Before sinking your money into a hot franchise concept, make sure it’s the real deal — not a dead duck.
Nearly a decade ago, meal-preparation franchises promised to answer the age-old question of what’s for dinner. And for a while, time-starved Moms flocked to these commercial kitchens to assemble heat-and-serve entrees to bring home to their families.Today, however, the concept doesn’t seem so savory. Dinner By Design and Entrée Vous, among others, have shuttered their franchising operations while others have tweaked their offerings or fielded lawsuits from disgruntled franchisees.