Rick and Dick Schaden, who own 51 percent of Quiznos, are still trying to find a way to save their highly leveraged franchising company. According to what this bird is hearing among finance experts at a current national restaurant conference in Sin City, what is at stake for the firm is lender's default or worse. 

I am hearing strange stirrings at quick-print chain Alphagraphics. The U.K. holding company of Salt Lake City-based Alphagraphics is beyond bankruptcy.

The ocular owl has spotted an urgent message to Cold Stone Creamery franchisees warning not to respond to requests from CNBC or other media for interviews regarding last month’s "Behind the Counter: Untold Story of Franchising.”

The bodacious bird has spotted postings on the Toasted Subs Franchisee Association (TSFA) website, the independent trade group for Quiznos franchisees. Quiznos supplier HFS/Havi is now requiring that all Chicago market stores must prepay for their orders either by wire transfer or overnight cashier's check before their delivery is released.

Here is one of the best oneliners that this auditorily gifted owl has heard in some time. Asks one franchisor attorney to his cohorts today on a legal email listing service: