rogers7808 writes:
I was interested in purchasing a Curves until I read some of the posts.
If Curves is such a bad deal, why has it been named “Franchisor of the Year for 2009?
Rogers7808:
There are no valid franchise awards/rankings that I know of (Though FranSurvey.Com at one time seemed to be useful and well-intentioned.  I’m not sure of its status currently). All are somehow driven by a self-serving motive. For Entrepreneur magazine, the 800 lb. gorilla of franchise rankings, it is ad sales and perpetuation of the franchise myth of great opportunities galore.
The 2009 Franchisor of the Year award was …read more

What’s the fuss about Cuppy’s Coffee? This’ll get you up to speed: CUPPY’S COFFEE, Java Jo’z, Elite Manufacturing, Medina Blogliography
Cuppy’s Coffee franchisees: Enough is enough! There’s been a lot of whining and snivelling around here lately from Cuppy’s Coffee franchisees (or “depositers” as we call them. Or “Involuntary Investors”).
I paid Cuppy’s Coffee $30,000 and they won’t give it back! and I took a home equity loan to give $39,500 for a Cuppy’s Coffee franchise and they won’t give it back! and even I made a $52,000 deposit for a Cuppy’s franchise and they won’t …read more

(FranchisePick.Com)
According to the AAFD, “Cuppy’s Coffee has committed itself to a collaborative franchise culture that adopts high standards of mutual respect between franchisor and franchisees.”
- Cuppy’s Coffee website
In doing your homework investigating which franchise opportunities are best, and which franchise companies are trustworthy, you’ll encounter many “badges of credibility,” such as franchise rankings, satisfaction surveys, and awards from such organizations as the non-profit American Association of Franchisees & Dealers (AAFD). To test your interpretive skills, answer this question:
What does the fair franchising award (as pictured and described above) indicate about the recipient company:
A) The award-recipient …read more