Quiznos (Bankruptcy)

Quiznos' 2014 bankruptcy after peaking at 5,000 locations illustrates how aggressive franchising can create fatal fragility. The sub chain's model extracted maximum fees from franchisees while requiring them to buy supplies at inflated prices from corporate. When Subway offered similar sandwiches cheaper, franchisees couldn't cut prices—they were being squeezed from both sides. Like a host overexploited by parasites, the franchise network collapsed.