Over the weekend, I posted a Sulia item about Papa John's CEO John Schnatter and how he intends to cut back hours for employees in order to get around the Obamacare requirement that all full time employees receive health insurance (companies with more than 50 employees).
Likewise, an Applebee's franchise owner in New York, Zane Tankel (real name), intends to not hire more workers or build new locations.
Um, speaking for all consumers, I totally lament the loss of additional Applebee's restaurants. Boooo! Ssssss! America deserves more of Applebee's quality food and friendly service. Damn you, Barack Obama!
Seriously, only Applebee's will suffer from not opening more stores. The rest of us are better off (and healthier) without their shitty food. If they refuse to expand, they'll be hurt by the expansion of other franchises that'll capitalize on greater market share -- franchises with forward-thinking business models that provide all full time employees with health insurance -- consequently they'll enjoy all of the financial rewards commensurate with healthier workforces, less turnover and better quality workers, while Applebee's shoots itself in its deep-fried foot.
All of these CEOs are just throwing tantrums, and not much else. I suspect most of them will settle down.