ALLIED BRANDS ACQUISITION TARGET BIG DAD'S PIES RUNS TO SIGN WITH RETAIL FOOD GROUP

Shock and anger swept the holiday offices of Allied Brands on Christmas Eve.

Despite insiders being told these last two weeks that a "big acquisition" of Big Dad's Pies would be announced by Allied Brands (ABQ) before year-end, CEO Shane Radbone and Tony Cavanaugh were both huddled in their offices eating shit sandwiches after Big Dad's announced their sale to Retail Food Group (RFG)!

Allied Brands has been desperately looking for another purchase target in part to justify more money raising and share marketing. Big Dad's was to provide them with that opportunity.

Big Dad's however, shocked by the flood of bad operational reports from ABQ franchisees (many of whom were visited by investigators working for the principals) preferred to protect their franchisees with a reputable company, Retail Food Group.

Big Dad's management, including Stephen Donnelly, were also said to be worried about Allied's proposal which included mostly shares in this tanking company - especially after they heard how the Awesome Water boys had been screwed. The RFG buyout is funded with cash and no tricky new share issues, unlike the ABQ "growth strategy" that has diluted shareholders by 50% in the last year as profits disappeared.

Read all the purchase details here:

BIG DADS SELLS TO RFG

It will be another bleak Christmas for Allied Brands management as they try to find a way to stem the cash burn now that their reputation has taken another massive hit.

GOLD COAST BUSINESS MATES WORK FURIOUSLY ON SHARE PRICE RUNUP WHILE MANAGING DIRECTOR SELLS DOWN!

The Gold Coast Old Arseholes club are attempting to strongarm the price of ABQ shares with inflated press releases this week (including one claiming "exclusive coffee sales" for a world Expo in a country that drinks tea).

So working the phones furiously, the mates have managed to push the share price up a couple cents.

And who's shares are these?

INSIDERS.

MANAGING DIRECTOR, PETER GRAHAM, IS SELLING

AS THIS ASX DOCUMENT CONFIRMS

WHY WOULD A HEDGES AVENUE LAYABOUT LIKE PETER GRAHAM BE SELLING DOWN SHARES HE PAID THREE TIMES THE PRICE FOR?

IT'S CALLED "LETTING THE NEW PUNTERS GET BURNED"

Buying shares from a company where management is selling

is a sucker's play.

ALLIED BRANDS TARGETED IN ASIC CRACKDOWN ON INSIDER TRADING

Allied Brands Ltd. (ABQ) routinely has "suspicious" trading patterns prior to their so-called major announcements being made to the market.

THIS IS ONE EXAMPLE

This has included a sharp sell-off prior to their profit collapse - a collapse the company was denying in public and in press releases just prior to the announcement.

The ASIC today has announced a crackdown on such rogue trading practices.

READ THE NEWS

ALLIED BRANDS & DUNKIN DONUTS HIRE SPIN DOCTORS INSTEAD OF ADDRESSING FRANCHISEE DISASTER

Leading franchise news website BlueMauMau has this weekend reported that Allied Brands (ABQ) and parent Dunkin Brands, reeling from several Australian government investigations, have hired spin-doctors in an attempt to salvage their arses from this mess.

RF BINDER HIRED TO SPIN

KOREANS CONTINUE TO EXPOSE DUNKIN BRANDS AS WILLING ACCOMPLICE IN DUD AUSTRALIAN BASKIN ROBBINS FRANCHISE SOLD WITH RESIDENT VISAS

KOREANS DUDDED BY ALLIED BRANDS CONTINUE TO TELL THEIR STORIES IN KOREAN MEDIA

CHRONICLE OF ALLIED BRANDS FALSE OR MISLEADING PRESS RELEASES CONTINUES!

Allied Brands Ltd. (ABQ) is again posting press releases in a vain attempt to get some pricing movement in their shares. This weeks press release from new press release shill Shane Radbone says the company has signed an agreement for Cookie Man expansion into Cyprus!

NOTABLE IN THE ANNOUNCEMENT? No hint of the "partner company" name, hence nothing anyone can check. Then the announcement goes on to "hint" at other "big deals coming". TYPICALLY VAGUE ALLIED BRANDS BULLSHIT!

The ASX and ASIC require public companies to adhere to a policy of "continuous disclosure" to the market. In the case of Allied Brands, it's "continuous hype" - ABQ is the diarrhoea of continuous disclosure.

Hopefully not as big as the "deals" for Bayswiss and Villa & Hut, both said to be near collapse with angry franchisees reportedly telling customers no new stock has been seen in weeks. Bayswiss was losing so much money that the previous owners, Freedom Home, GAVE the stores away to get this anchor off their books. Now they're on Allied Brands books, eating away cash and dragging the company down, down, down.

The announcement is also a lie in regards to the actual ownership of Cookieman shops in China, India, and other markets. Shops in those countries are majority owned by venture capital firms in India & China, with Allied Brands never having reached agreement for majority ownership with those parties. When the Indians and Chinese don't trust your company, you've clearly got serious problems. Check it out!

