Raving Brands CEO Martin Sprock is the Greatest, Most Generous Guy in the World
April 23, 2007 by Sean Kelly
Filed under Business
Somewhere in this great land of franchise and foodservice opportunity, there are 100 people jumping up and screaming. Listen carefully and you can hear their cries: Martin! Martin! Martin!
Their screams are for Martin Sprock, the founder of Moe’s Southwest Grill and CEO of Raving Brands, a man whom this thundering hundred has declared “the greatest guy in the world.”
It’s true. Just ask the Sprockster himself:
…I know I’ve been the most-generous guy in the world and not one person except for Anne Wheatley would say otherwise. It’s just unfortunate. I’ve got 100 people that jump up and scream—they think I’m the greatest guy in the world…
Martin Sprock revealed his nearly universal popularity in a fascinating interview (Martin Sprock Talks) with Fred Minnick published on QSRMagazine.com. The interview revealed the tragic side of greatness, how an unselfish, humble man can be set upon by sharks like Anne Wheatley and the estate of ruthless industrialist Jerry Garcia.
Who’s Anne Wheatley? It turns out that Wheatley is Sprock’s former franchise sales director who filed suit in August 2005, alleging she was cheated out of stock options in Moe’s and Mama Fu’s. Anne Wheatley is also the only person who doesn’t think Sprock is “the most-generous guy in the world.” Well, just Wheatley and the moneygrubbing Jerry Garcia Estate, which successfully sued for copyright infringement. OK, Wheatley, the Garcia Estate, and greedy artist Janie Atkinson, who is suing under the outlandish premise that she should have control over her original artwork and even, (get this!) get paid for it.
OK, everyone thinks Martin Sprock is the greatest guy in the world except Wheatley, the Garcia Estate, Janie Atkinson, and, well, the franchisees of three separate lawsuits that accuse him, and Moe’s, of racketeering, taking undisclosed kickbacks, and failure to donate certain franchisee transactions to charity as advertised.
It’s settled: Moe’s Southwest Grill founder and Raving Brands CEO Martin Sprock is The Greatest & Most Generous Guy in the World.
If you hear any different, just remember that little people are always looking to topple great men. As a great man once said in a quickservice interview:
…some folks just look for any way to sue people. That’s end of story.
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Read the interviews at QSRMagazine.Com:
Raving Brands Faces More Litigation
Raving Brands Faces Copyright, Employee Litigation
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ARE YOU FAMILIAR WITH MARTIN SPROCK, RAVING BRANDS or MOE’S SOUTHWEST GRILL? SHARE YOUR OPINION. LEAVE A COMMENT.
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Loved your articel. Sprock is a rip-off artist and all around bad guy.
At least he provides an entertaining interview. Are/were you a franchisee?
Don’t know Martin well, but have known of him since his days at UNC, and know people that for for decades have been getting ripped off by this guy. He is a great pyramid scheme artist, but an A1 jerk that has screwed many a friend.
Martin Sprock is a great American who represents the American Dream. If he made mistakes he will pay for them. Without entreprenuers like Sprock, we would all work for big business or government. He has guts and a fighting spirit we all envy and should be proud of. I believe ther is alot of sour grape attitudes developing around this man. We should celebrate his sucsess and learn from him.
I know Martin from working with him in the past. He and Steve Lamastra together are a couple of first-rate slimeballs. No wonder that the Doc Green’s franchisees filed suit this week – add that to Mama’s and Moe’s and several individuals out there. Raving Brands will be bankrupt within 3 years.
