Thread: ILL: Dunkin' Franchise Ends Over Refusal to Sell Pork

Dunkin' franchise ends over refusal to sell pork
April 1, 2009

WESTCHESTER, Ill.—A Muslim franchisee of a suburban Chicago Dunkin' Donuts has surrendered his longtime store ownership after losing a legal battle with the chain over religious objections to selling pork.

Walid Elkhatib, 59, removed Dunkin' Donuts signs from his Westchester store, his attorney Robert Habib said in a story posted Wednesday on the Chicago Tribune's Web site.

Last week the chain sued Elkhatib, who has owned a Dunkin' Donuts franchise since 1979, to bar him from using the company's trademark.

That lawsuit followed a federal jury's ruling earlier this month that the chain did not discriminate against Elkhatib for refusing to renew his franchise agreement because he would not sell breakfast sandwiches containing ham, bacon or sausage. Muslims are forbidden from eating pork and many also refuse handling the meat.

For nearly two decades, Dunkin' Donuts allowed Elkhatib to not sell pork, even providing him with signs that read "No meat products available." But in 2002, the company said it would not renew the franchise agreement unless he sold all company products.

Habib did not immediately return messages Wednesday from The Associated Press.

Andrew Mastrangelo, manager of public relations for Canton, Mass.-based Dunkin' Brands Inc., noted that the jury's verdict was unanimous and the court ruled against Elkhatib's discrimination claims.

"As this is pending litigation, we are unable to comment further," he said.

Since he was not employee of the company, Elkhatib could not sue it under federal laws prohibiting workplace religious discrimination. So he sued under a law that bans racial and ancestry discrimination in the making of contracts.

Elkhatib, who is Arab, is "forbidden from dealing in, buying, or selling pork products, because of his race's tradition and religious practices," according to court documents.

A federal judge in Chicago ruled against Elkhatib, saying it was religious and not racial. But an appellate court allowed the case to go to trial in 2007, finding the chain was not consistent in applying rules to franchisees.

Habib found a Chicago location that did not sell pork products because many customers followed Jewish rules restricting pork.

Elkhatib's franchise agreement ended in April 2008, but the company said he could operate the store until the end of the trial.

In a March 27 lawsuit, Dunkin' Donuts said Elkhatib had continued to use company trademarks and not returned company operating manuals.

Habib said his client would no longer be associated with the company, but he held a 10-year property lease and would still have a business.

"He plans to continue to operate a restaurant," Habib said. "Walid will survive."

http://www.boston.com/news/local/massac ... sell_pork/

Business and Corporate America your hard time is coming, I believe. Keep hiring illegals, too.

Sorry, but Duncin Donuts is a DONUT franchise. It was never a full fledged restaurant till they tried to go beyond their speciality. Seems he bought into it BEFORE it went to pork.........so I believe he has grounds to be mad. I get upset when people KNOW it goes against their beliefs and intend to change it. This doesn't seem to be the case.


To me it's like opening a bar and then being mandated to be a strip joint. Or a Bible book store, expected to sell porno.

I agree it's not a "race" thing....but I guess it's open when you can be the same race, but a different ethnic group...and therefore a different relegious group.

So if a PRIVATE Catholic hospital refuses to grant abortions will the government back them? Will the ACLU say the hospital has the right to grant or not grant whatever they want? Probably not. But if you are a practicing Muslim you have the right to do what your religion dictates??These people need to assimilate. If you want to own a Duncan Donuts or whatever, you have to abide by the rules, not Islamic law.

Hey people, write the rules and stick to them!!!!!

Franchisees agree to follow whatever corporate headquarters wants them to do, that's the whole purpose of being a franchise. If you want to call the shots, don't buy a franchise. It's that simple.

While I have no idea what Dunkin' Donuts corporate secrets this guy may have been privvy to, he should be very, very careful using any of their recipes or methods.
I get totally irritated at some group's religious beliefs getting stuffed down my throat. (Walmart even had some Muslim cashiers who refused to scan pork, even though their customers were not Muslim.) Their demands for prayer breaks and footbaths at the workplace is more than a business owner should stand for. Either they work according to working tradition and their employer's criteria in this country or quit or get fired.
This is as insane as me demanding an altar in the workplace and time off to sacrifice chickens or stick pins in dolls.

Can Americans start making our demands?

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. etc....

Originally Posted by crazybird

Sorry, but Duncin Donuts is a DONUT franchise. It was never a full fledged restaurant till they tried to go beyond their speciality. Seems he bought into it BEFORE it went to pork.........so I believe he has grounds to be mad. I get upset when people KNOW it goes against their beliefs and intend to change it. This doesn't seem to be the case.


To me it's like opening a bar and then being mandated to be a strip joint. Or a Bible book store, expected to sell porno.

I'm with you on this one. This guy has the right in America to observe his religion, even though I think the whole pork thing is the silliest of all religious superstitions. Your bar/strip joint and Bible/porno store is a good analogy.

[quote="wilma1") But if you are a practicing Muslim you have the right to do what your religion dictates??These people need to assimilate. If you want to own a Duncan Donuts or whatever, you have to abide by the rules, not Islamic law.[/quote]

Assimilate into what? Are you saying that he needs to stop being Muslim and convert to something else?