Lawsuit Against Dairy Queen Grows

QSR magazine:

3 more Dairy Queen franchisee associations joined the Michigan Dairy Queen Operators’ Association (MDQOA) in its lawsuit against International Dairy Queen (IDQ) and American Dairy Queen (ADQ) in the U.S. District Court in the Western District of Michigan.

According to court papers filed yesterday by Schwartz Cooper, the Arizona Dairy Queen Operators’ Association (AZDQOA), the Northeastern Store Owners’ Association (NESO), and the Heartland Dairy Queen Operators’ Association (Heartland) are joining MDQOA’s legal fight against IDQ and ADQ seeking declaratory judgment and injunctive relief on a variety of legal issues that threaten to bankrupt or destroy the profitability and value of Dairy Queen mom and pop franchise holders.

According to Carmen Caruso of Schwartz Cooper, ‘The addition of these regional associations makes clear that the forced conversion by IDQ/ADQ is a national problem, not a problem isolated to one particular region or state. It is affecting all franchisees.’ The lawsuit by the four Dairy Queen franchisee associations continues to ask the Court to prevent IDQ and ADQ from… Continue reading.