Closed Franchises

Contours Express Franchise Owners Cry Fraud

2007-09-25T12:56:00.001-07:00

Contours Express is now the #2 Women's circuit training gym behind Curves. They claim to be the the second fastest growing with over 600 locations worldwide in 20 countries, the most affordable and the most effective.

However, nearly 60 Contours Express franchise owners don't agree with the rosy picture painted in the marketing materials. According to a report on franchise discussion site FranchisePick.Com, hey have filed a petition for damages in the Circuit Court of St. Louis County against AABB FITNESS HOLDINGS, INC. (formerly known as CONTOURS EXPRESS, INC.), CONTOURS EXPRESS, LLC, and franchise broker JAMES E. HOGG (dba Franchise Visions), alleging fraud and breach of contract.

Among the numerous complaints, each of the plaintiffs allege that the Contours Express UFOC dramatically understated the cost of building out and operating a location, that the owners of Contours Express and their representatives also made “earnings claims” or verbal pitches regarding profitability, and that the typical franchisee’s working capital was exhausted soon after they opened their location and most could not service a debt load of 50 to 100 percent greater than they had been led to believe. The suit also alleges that Contours Express provided little or no support to the franchisees and once the stores were opened, very few of the franchisees were ever visited by representatives of the franchisor.

READ THE ARTICLE HERE: Franchise Dreams Becoming Nightmares for Many Fitness Club Owners

Subway (VA)

2007-06-27T13:30:00.000-07:00

Requiem for a Dream
Richmond Style Weekly, VA - 7 hours ago
We’ve survived the street closing, construction, customers complaining to us about not having simple access to the building.” When he bought the franchise ...

Magoo's Pizza (HI)

2007-06-27T13:29:00.001-07:00

University watering hole Magoo’s to close
Honolulu Star-Bulletin, HI - 7 hours ago
The chain has roughly 20 locations in the Philippines and its last remaining local franchise in Aiea, under separate ownership.

NY Hooters Closes

2007-06-27T13:18:00.000-07:00

Hooters closes at Crossgates
Albany Business Review, NY - Jun 26, 2007
... Inc., Michael Walsh and Paul Kraemer, owned the franchise rights to 12 other Hooters in New England through another firm, RJ Fitz LP. ...

WV 123 FIT Franchise Closes

2007-06-25T07:26:00.000-07:00

Fitness center 123 Fit closes its doors at Riverwalk Mall Daily Mail - Charleston, WV - Jun 6, 2007 Efforts to contact franchise owner Laura Jennings have been unsuccessful. Calls to the storefront on Tuesday were not returned. ...

IL Wendy's Franchise Closes

2007-06-25T07:25:00.001-07:00

Wendy's closes after company sues operators Urbana/Champaign News-Gazette, IL - Jun 18, 2007 But it said the defendants opened the restaurant without receiving approval from Wendy's Franchise Review Council. In its suit, Wendy's said the defendants ...

KY Fat Moe's Franchise Failed

2007-06-25T07:21:00.000-07:00

Fat Mo's franchise failed due to lack of training, owner says Bowling Green Daily News, United States - May 29, 2007 Fat Mo's owner and franchisor Mohammad Karimy said the restaurant's first Kentucky location closed May 13, after the partners could not transform the ...

OH Hottie Body Franchises (10) Close

2007-06-25T07:16:00.000-07:00

Troubled tanning-salon chain under fire Columbus Dispatch, OH - Jun 9, 2007 Ten Hottie Body locations in central Ohio have closed, leaving some franchise owners -- and many customers -- empty-handed. A location in Mount Vernon ...

OH Atlanta Bread Franchise closes

2007-06-25T07:15:00.001-07:00

Atlanta Bread closed here Cincinnati Enquirer, OH - Jun 12, 2007 has closed. The restaurant at Fourth and Walnut streets closed after its landlord filed a lawsuit accusing its franchise operator, Cincinnati Bread Co., ...

MA Schakolad Chocolate Franchise

2007-06-25T07:13:00.000-07:00

Saving a franchise: From sour to sweet The Virginian-Pilot, VA - Jun 13, 2007 Last year, the company's only location in Massachusetts closed. "The transition would have been more difficult," said the younger Schaked, explaining why ...

NH Hooters Closes 8 Franchises

2007-06-25T07:09:00.000-07:00

Bankrupt Hooters owner closes last eight locations The Union Leader, NH - 9 hours ago The eight remaining restaurants owned and operated by RJ Fitz LP, including the Manchester location and two others in New Hampshire, closed their doors last ...

CO Maggie Moo's Franchise Closes

2007-06-25T07:08:00.000-07:00

The scoop on Maggie: Ice cream parlor closes shop Aspen Daily News, CO - 8 hours ago Maggie Moo's Ice Cream & Treatery closed its doors for good Sunday after the owner said she found herself caught "between a rock and a hard place. ...

ND Days Inn Americinn Franchise

2007-06-25T07:07:00.001-07:00

Moorhead motel files bankruptcy In-Forum (subscription), ND - 8 hours agoIn retrospect, the Cronens said, some early mistakes proved costly, for instance starting with the decision to open as a Days Inn franchise. ...

IL Wendy's Still Closed

2007-06-25T07:05:00.001-07:00

Wendy's still closed; owners comply with federal order Journal Gazette and Times-Courier, IL - Jun 18, 2007 The Mattoon Wendy’s first closed last year when former franchise owner WenAmerica went bankrupt. On Friday, US District Judge Michael McCuskey in Urbana ...

AZ Famous Sam's Could Close

2007-06-25T07:02:00.001-07:00

Famous Sam's inspiration in jeopardy of closing Arizona Daily Star, AZ - Jun 20, 2007 Zimbler said he hoped to receive some abatement in his franchise royalties to help him reduce his costs. He said the code violations were the result of ...

NC Hardee's Closes

2007-06-25T06:59:00.000-07:00

Hardee's closing shocks some thepaper24-7.com - Jun 21, 2007 The restaurant is owned by Hardee's Food Systems, Inc. based in North Carolina and not by a franchise. "It is probably a market the company would not ...

TGIF Franchises in Hawaii Close

2007-06-25T06:56:00.000-07:00

TGIF To Leave Hawaii Hawaii Channel.com, HI - Jun 19, 2007... across Hawaii Wednesday, said franchise owners. Regulars at the Kuhio location said they were disappointed to hear the restaurants would be closing. ...

Candy Bouquet Franchise Closing

2007-06-25T06:51:00.000-07:00

Candy Bouquet closing
Evansville Courier & Press (subscription), IN - Jun 14, 2007

Glenda Jaccard, a co-owner of the franchise with her husband, Doug, said financial circumstances prompted their decision to close. "While we've sold as much ...