Memphis TN Heros! This takes guts!

MacUser · Postby **MacUser** » June 7th, 2009, 5:08 am

'Global warming is baloney' signs put the heat on Burger King
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/ju ... warming-us

The franchisee, a Memphis-based company called the Mirabile Investment Corporation (MIC) that owns more than 40 Burger Kings across Tennessee, Arkansas and Mississippi, has described Burger King as acting "kinda like cockroaches" over the controversy. MIC says it does not believe Burger King has the authority to make it take the signs down.

The dispute began to sizzle last week, when a local newspaper reporter in Memphis, Tennessee, noticed the signs outside two restaurants in the city and contacted the corporation to establish if the message represented its official viewpoint. Burger King's headquarters in Miami said it did not, adding that it had ordered MIC to take the signs down.

But a few days later readers of the Memphis paper said they had seen about a dozen Burger King restaurants across the state displaying the signs and that some had yet to be taken down. Media attempts to contact MIC to establish why it was taking an apparently defiant stance were rebuffed, but the Guardian managed to grill MIC's marketing president, John McNelis.

"I would think [Burger King] would run from any form of controversy kinda like cockroaches when the lights get turned on," said Mr McNelis. "I'm not aware of any direction that they gave the franchisee and I don't think they have the authority to do it."

McNelis added: "The [restaurant] management team can put the message up there if they want to. It is private property and here in the US we do have some rights. Notwithstanding a franchise agreement, I could load a Brinks vehicle with [rights] I've got so many of them. By the time the Burger King lawyers work out how to make that stick we'd be in the year 2020."

He continued: "Burger King can bluster all they want about what they can tell the franchisee to do, but we have free-speech rights in this country so I don't think there's any concerns."

*****

Go SUPPORT Burger King in your area and state that you love the Memphis TN BK.. Anti- Global Warming signs to the Management. Start a movement! Go (MIC) Burger Kings!

In Al Gore's HOME state. Bravo!

DeWayneTN · Postby **DeWayneTN** » June 7th, 2009, 7:13 am

Not sure how I feel about this. I happen to agree with the guys but I kinda think restaurants should be politically neutral zones.

dolfan · Postby **dolfan** » June 7th, 2009, 11:59 am

As a business owner, we would do what's best for business. If you put up political opinions on your signs, you're asking for customers that keep you in business to disagree with your very business. It is not a good idea, as a rule.

This is publicity. Now, that may be borne from conviction, and I respect the rights of the owners and managers, just like the guy said. They CAN do what they want. It is THEIR property, THEIR business, and if people don't like it, they can vote with their money by going to McDonald's or wherever. At the end of the day, though, publicity may work against him. Time will tell.

Personally, I'd go out of my way to drive through and buy a Whopper from him. But, for every 'me' that'd do that once because I'm not in Memphis and I'd like to be supportive, there may be one who lives there, eats there regularly, but will pass on it for now or forever. Their call, their consequence. Their right.

EagerBeaver · Postby **EagerBeaver** » June 7th, 2009, 12:14 pm

Yeah, it's risky at best.

MacUser · Postby **MacUser** » June 8th, 2009, 4:59 am

I think it's fantastic as I am so fed up with political correctness run amok.

Something you have to understand is that he actually does care enough to share the truth on this topic at great personal risk.

Outstanding.

Full Quiver · Postby **Full Quiver** » June 8th, 2009, 9:01 am

good for them and if in the neighborhood I would eat lunch and dinner

DeWayneTN · Postby **DeWayneTN** » June 8th, 2009, 9:06 am

Full Quiver wrote:good for them and if in the neighborhood I would eat lunch and dinner

but not breakfast??

soulsearcher · Postby **soulsearcher** » June 8th, 2009, 10:28 am

A standing ovation from me!

Full Quiver · Postby **Full Quiver** » June 8th, 2009, 5:12 pm

The breakfast at BK bites; I'll pass ten BK's for a Hardees or Chick-Fil-A any day at breakfast time!

dolfan · Postby **dolfan** » June 9th, 2009, 10:37 am

MacUser wrote:I think it's fantastic as I am so fed up with political correctness run amok.

Something you have to understand is that he actually does care enough to share the truth on this topic at great personal risk.

Outstanding.

I applaud the backbone, questioned the business wisdom. I applaud the sentiment, question whether he really cares what happens. I figure he knows what he's in for, or that he should. I hope more people eat more from there on the long term than had in the past. It would be nice to see someone who's right actually come out ahead on something like this.

Maybe he should serve a global warming biscuit, and it be a baloney biscuit. :lol:

MacUser · Postby **MacUser** » June 9th, 2009, 1:17 pm

dolfan wrote:I applaud the backbone, questioned the business wisdom. I applaud the sentiment, question whether he really cares what happens. I figure he knows what he's in for, or that he should. I hope more people eat more from there on the long term than had in the past. It would be nice to see someone who's right actually come out ahead on something like this.

Maybe he should serve a global warming biscuit, and it be a baloney biscuit.

Exactly.. but men like this didn't get in the position he is in currently by following conventional safe wisdom my friend. He is a risk taker as shown by this move and has reaped the capital rewards ( and employed untold thousands+) apparently over his life.

Also.. we don't see the underlying issues that have caused this man to take such a personal risk. Global Warming Mandates maybe coming down on his business soon that pushed him over the edge to the point.. that it he has to stand up now or be put him out of business later .

Jude 2