Here's a review of the other Allied Brand Lies told that have never come true. (Only the biggest ones are here, there isn't enough space for all of them):

===============

16 Apr 2008: Big announcement about Cookie Man International expansion. NOTHING HAS HAPPENED

12 March 2008: Says company has "undertakings or deposits" for 25 new stores to open by July 2008. ANOTHER STATEMENT NEVER HAPPENED They never tell investors how many stores are closing. Misleading, misleading.

3 December 2007: Says company will see "significant boost in store numbers in WA" in eighteen months. Says "we will increase number of Kenny's Cardiology stores to 18 over the next 18 months". The result after 18 months? FIVE STORES with TWO SHOWN AS FOR SALE.

This press statement also says Allied Brands is obtaining sites first to prove they work, and then finding franchisees. This hasn't happened. Results speak for themselves. Why are 40% of Kenny's Cardiology shops in Western Australia for sale? Don't they know the company is planning big expansion?

The "big expansion" also means Sydney, with 11 shops, has FIVE FOR SALE - ALMOST HALF THE FRANCHISEES TRYING TO GET OUT!

20 November 2008: Big press release telling everyone it would start Cookie Man shops in "at least three new countries by the end of 2008". They say "strong interest" from these countries would make them open there.

ANOTHER STATEMENT NEVER HAPPENED

8 July 2005: This shows how long the history of misleading or wrong company statements can be. On 8 July 2005 Peter Graham announced ALLIED BRANDS WILL BUY WENDY'S. This never happened, the company never explained why, but Wendy's franchisees all realise their good profits were going to vanish if they were forced to be Baskin Robbins brand. Allied Brands also says in this press release that they have 88 Baskin Robbins stores open. To this day 88 stores have never been open at the same time. New ones open, and others fail.

Look at Australia Stock Exchange record on Allied Brands statements. Can you find one that ever comes true? NONE. LOOK FOR YOURSELF!

ALLIED BRANDS FANCIFUL LIES HAVE NO BELIEVERS ANYMORE AS FIGURES PROVE TO BE MANIPULATED NONSENSE

THE DESPERATE ATTEMPT BY ALLIED BRANDS MANAGEMENT TO PROP UP THE SHARE PRICE HAS FAILED.

Why?

The continual torrent of lies and deception previously noted in their public statements is the likely reason. Who believes anything these people say?

READ HERE

Clearly not the market. Shares are down again today.

ALLIED BRANDS ANNUAL MEETING - COMPANY LIES AND SPINS, ANGRY SHARE OWNERS CALL MANAGEMENT LIARS, ASK WHERE WENT ALL THAT CASH???

Despite the spin and press releases from Allied Brands Ltd. (ABQ) touting "strong sales" and "increased profits", angry shareholders yesterday called management on the lies and deceit of the last several years.

In one example, ABQ management said sales at Baskin Robbins had "strongly increased" by 12%. Since this is after a 25% across-the-board pricing increase forced on franchisees, clearly this shows that sales are actually tracking backwards.

A shareholder said the market has "lost confidence" in management after being told LIE AFTER LIE. Likewise another shareholder said that brokers had begun to see thru the lies told by the company, and a flood of negative information available about the company was being "covered up" by management. One example was that the number of retail locations predicted to be opened is never achieved by the company, going back five years. One shareholder called management's continually announced plans for new shops "fairy tales".

One director called a questioning shareholder a "dickhead" for pointing out how little detailed information was being released by the company compared to competitor Retail Brands (RFG). Management refused to answer any more of this shareholder's questions, threatening to eject him from the meeting.

It was also noted that the predicted per-share profit, still substantially below what was predicted for the YE June 30 2009, was now spread over almost twice the number of shares that had been dumped on the market.

Where did all this cash go? No one seems to know. The company refused to answer.

NO ETHICS - - THE CORNERSTONE OF ALLIED BRANDS!

ALLIED BRANDS MASSIVE ICE CREAM PRICING INCREASES TAKE ANOTHER VICTIM - ALL BASKIN ROBBINS SHOPS IN THAILAND TO CLOSE IMMEDIATELY!

Allied Brands Ltd, (ABQ) who used a brief dip in the AU $ exchange rate to rape shop owners with a 35% price increase on imported AND domestic products, have seen this strategy take down 44 shops in one hit.

Baskin Robbins franchisor for Thailand, Centara today announced closure of all 44 Baskin Robbins shops in Thailand, with a loss of some 700 jobs.

ANNOUNCEMENT HERE

Thailand Baskin Robbins shops have seen the same abusive price increases that have been imposed by Allied Brands in Australia. The result of this strategy is clear - - -

COLLAPSE OF THE CHAIN.

Australian franchisees have expressed horror that the ice cream pricing has been used to prop up Allied Brands corporate spending, company cars, lavish lunches, and corporate boxes at horse and car races. The closure of Baskin Robbins shops in Australia will now accelerate as the folly of this pricing abuse by Allied Brands becomes clear.

