A popular flavored fries brand has addressed viral claims regarding its franchisees and proposed locations after a Threads user accused the company of engaging in “sketchy business practices.”
Potato Corner on Wednesday, December 16, released a statement in response to a post by Threads user @yoyo_b0i, who said a friend had attempted to franchise the brand.
“Pinag-submit sila ng proposal, including kung saan ang location nila, bakit maganda dun, at sino ang magiging target audience. After nila i-submit, confident ang friend ko kasi maganda raw pagkakagawa niya ng proposal,” the Threads user wrote on Sunday, December 14.
“After ilang weeks, ilang months, though hindi sila binalikan ni Potato Corner, tapos ‘yung exact location na nilagay niya sa proposal niya, dun mismo nagtayo ng bagong branch si PC. Apaka sketchy lang ng business practice,” the online user added.
Another Threads user claimed that a similar incident happened to a “long-time franchisee” at Parkmall Cebu.
“This actually happened to a long-time franchisee in Parkmall Cebu. The client had been franchising Potato Corner for many years and kept renewing. When the company saw how strong the sales were in that location, they suddenly stopped offering a renewal contract,” user @phoebzzy wrote.
“After the franchise ended, Potato Corner opened their own company-owned store in the same mall. The franchisee couldn’t really do anything about it. Really unfortunate and sad for someone who helped build the brand in that location,” the user added.
“Oh yes, I’ve been told by many people that this is what they do. They’ll take the good spots for themselves. That’s why I decided not to franchise anymore,” another Threads user said.
“Same thing happened to us, they kept asking if we owned the commercial location (which we did). We got rejected as well, saying there were other locations near us due for closure,” a different Threads user said.
Potato Corner addressed the claims, emphasizing that it regards its franchisees as partners.
“Recently, concerns have been raised about how our franchise locations are selected. We hear you. Thank you for bringing this to our attention,” it said in a statement.
“At Potato Corner, we take these matters very seriously. We want to clarify that incidents like these do not align with our values, standards, and policies,” the company added.
“At PotCor, our franchisees are our partners, and our growth has always been built on shared success. We do not take actions that intentionally disadvantage the very entrepreneurs who help grow our brand,” it continued.
The snack brand also said it has reached out to the individuals who made the claims and added that it is open to addressing their concerns.
“Our team has immediately reached out privately to the individuals who raised the issue to have a better understanding of their concerns, verify the details, and act on the claims,” the brand said.
“While we have not received any response, our lines remain open should they wish to engage. Together with our internal investigation, we hope to address these concerns properly,” it added.
“We would like to reassure our franchise community that preventive controls and measures are in place to ensure effective and appropriate site selection for our valued franchisees,” the brand said.
“We remain committed to fair, respectful, and responsible practices, ensuring win-win outcomes across the Potato Corner community,” it concluded.
Potato Corner calls itself a “trailblazer” in the franchise industry, having been in business for 33 years.
It has received the Franchise Hall of Fame Award and the Global Franchise Award, both conferred by the Philippine Franchise Association and the Department of Trade and Industry.
The snack chain used to be under Cinco Corporation. It is now managed by the Shakey’s Pizza Asia Ventures Inc. since 2021.
Potato Corner is known for selling flavored fries in a variety of flavors, including cheese, barbecue, sour cream, white cheddar, and wasabi.
