re: Steak n' Shake coming to BR

quote:

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Let me take out the SUNSHINE and add a little REALITY:

Steak ‘n Shake, the moderately successful Midwestern chain with minimal brand awareness and zero brand loyalty outside it's core area for its hamburgers and shakes, has contractually obligated it's sucker franchisee to open seven restaurants in Baton Rouge and New Orleans, which would be suicidal for the aforementioned franchisee. Bob Franke, senior vice president of franchise development for Steak ‘n Shake,who has ZERO skin in the game, says an agreement has been reached with a local franchise group to build a single location, operate it for one year, deplete his life savings and return his home to the bank. This is part of an myopic Utopian push by Steak ‘n Shake to open 1,000 new restaurants in the next couple of years, or fourteen, whichever comes first. Franke says the local franchisees are eyeing stand-alone locations with exorbanant build-out costs and restaurants inside strip shopping centers where they can lose their asses much faster. Indianapolis-based Steak ‘n Shake has nearly 500 restaurants but none in Louisiana, because no sucker has yet to take the bait. Franke says the plan is to open the chain’s first Louisiana restaurant by the fall if the franchisee does not run fleeing for his life.

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