Meal Assembly Owner is correct. You are getting more information from Super Suppers than the others because they are money whores. They are selling to anyone and everyone with reckless regard to who they are, what they know, and how much money they have. This stragey is killing them and the other franchises because they are setting stores up for failure by selling to owners who do not have enough capital to run them properly.
Lawsuit accuses Curves founder of fraud, threats
03/26/2005
Associated Press
A lawsuit seeking more than $20 million accuses the founder of Curves International of defrauding seven people who sold franchises for the fast-growing chain of no-frills fitness clubs for women.
The plaintiffs claim they're due the money for helping Gary Heavin turn his Waco-based company into the world's No. 1 fitness center in terms of number of clubs.
Since the mid-1990s, Curves has grown to more than 8,400 franchises in all 50 states and 28 countries. One in every four fitness clubs in the United States is a Curves. By comparison, Gold's Gyms and Bally Total Fitness have about 1,000 facilities between them.
In the lawsuit filed this month in state district court in Waco, seven former friends and associates of Heavin allege they quit their jobs, mortgaged homes, maxed out credit cards and slept in their cars to help Heavin launch Curves in the early years on the promise he would share the wealth once the company took off.
Instead, they claim, Heavin "changed the rules" and forced them to accept a fraction of the proceeds he promised them at the risk of being fired.
"This lawsuit is baseless," Curves spokeswoman Becky Frusher said. "Unfortunately, when you become a company of our size, you become a target for frivolous lawsuits."
The suit acknowledges that the plaintiffs signed a subsequent, different agreement with Heavin three years ago.
Plaintiffs include [h]San Hance [/h]of Tarrant County; Don Buster and Robert Findley, both of McLennan County; Charles Cunningham of Tennessee; Cathy Reardon of Iowa; David Mesmer of New York; and Darrel Payne of Canada.
The lawsuit names Heavin and company attorney Roger Schmidt as defendants.
"We truly regret that discussions to resolve this dispute were not successful and that recourse to the courts has become necessary," said Richard D. Yeomans, an Austin attorney who represents the plaintiffs. "We look forward to a full airing of the matter."
Heavin and his wife, Diane, have donated millions to charities and other causes, including $5 million in September 2003 to the Family Practice Center, McLennan County Abstinence Project and the Care Net Pregnancy Center.
But the lawsuit alleges fraud, deceit, intimidation and threats by Heavin.
According to the suit, Heavin turned to the plaintiffs and others when he was beginning to sell his Curves franchises and promised them that if they were willing to take a risk and invest their own time and money, he would reward them for their efforts.
"Heavin told plaintiffs that he was a committed Christian, that he conducted his business based on biblical principles of honesty and integrity and that he would never try to cheat them," the suit says.
Heavin, 49, was a millionaire by age 30 after taking over a failing health club in Houston and expanding it into a chain of 17 clubs.
In 1992, Heavin and his second wife, Diane, opened the first Curves club.
Three years later, Heavin was selling franchises, and by 1998 there were 500. Curves aims to have more than 25,000 ? including 8,000 in Asia and 8,000 in Europe ? within five years.
Looks like Sam Hance is being sued at Super Suppers for the same thing he is sued Curves for?
