Franchisee Challenges A Restaurant Chain, To The Benefit Of Both

New York Times:

When Zane Tankel bought his first Applebee’s franchise in 1995 he was, for the most part, winging it.

He had been a serial entrepreneur since the 1980s, starting and selling a small commercial printing company and then a share of a drug-testing business. After buying and selling real estate for a few years, he decided to try franchising. Although he feared the role might be constraining, Mr. Tankel had heard that Applebee’s was an entrepreneurial restaurant chain, and he went to its headquarters in suburban Kansas City, Kan., to meet with its chief executive. Full story.