Franchising's Weekly Rewind

Franchise Owners Go to Washington D.C.  Franchise owners from across the country went to Washington D.C. on Tuesday to register their opposition to a National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) finding. Franchisors claim the NLRB finding says that franchising threatens to undermine their business model. This is the latest news in the conflict behind the NLRB decision that corporations should share joint employer status with their franchisees. (TheHill.com) Pinkberry Franchisee Heading to Court A Florida Pinkberry franchisee has named Howard Shultz, CEO of Starbucks, Ron Graves, CEO of Pinkberry, and two former Pinkberry executives in a lawsuit alleging fraud. The franchisee, Sam Lewis, is suing after his four Pinkberry stores filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy within the past month. This is not the first time Lewis has gone to court with the frozen yogurt chain; in 2012 the company took him to court for refusing to pay royalties. (Franchise Times) It’s Pumpkin Season at Cinnabon From September 15 to November 30, Cinnabon bakeries will offer pumpkin spice and caramel toppings at all locations.  Cinnabon menu items will include the Pumpkin Caramel Classic Roll, MiniBon Roll, and Center of the Roll, all served with traditional cream cheese frosting with added flavors of pumpkin spices and caramel. The brand will also have a new Pumpkin Pie Chillatta. (QSR Magazine) Introducing the Bagel Burger As part of their fall menu, Bruegger’s Bagels will be rolling out their new Bagel Burgers. After testing the product in Boston and Minneapolis, the brand will roll out the product to all stores. They will feature two versions of the Bagel Burger: the Barnyard Burger and the Bistro Burger. (Fast Casual) Baskin-Robbins for Detroit Entrepreneurs Detroit entrepreneurs are being targeted by Baskin-Robbins to fill franchise opportunities in the Detroit metro area. The ice cream company has 50 locations in Michigan and most are in the Detroit metro area. (Crain’s Detroit Business)