John Metz, the Denny’s franchise owner here in Florida who encouraged customers to stiff his staff for the cost of Obamacare, got a sharp lesson in corporate imagery.
Denny’s chief executive John Miller privately reached out to Metz to express his “disappointment” with the Florida franchisee’s controversial statements about Obamacare, which sparked a wave of backlash for the national restaurant chain over the past few days. Metz released a statement Monday night expressing “regret” over his statements.
“We recognize his right to speak on issues, but registered our disappointment that his comments have been interpreted as the company’s position,” Miller said in an email to The Huffington Post.
Miller is rushing to put out the fire sparked by Metz’s controversial proposal to charge restaurant customers a 5 percent Obamacare fee. “Customers have two choices: They can either pay it and tip 15 or 20 percent, or if they really feel so inclined, they can reduce the amount of tip they give to the server,” Metz told HuffPost in an interview last week.
Some Denny’s franchisees have since dealt with angry customers, calls for a boycott and declining sales. A spokeswoman for Metz said he will not conduct more interviews.
Why is it that people are always so surprised that the public pays attention to things they say in public?
A spokeswoman for Metz said he will not conduct more interviews.
Imagine that.
I know someone who works in a Dennys. Anyone who works in a restaurant works very hard, and they need health care too. Why is it that in this country, health care is some kind of gift that your employer may or may not give you and not a right? Let’s do what civilized countries do, and go to a single payer system.
Let’s do what civilized countries do…
I do like the hint that the US may not be civilized hovering right behind that suggestion.
I’m with Lark. Other than history, why is healthcare connected to employment? I understand the past, that executives invented health insurance as a perk for themselves and unions decided to fight for equality, but why now? Why should I have to have my employer in the middle of a personal thing like this? Why does my employment status effect my healthcare? Why, when I’m unemployed and most vulnerable, am I simultaneously unable to get healthcare? This is just nuts…
Agreed.
I am so humbled by the people who write here. I still contend that a western european safety net operation in this country would help so many Americans.
Can Metz lose his franchise over this? I’m not familiar with how franchises work. He’s made the company look bad.