A LETTER TO OUR STAKEHOLDERS
 
Strengthening our relationships with franchise partners

Our relationships with our franchise partners are built around an ideology of partnership. I am very proud of the efforts we made in 2003 to strengthen those partnerships.

We are:

  • Increasing our support for our franchise partners by adding resources and people;
  • Taking design and construction costs out of our restaurants and bakeries so our franchise partners can build them more efficiently;
  • Instituting new supply chain strategies that lower our franchise partners' costs of doing business; and
  • Making our concepts more contemporary and relevant so our franchise partners can open units they can continue to be proud of and run for 20 years-or more.

From new creativity in our advertising to new operational enhancement programs-we're doing everything we can to make our brands a better investment for our franchise partners.