| Are Franchises Bad Employers? A Closer Look at Burger Flippers and Other Low-paid Jobs
The idea of "McJobs"-- low-paying positions with little chance of advancement -- bothered the CEO of McDonald's so much that, when Merriam-Webster included the term in its dictionary in 2003, he wrote a public letter of protest. His plea went unheeded. "McJobs" stayed. Merriam-Webster said that it strove to record and define the words that people use, not pass judgment on them. But McDonald's hasn't given up. Earlier this year, it launched a similar effort in the United Kingdom, trying to persuade the Oxford English Dictionary to drop the term. As these debates suggest, the idea that franchises, especially those in the fast-food sector, create dead-end jobs is widespread. Comedians like David Letterman joke about it. Muckrakers write books about it (think Fast Food Nation or Nickel and Dimed).
Group buys out Bojangles' chicken chain
One man built the nation's biggest consumer bank; the other, a Super Bowl team. Together, they've bought Charlotte's signature chicken-and-biscuits chain. An investment group that includes former Bank of America chief Hugh McColl said Thursday it has joined with Carolina Panthers founder Jerry Richardson to buy a majority stake in Bojangles'. Led by Falfurrias Capital Partners, the new ownership group now controls more than 60 percent of the Charlotte-based Bojangles', which sells spicy chicken, buttermilk biscuits and other items at nearly 400 restaurants in almost a dozen states. "This is a remarkable opportunity with a company that has a good track record," McColl said. The deal will bring a new CEO to Bojangles' - the current chief will remain in the ownership group - and could boost already brisk growth in new locations.
Marketplace: Grill offers fresher take on fast food
A new chain of restaurants opened its first California location in Roseville on Sept. 10, and nine more are planned for the Sacramento area, including El Dorado Hills. The franchise owners -- two Placer County sisters and their husbands -- hope UFood Grill will be a fresh take on fast food. UFood Grill, started by Boston Market founder George Naddaff, specializes in fast, healthy meals. Nothing on the menu is fried -- only steamed, baked or grilled. So far, three UFood Grills have opened nationwide -- one in Florida, one in Massachusetts and the new one in Roseville. Seven more are set to open by the end of the year. .
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