uWink Inc. (UWKI)

[the big guy]

This statement is not contrary to what I was saying. They do indeed have this Area Development Agreement in place. My point was that there were no company-owned restaurants planned and to the best of my knowledge the Canadian thing would be in that category. The Canadian thing was a Joint Venture (Joint Ownership). While not being outright a corporate restaurant, it was something like 50/50 between uWink and a Canadian partner. Pretty close to a Corporate-owned store.

With their hiring of a senior guy to handle uWink franchising they are obviously abandoning their previous plan of expansion via a combination of corporate and franchised restaurants.

Also, I have a friend who was in a financial capacity at another restaurant chain. He knows all about the Area Development Agreements that a re common in the US. I should ask him what seems like a new strategy. Last time I spoke with him he did not think much of the Area Development Agreement as a binding contract or firm commitment. I have to talk to him again.