After FastCasual.com and QSRweb.com published Quiznos terminates multiple franchisees on heels of suicide, Quiznos Corporate Communications department distributed a memorandum to franchise owners countering the statements made by the Toasted Subs Association, a group of Quiznos franchisees.
Although the memo never names the TSA, it reads, "This group states 'that their mission is to work with Quiznos to participate in cooperative communications, coordinated efforts and a focus on common issues.' They in fact promote only their own agenda through their repeated and hostile efforts to publicly damage the goodwill and reputation of the Quiznos brand and all of you who have worked so hard to build that brand and your business."
On its Web site, TSA published a suicide letter from Baber Vhupinder, a Quiznos franchisee who shot himself three times in the chest Nov. 27. In the letter, Vhupinder blamed his legal battles with Quiznos for harming his health. Although police officials have questioned the authenticity of the suicide letter, Ratti Baber, Vhupinder's wife, said her husband wrote it.
After TSA posted the suicide letter, Quiznos terminated the franchise agreements of the eight TSA board members "for engaging in conduct that we consider (and believe that any reasonable person would consider) to be not just violations of their contractual obligations under their franchise agreements, but morally reprehensible as well."
Quiznos said it will take all necessary steps to protect the brand.
