Thanksgiving Day: A Remembrance of Bob Baber
Today marks the second anniversary of Bhupinder "Bob" Baber's tragic death, the day he walked into a Quiznos restaurant in California and shot himself three times. His desperate plea written in his suicide note was meant to be read by his family, the franchise community, the media and others, in hopes that the government would conduct an investigation into what he called "the systematic deceitful business practices of this franchisor."
After talking with his widow Ratti Baber and getting her permission, Blue MauMau made the decision to post the suicide note which clearly expressed Baber's pain and desperation in his situation as a franchisee. Whether we were criticized or praised in comments posted for the months that followed, we know the article stirred emotions and feelings, and left an indelible mark in the hearts and minds of many readers.
In view of Baber's death and the endless controversy that surrounded the company on franchisee issues, Blue MauMau has continued to report on Quiznos developments for the past two years. When the company terminated the franchise agreements of some of the Toasted Subs Franchisee Association’s leaders for publishing the suicide note on their web site, we reported the story.
Quiznos has not made any significant attempt to work with this independent association that Baber was so involved with. As the company put its new management team into place, I interviewed its chief legal counsel regarding the franchisor’s litigation and the direction it was taking. But since then, there have been a number of lawsuits reported, including new class action cases, which further indicates that Quiznos’ relationship with TSFA members and the majority of franchisees has not improved.
Although I made several attempts to interview past-CEO Greg Brenneman this year regarding the financial health of the Quiznos system, I was turned down.
So, today as we celebrate Thanksgiving with family and friends, I think all of us would be remiss if we didn’t reflect back on November 27, 2006, if only for a moment. It just might serve as a reminder this holiday season that franchising is not just business, it’s personal. It is about human lives.
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Related reading:
- Quiznos- A Tragic Ending to a Franchisee's Plight
- TSFA Files for Injunction to Quash Quiznos Termination Notices
- Judge Issues Order in Quiznos' Preliminary Injunction
- Quiznos- TSFA Board Members Score Victory
- Bob Baber Suicide Note
- Internet Video Shows Franchise Problems at Quiznos
- Quiznos Memorandum
- Quiznos' Chief Counsel Speaks Out on Issues
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