Press Box: Long John Silver's Robbers Wanted, Wendy's Sentenced

There's occasional crime in retail outlets. It's that dark secret that trade journals and franchisers are so silent about. Yet tales of franchise crime can be informative and instructional for franchisees. Sometimes they are downright entertaining. So here goes...

Dayton Long John Silver's Robbers Wanted
Police in Dayton, Ohio are looking for two men who held up a Long John Silver's fast-food restaurant on Wednesday. No one was injured [via WHIOTV]. This incidence is not to be confused with the time that a Long John Silver's was robbed and the manager was fired for not following the operation manual. He hit the robber aside the head with a hammer. Long John Silver's felt that not following the guidelines put co-workers at greater risk [via WLWT].

Wendy's Robber Sentenced
A 10-time convicted felon was sentenced Friday to 6 and a half years in prison for the knifepoint robbery of a Wendy's restaurant in 2003. Out of money after a drug binge, Frazier Harrison, 36, had worked at the fast-food restaurant. He strode into the restaurant as it was opening for breakfast, grabbed a knife that an employee was using to open boxes and herded the manager and several workers into a storage closet. He stole $1,119 in cash, the manager's wallet and keys, then fled to Florida in the manager's stolen car. He would remain there for 2 ½ years, committing several burglaries. He was locked up in Florida, and Middletown detectives were there upon his release to accuse him of committing the Wendy's robbery. [Hartford Courant]

Ice Rink Workers Take Zambonis On Fast-Food Run
On a lighter side, two Boise city workers were fired after they decided to drive one of those huge ice rink resurfacing trucks, called a Zamboni (see photo above), out of the ice rink to the local Burger King drive-thru. Maximum speed is 5 mph. Neither the $75,000 Zamboni nor their $10,000 blades appeared damaged. Rumor has it that ice skaters noticed an especially smooth road surface at the drive-thru. [AP]

If our community of franchisees and franchisee wannabees do not want this kind of news, speak out.

Photo uploaded by dM.nyc.