One of the country’s most successful franchise businesses, Potato Corner, is being scrutinized by its own franchisers over allegations of panunulot (unjust takeover) when the locations of the store kiosks start to gain traction and customers.

A Facebook user, yoyo_b0i, is hitting the business practice of Potato Corner for being “sketchy.”

“A friend of mine tried to apply for the franchise of Potato Corner. She was told to submit a proposal, indicating her preferred location and explaining why she has chosen that place, as well as its target customers,” the netizen stated.

“My friend was confident that her proposal would be approved because the proposal was perfect. But after weeks, even months, no return call or email came from Potato Corner. However, when she checked her preferred location, a new branch of Potato Corner had been established on the spot, owned by the franchisor. See how sketchy the business practice is,” he said.

Another Facebook commented on yoyo_b0i’s post, saying he suffered a different issue, as his franchise was not renewed.

“After a while, the franchisor put a branch in my area,” the commenter disclosed.

‘We hear you’

On Wednesday, the management of Potato Corner, through the latter’s official Facebook page, stated that they are attending to the concerns raised about how their franchise locations are selected.

“We hear you. Thank you for bringing this to our attention. 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. At Potato Corner, 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,” the statement read.

The firm said its 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.

Lines remain open

“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. 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,” it added.

“We remain committed to fair, respectful, and responsible practices, ensuring win-win outcomes across the Potato Corner community,” the company further stated.

The Philippine Franchiser Association was reached for comment by the DAILY TRIBUNE, but it hasn’t responded as of this posting.