Quiznos, the franchisor of nearly 5,000 sandwich shops, is joining other franchisors in taking on the role of lender to help its franchisees expand their businesses despite the chilly credit market.

Rebecca Black has been promoted to vice president of operations and franchise support for Shakey’s USA, officials announced Tuesday.

Heartland Food Corp. has purchased 20 Ontario restaurants from Burger King Corp.’s Canadian subsidiaries and acquired 14 other previously franchised Burger King units in Ontario.

Burger King franchisees are suing the parent company as well as The Coca-Cola Co. and Dr Pepper Snapple Group Inc., claiming the franchisor is unlawfully diverting monies that once went directly to the franchisees for its own use.

The current recession and credit crunch will likely lead to a 40-percent decline in franchise lending this year, according to a study released Tuesday by the International Franchise Association.

Tasti D-Lite, the 50-unit frozen dessert chain, inked a deal Thursday with franchisee MM Ventures LLC to open 35 new stores in three northeastern states over the next 10 years.

Pinkberry on Friday said it is poised for rapid expansion with a new $9 million infusion from investors, as well as the chain’s first international franchise agreement and new partnerships for domestic growth that include HMSHost.

McDonald’s Corp. would neither confirm nor deny on Tuesday the reported national introduction this summer of its long-tested Angus Third Pounder, a product rollout that sources say could spark some franchisee tension.

Both Wells Fargo Restaurant Finance and U.S. Bank said this week they had each developed financing programs for McDonald’s U.S. franchisees.

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Trying to counter damage caused by a YouTube.com video of employees contaminating food at a franchised Domino’s restaurant, the chain’s USA president Patrick Doyle himself posted a video that tries to reassure consumers that the incident was isolated and is being taken seriously by the company.

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