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Papa John's, Applebee's And Others Pay Huge Price For Anti-Obamacare Politicking

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Searched, didn't see that it had been posted.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/rickung...ay-huge-price-for-anti-obamacare-politicking/

Some quick quotes:

It turns out, the pizza eating public did not approve.

Indeed, so serious was the reaction that Schnatter was forced to publish an op-ed piece where he sought to convince us that he never really intended to cut back worker hours but had simply been speculating on what he might do in response to the legislation.

According to YouGov BrandIndex, a leading marketing survey that measures brand perception in the marketplace (called “Buzz”), Papa John’s had good reason for concern as the pizza chain’s brand identity has plummeted from a high of 32 on election day, to a remarkably low score of 4 among adults who have eaten at causal dining restaurants during the past month.

Fast food server, Applebee’s, possessed a healthy Buzz score of 35 before Zane Terkel, CEO of one of the company’s largest franchisees, appeared on television to complain about the law and to announce that he would not be building more restaurants or hiring any more workers in response to his objections to Obamacare.

Applebee’s “pre-Terkel” Buzz score of 35 now sits at a pathetic 5.

I don’t imagine Mr. Terkel will be getting many Christmas cards this year from other Applebee’s franchise owners.

While these corporate complainers have sought to explain away the hit they are experiencing at the hands of the public’s perception, one such company is facing the music straight on. Darden Restaurants, Inc.— owner of Olive Garden, Red Lobster and LongHorn Steakhouse—has lowered its profit projections for the quarter ending November 25th, acknowledging that its bad numbers are the result of poorly performing promotions, Superstorm Sandy and…wait for it…the poor publicity it engendered by its decision to test out a plan to cut back on healthcare costs by putting more workers on part-time schedules.

wjbFj.jpg


No clue how this "buzz" rating thing is, but if it's good enough for Forbes, it's good enough for me!
 

KHarvey16

Member
This is actually phase two of Obamacare. Less Applebees and Papa John's restaurants will reduce healthcare costs and eliminate the deficit.
 
Doesn't really mean much outside of temp bad press.

While these corporate complainers have sought to explain away the hit they are experiencing at the hands of the public’s perception, one such company is facing the music straight on. Darden Restaurants, Inc.— owner of Olive Garden, Red Lobster and LongHorn Steakhouse—has lowered its profit projections for the quarter ending November 25th, acknowledging that its bad numbers are the result of poorly performing promotions, Superstorm Sandy and…wait for it…the poor publicity it engendered by its decision to test out a plan to cut back on healthcare costs by putting more workers on part-time schedules.

Actually I'm going to put that in the op.
 

Concept17

Member
This is actually phase two of Obamacare. Less Applebees and Papa John's restaurants will reduce healthcare costs and eliminate the deficit.

I'm okay with this. Cardboard pizza with shit sauce and microwavable food belongs in the grocery store.

Most corporate-ran restaurant chains are terrible places to work at. Employees are often treated like shit and management is a joke.
 

Horseticuffs

Full werewolf off the buckle
Well, I hope these bastards and that Dairy Queen owning bastard learn to quit trying to hold back our country from joining the first-fucking-world in the future.

If it wouldn't cost people their jobs I'd hope their businesses failed and they ended up homeless and ruined. They deserve to know what it's like to need help and not be able to get it.

I don't mean to come off like a dick, but at least when I am a dick it doesn't impact millions of the working poor.
 

SiteSeer

Member
its one thing to disagree on policy in the public, but to also threaten your worker's livelihood in public is something else completely. whatever bad reputations comes to those businesses, they've certainly earned it.
 
"Buzz" ratings, lol. Take a look at their stocks, then you'll get a true gauge of how they're doing as a company.

This is Papa john's over the past 20 years:

z
 

mavs

Member
Olive Garden and Red Lobster are owned by the same company? In hindsight, I should have been able to figure that one out.
 

Guevara

Member
Actually heart warming. Good job American consumers, I didn't think you had it in you to agitate on behalf of your fellow man.
 

Gotchaye

Member
"Buzz" ratings, lol. Take a look at their stocks, then you'll get a true gauge of how they're doing as a company.

This is Papa john's over the past 20 years:

z

Why would you post a 20 year stock chart when we're talking about something that's only been going on for six months? Edit: Lol, and on a log scale.
 
