalites every month, but heaven forbid you would help anyone who is in trouble or needs assistance. I'm guessing thats why Supper Thyme USA's are dropping like flies. They have had 6 store close just in the last month. Unbelieveable. They also have let their corporate chef go which leave the franchisees to come up with new recipes every month.

How do you run a culinary based business with no one on staff that has culinary experience? STUSA is a DOG company. My partner & I did our due diligence and talked to all the owners etc. We did our homework. STUSA somehow has managed to stay under the radar from this and other forums.

My advice to prosectives??? Don't do it. We thought we were doing everything correctly, talked to other franchisors and settled on STUSA. It has been a nighmare experience. I have been in the food business for many years, my partner was in finance. We had all the right credentials and still failed.

It has ruined my financial future and other former STUSA franchisees as well. The toll it has taken on some families is the most troublesome to me though.

Stores that by all accounts with the "correct" demographics should have had been wild successes have closed their doors. My store actuallly had more sales then some of the stores in large metro areas! It is a fickle and weird customer base out there and there are no guarantees.

No quick easy money to be had here folks. Franchisors have succeeded in selling a lot of folks a pipe dream and as someone else said, they (the franchisors) are the only ones who have benefitted. If it sound sto good to be true it ususally is.....wish I had remembered that little ditty. They also negelct to tell you that part-time means 60-120 hours a week. I knew it would be full-time, I just never realized it would be 2 full-times.

Excellent thread, if you are interested in this type of franchise.

Full post as published by Misleading Advertising Law on February 01, 2008 (boomark / email).