Also Check out: Franchise Marketing Ploy Has Franchise Owners Raving Mad
And
http://www.franchisepick.com/doc-greens-franchise-owners-seeing-red/#comment-27927
Sprock Progression:
-opens failed bars (Clarence Fosters) in Charlotte/Atlanta;
-copies Smoothie King and franchises Planet Smoothie to low/moderate success, at least for the franchisees he suckered;
-Sprock copies the food of Willy’s in Atlanta for Moe’s, after approaching Willy’s re: franchising in 2000;
-In late 2000/early 2001, opens 1st/only corporate Moe’s (with Willy’s food) to sell franchises with kitschy image artwork/music;
-sells many units perfoming no due diligence (read legal) re: artwork;
-estate(s) of dead artists whose images are in artwork sue…artwork removed from all stores;
-Buys PJ’s coffee;
-uses bathroom art without permission from artist…artist sues;
-opens 1 unit Mama Fu’s to sell franchises;
-wealthy Moe’s franchisees sue in Texas claiming no business model/support…case settles;
-opens 1 Doc Green’s to sell franchises;
-buys Shane’s rib shack;
-vast majority of mama fu’s franchises fail/failing
-Mama fu’s franchisees sue claiming, among other things, no support;
-early Moe’s franchisees find out via mama fu’s lawsuit and from food distributor that, among other things, improper rebates (violates early UFOCs) are funneled to a company in which Sprock is an owner;
-Moe’s franchisees sue;
-Moe’s sold to FOCUS;
-Doc Green’s franchisees sue claiming fraudulent activity (e.g., improper rebates, food give-away prior to potential franchisee visits);
-Mama Fu’s sold to the largest and apparently only succesful franchisee;
-PJ’s coffee sold to franchisee…
Future:
-Look for Doc Green’s to sell/close down soon;
-Look for a Shane’s blow-up, etc.
Basic Sprock methodology:
-Copy and build 1 store
-Sell (including lying to potential franchisees) franchises
-Steal
-get sued
-Defend lawsuits
-Sell out
-Defend lawsuits
Not exactly the stuff of the Greatest Guy in the World…
Joe:
Quite a thorough chronology.
What’s the scoop with PJs selling?
Also, your last line (Not exactly the stuff of the Greatest Guy in the World…) shows that you didn’t read very carefully because everyone else is jumping up and down saying what a generous and great guy Martin Sprock is. Except Anne Wheatly. And you. And Jerry Garcia… and he isn’t jumping up and down for anyone.
Sean-
Don’t know PJ’s details, except that PJ’s is a existing, well-known local and very good brand in N’awlins. My guess is that it was a tough sell for Sprock et al. to potential franchisees outside that area, which is pretty saturated. RB apparently does not do well with long-time, local brands–not their thing. They also don’t like skin-in-the-game, just royalties (and kick-backs).
As such, Sprock and his cronies are only about selling, not building or supporting a brand, then stealing as much as they can from their “partners” with ad fees and kick-backs before selling out.
Why did RB rapidly expand the number of their concepts after Moe’s took off? Throw it all against a wall and see what sticks, that’s why. No business model, no support, no skin-in-the-game to truly know the business they franchise and sell.
Simply put, Sprock is a scummy snake-oil salesman and thief.
And, btw, one more person who thinks Sprock is NOT the Greatest Guy in the World? The Federal judge in Atlanta presiding over the Wheatley case who personally sanctioned Sprock for not co-operating with discovery requests re: his financials. Wonder why?
It’s a shame. The food at Moe’s is actually pretty good, but it was evident early on that the concept was not fully developed before the expansion push. In my opinion, the menuboards were indecipherable… and the names more obscure and off-putting than clever (I saw a 60 year old lady choking over ordering an “ugly naked guy”). The celebrity portraits were an obvious infringement from the start.
Prospective franchisees, learn the lesson: You can get away with style over substance for a period of time… but that period is much shorter than the term of your franchise agreement. Even if your franchisor is the greatest, most generous guy in the world!
I agree, Sean. The food is good. That’s because it’s Willy’s food specs/recipes, which I understand Sprock bought during the negotiations with willy’s owner to franchise Willy’s. Willy’s was/is a proven place in Atlanta well before Moe’s came along. Most Atlanta folks know Willy’s–bare bones place (~10+ units now) with very good food. No confusing menu board or “style,” as you say.
My warning to prospective ‘zees: if RB comes calling, run in the opposite direction…
Martin Sprock is definitely NOT the greatest most generous guy in the world. Installed Phantom Screens in his house in Linville, NC in July 2007. Can not get him to pay the $2100 he owes us, won’t return phone calls, and actually hung up on me once. I agree that he is a slimeball.
What are phantom screens? Are those the screens that look like a mirror or painting or something until you turn on the TV and they magically turn into The Biggest Loser? No doubt Mr Sprock has them set to portraits of the most generous guy in the world – just as inspiration to visitors.
More folks that do NOT think Sprock is the greatest guy in the world? Apparently, his top management!!!
http://www.nrn.com/breakingNews.aspx?id=356140
or
http://www.fastcasual.com/article.php?id=11086