"Buzz" ratings, lol. Take a look at their stocks, then you'll get a true gauge of how they're doing as a company.

This is Papa john's over the past 20 years:

z

And this is olive garden and red lobster over the last month:

qgliW.jpg


Granted that probably has to do with them revising their profits.

Also how the hell can you tell anything from a picture of 20 years? Almost any mildly successful company is going to go up over that. And it's a log :/
 

Risible

Member
I ate fried fish that some dude prepared for me in his "restaurant"/cave on the beach on one of the Greek isles on my honeymoon. The table was a big-ass rock, and the chairs were rickety plastic garden furniture.

Applebees makes that place look like haute cuisine.

I have never had worse food than I've had at Applebees.
 

Acheron

Banned
"Buzz" ratings, lol. Take a look at their stocks, then you'll get a true gauge of how they're doing as a company.

This is Papa john's over the past 20 years:

z

Stocks should (theoretically) represent the present value of future cash flows. It may be the case a declining brand image will impact sales and subsequently cause a downward revision in expectations of future Papa John's cash flows.

I personally am a bit ambivalent, while I don't think it would likely be a core reason for a stock price decline, I do think politicizing a fucking pizza chain can only lead down bad avenues.
 

Link

The Autumn Wind
Yep, here's what I wrote about it a few days ago:

You publicly state that you're going to cut hours and pay because you don't want to provide health insurance to your employees, this is what's going to happen. All these idiot billionaire CEO's want to make this a political issue. Meanwhile, they're only hurting their own business.
 

Gotchaye

Member
I ate fried fish that some dude prepared for me in his "restaurant"/cave on the beach on one of the Greek isles on my honeymoon. The table was a big-ass rock, and the chairs were rickety plastic garden furniture.

Applebees makes that place look like haute cuisine.

I have never had worse food than I've had at Applebees.

I liked these pizza sticks they had when I was a kid, maybe 15 years ago. Then the menu changed, and no pizza sticks. Fuck 'em.
 

VALIS

Member
"Buzz" ratings, lol. Take a look at their stocks, then you'll get a true gauge of how they're doing as a company.

It's not about how they're doing as a company but that public opinion on them is low right now because of things said by representatives of their companies. Stock prices have to do with many factors.
 

Acheron

Banned
I liked these pizza sticks they had when I was a kid, maybe 15 years ago. Then the menu changed, and no pizza sticks. Fuck 'em.

Speaking about that, Domino's brought back Twisty Bread (in Canada atleast). It's amazing what that garlic-y piexe of dough can mean to people.
 
Of course they hate it. I don't blame them- they have to pay more money to have employees. However, Obama was re-elected so they should get used to it instead of throwing money away
 

Tapiozona

Banned
How the hell can you tell anything over one quarter performance report?

Umm, because that would directly show a direct correlation between Papa John's comments and a loss in revenue if one was present. Showing 20 years of their stock history does nothing to address the current situation and what this thread is about.
 

LuchaShaq

Banned
Crap chains with crap policies. Fuck em

This.


At least when I go to the local burger shop I know the racist asshole (with great fucking food) who owns the place is only fucking over 2-3 employees not thousands.


You want to play politics? Don't be surprised when people choose generic shit chain B over your generic shit chain C even if the other one has just as bad if not worse policies.
 

DietRob

i've been begging for over 5 years.
The remarks by Schnatter were finally enough to get my wife to quit ordering that piece of rubber he calls a pizza. Thank you Papa.
 

LuchaShaq

Banned
I wonder how that guy who hugged Obama is doing.

From what I remember he got a metric shit ton of people trying to harass him with threats, but when that story came out business boomed as a reaction from good people to the reaction from the shitheads.

That said I have no idea if the boom or harassment persisted after those couple of weeks.
 

demon

I don't mean to alarm you but you have dogs on your face
There's a local pizza place called Ian's here in Madison WI that is pretty popular and has good pizza. Just read an article in a local paper recently about how the owner came out in support of Obamacare in response to Papa John, and subsequently got invited to the White House. Their business is doing great too, just moved to a much nicer, larger location.
http://www.progressive.org/small-business-pizza-owner-sticks-up-for-health-care
That so fucking hard, John?
 
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