Bankrupt Quiznos Settles With Franchisees in Cost Dispute The bankrupt sandwich chain has reached a settlement with 12 defunct franchisees who were suing the company for about $40 million.

By Kate Taylor

Opinions expressed by BIZ Experiences contributors are their own.

Quiznos may still be bankrupt, but its ongoing battle with franchisees is coming to a close.

Quiznos has reportedly reached a settlement with 12 defunct franchisees who alleged the Denver-based sandwich chain cost them millions of dollars through hidden markups on food and supplies.

The franchisees were suing Quiznos for more than $40 million total. Quiznos countersued the franchisees for $3 million, claiming the owners had breached their contracts by abandoning their stores and by halting royalty payments and advertising contributions, according to The Denver Post.

Related: Quiznos Is Bankrupt, But It Made an Awesome 'House of Thrones' Mashup

The lawsuits are reminiscent of a number of other franchisee lawsuits against the chain. The biggest suit resulted in a multimillion settlement in 2009 settlement, in which Quiznos forked over $95 million in a class-action lawsuit that covered 6,900 franchisees.

With Quiznos declaring bankruptcy in February, franchisees expressed hope that the restructuring would serve as an opportunity to progress on proposed changes to the chain's business model.

"The [Quiznos franchise association] Board has made recommendations to the Quiznos management team on changes to the business model that need to be made as part of this restructure to help struggling franchisees and stop store closures by increasing franchisee profitability," the board said in a statement following reports of the franchisor preparing to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.

Related: Report: Quiznos Is Preparing to File for Bankruptcy

Kate Taylor

Reporter

Kate Taylor is a reporter at Business Insider. She was previously a reporter at BIZ Experiences. Get in touch with tips and feedback on Twitter at @Kate_H_Taylor. 

Want to be an BIZ Experiences Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Starting a Business

These Brothers Started a Business to Improve an Everyday Task. They Made Their First Products in the Garage — Now They've Raised Over $100 Million.

Coulter and Trent Lewis had an early research breakthrough that helped them solve for the right problem.

Growing a Business

Struggling to Explain What You Sell? This Beverage Brand Was Too — Until It Tried This 4-Step Fix

Rebranding can be a complicated process, but it doesn't have to be. Here's how one beverage company fixed its messaging problem in a few key steps.

Franchise

How to Prepare Your Business — And Yourself — For a Smooth Exit

After decades of building your business, turning it over to someone else can be emotional. But with the right mindset and a strong plan, it can also be your proudest moment.

Franchise

10 No-Office-Required Businesses You Can Start for as Little as $5,000

With strong Franchise 500 rankings and investment levels starting under $5,000, these brands are ready for new owners to hit the ground running.

Business Ideas

70 Small Business Ideas to Start in 2025

We put together a list of the best, most profitable small business ideas for BIZ Experiencess to pursue in 2025.