PITTSBURGH A group of Quiznos franchisees in western Pennsylvania, including the owners of two closed units, are suing Quiznos in district court here, accusing the Denver-based sandwich chain of fraudulent and deceptive business practices.
The suit, which seeks class-action status on behalf of area franchisees, accuses Quiznos of making it difficult for operators to succeed by building units too close to each other and forcing franchisees to buy food and supplies at high prices from company-approved suppliers. The suit also alleges that Quiznos representatives overstated the profits franchisees could expect to make.
Plaintiffs Rene and Gwen Vela of Enon Valley and Andrew Schry of Ellport claimed they were forced to close their stores when their sales did not improve.
The lawsuit is virtually identical to one filed in Illinois that a federal court judge dismissed this spring, said Richard Emmett, chief legal officer for the more than 5,000-unit chain.
“We expect the same result,” Emmett said, adding that the lawsuit’s allegations do not represent Quiznos’ current operating procedures.
Quiznos faces similar lawsuits in New Jersey, Colorado and Wisconsin.