More Pizza Trade Secrets?

In a follow-up to our recent posting on a Kentucky case involving Papa John's Pizza claiming a franchisee was stealing its trade secrets, we now have a South African pizza chain getting in the act.

From the Cape Town Independent, a nauseating story of concerning the Cape High Court shutting down the city’s "worst" pizza parlor, a franchisee of South African restaurant chain, St. Elmo's Trading Company. Among other things, according to the report, the franchisor "claimed the franchise was so bad it had scored an unprecedented 0.1 percent during its September 2005 inspection - the pass rate is 85 percent." The franchisor also said "it feared the extra demands of the festive season could only worsen the branch's already poor service."

The closed restaurant has until noon today to "remove all its franchise signs and return its operating manuals and trade secrets."

Here's to a healthy holiday season.