Ontario's highest court affirms certification of franchisee class action
against Quiznos, Gordon Food Service (GFS)

TORONTO, June 24 /CNW/ - In a unanimous decision released today, the Ontario Court of Appeal upheld certification of a national class action brought by Canadian franchisees of the Quiznos restaurant chain.

The class action alleges that Quiznos violated its franchise agreements and the federal Competition Act by acting together with its designated supplier, Gordon Food Services (GFS), to improperly inflate prices paid by Quiznos operators for their supplies. The claim also alleges that Quiznos has violated laws requiring franchisors to deal fairly with their franchisees.

In upholding class action status, the Court of Appeal emphasized that the lawsuit was "exactly the kind of case for a class proceeding" and that allowing franchisees to join together in an action against their franchisor would promote access to justice.

The Court's decision is a significant step forward for the Quiznos franchisees in their longstanding dispute over the cost of supplies and confirms the importance of class proceedings in remedying system-wide franchise disputes.

A copy of the decision is available at: http://www.sotosllp.com/class-actions/quiznos/.

The franchisees are represented by Sotos LLP, Canada's leading franchise law firm.

For further information: David Sterns at [email protected] or Sam Hall at [email protected], Sotos LLP, 416-977-0007, www.sotosllp.com