Trouble in Paradise?

Aaaaaah, the holidays - don't you just love them?

Not only do you get the opportunity to address the long list of jobs around the house that your wife has spent the year compiling while you've been at the rugby (or recovering from it), but you get to spend LOTS of quality one-on-one time with her (and the kids) and hear exactly what she's thinking. All the time. In intricate detail. No matter what the subject. Or what you happen to be doing at the time. It really is, as they say, the most wonderful time of the year.

Not that I have any of those worries with my wife, 'Sports' as she's known in the family. She is always an absolute delight to be with...aren't you, darling? (she stopped following the Piehole a while back, but you can never be too careful, right?).

So the old cheese and I had a reasonably quiet one this year, with a short excursion to the Coast to visit my parents, and a few days in Melbournistan for New Years. We dined at a few really great restaurants down there, too (Golden Fields, Moon Under Water and Rockpool B&G were all outstanding), but pies were few and far between. Partly because I didn't want to ruin myself for dinner, and partly because we were staying in the CBD where the only pies seem to be from my old nemesis, Pie Face - which is on every second corner.

Now far be it from me to wish ill upon anyone, particularly the poor, allegedly downtrodden franchisees that have bought into the Pie Face dream, but an article in the Australian Financial Review today piqued my interest...is this the first sign of trouble in paradise?

Frankly, I find it VERY difficult to believe the scurrilous accusations that the founder, chairman, and master franchise owner, Wayne Holmschek might have misrepresented the figures to potential franchisees - he's a former merchant banker, for Chrissakes! I mean, if anyone knows how to accurately document future earnings, expenses and return on investment with the utmost integrity and transparency, it's a merchant banker, right? These greedy franchisees sure have a hide.

On the bright side, at least this action has gotten old Wayne to formally acknowledge what business they're in, and it's not the pie business folks - it's the franchise business. The frikkin' business business, dude! There are some jems of wisdom here from Wane-o - enjoy:

http://www.smartcompany.com.au/food-and-beverages/053590-pie-face-founder-defends-company-against-franchisee-trio-s-threat-to-sue-for-damages.html