BEN & JERRY'S ON THE ATTACK IN AUSTRALIA - BASKIN ROBBINS NO WHERE TO BE FOUND

American Ice Cream Powerhouse franchise Ben & Jerry's have this week arrived in Australia, with huge media hype and powerful, high-end products to match.

In stories about the new competitor, Baskin Robbins is NOWHERE TO BE FOUND! Relegated to the cheapie market alongside Wendy's, except that Baskin Robbins shops have massively overpriced product! Such is the "terrific job" done by Allied Brands for the 18 years they have driven this once-proud brand into the muck.

And note that Baskin Robbins has had two failed beachside locations at Manley. Clearly unable to compete even before the arrival of Ben & Jerry's.

ALLIED BRANDS SHARE PRICE MANIPULATION CONTINUES?

With Allied Brands Ltd. (ABQ) shares continuing to slide in response to their inability to source ice cream for their angry franchisees, attempts are apparently underway again at the company to "prop up" the share price.

With shares trading at 13.5 cents the last two days (keep in mind these shares were originally issued at 45 cents), the share price rocketed up to 14.5 cents in early trading today.

ON 100 SHARES TRADED!

That's right, someone paid a trading commission ($20 or more) to trade 100 shares, worth $14.50.

This kind of shady dealing has occurred previously with Allied Brands Ltd. shares, usually in conjunction with some kind of bullshit announcement.

Once again the shoddy ethics of this company are on view for all to see. Korda Mentha partners, take notice!

THE END IS NEAR FOR BASKIN ROBBINS AUSTRALIA AS STOCK DWINDLES

Franchisees today were shocked to be told that

Allied Brands Ltd and

Baskin Robbins Australia are

OUT OF VANILLA ICE CREAM.

This leaves the shops access to less than 12 flavours.

OUT OF VANILLA?

THE END IS NEAR.

ALLIED BRANDS SHARES CONTINUE SLIDE AS ASX ACTS AGAINST ILLEGAL ACTIONS BY DIRECTORS

Despite massive open market Allied Brands Ltd share purchases (activity that accounts for most of the activity in the shares on the nominated dates) by Chairman and Director Lachlan McIntosh recently, the share price continues to collapse as word of the critical Baskin Robbins supply problems circulates from the franchisees to the general public.

A company like Korda Mentha is well aware of all the trickery and deceit that goes on by directors desperate to avoid a collapse of their company. Will Korda Mentha have any fiduciary responsibility to the franchisees and share holders when Allied Brands collapses? Korda Mentha partners have been blocked in accessing daily information about Allied Brands Ltd. on their company computers - a firewall that would do the Chinese communists proud! Information still is coming from these disgruntled partners who are witnessing the tarnishing of what was formerly their good name.

This collapse comes on top of court orders exposing more LIES by Allied Brands, which has been systematically withholding important information from the ASX that are leading to court sanctions against the Directors and senior Management.

ALLIED BRANDS TRYING DODGY INVESTMENT COMPANIES FOR BAILOUT CASH - ASX AND ASIC AGAIN INVOLVED

In addition to Elders Corporate and Leadenhall VRG, management at Allied Brands Ltd (ABQ) and executives tied to Korda Mentha have been trolling for money at the most dodgy money lenders in Australia. Desperate to get more operating capital, Allied Brands is now talking to Tricom Futures Services P/L.

Tricom has been the subject of numerous ASX complaints and ENFORCEMENT ACTIONS. Recently the ASX Disciplinary Tribunal said of Tricom, "The Appeals Tribunal regards the actions of Tricom Futures as a serious contravention of the Operating Rules". What Tricom has been caught doing is "cooking the books". ABQ could teach them a thing or two about dodgy accounting.

Banned Tricom employee Peter Cameron is rumoured to be in on the scheme to secure more cash for Allied and sources inside claim he has been seen there with management. Cameron has been BANNED by ASIC and the ASX for stock manipulation of penny and illiquid shares, much like the situation at Allied Brands where shares are bid up at the close of the day. It's still being investigated by ASIC if his manipulations have extended to the bizarre trading pattern at Allied Brands Ltd.

And all while this nonsense is going on, executive management are attempting to lease new expensive cars from CARFLEET, already spending the recently-raised cash. CARFLEET is looking askance at the attempted finance of these new, unnecessary vehicles.

A big "hello" to all the blog readers at Korda Mentha. Note that your email is being tapped by your company, so send your tips from home!

ALLIED "MEGA DEAL" COLLAPSES, ANNOUNCES INSTEAD JUNK "PURCHASE" OF ANOTHER FAILED COFFEE SHOP CHAIN AND MORE CAPITAL RAISING FOR OPERATIONS

As reported in SMART COMPANY, the "big deal" that Allied Brands claimed was being negotiated has failed to materialise. Insiders report that financiers necessary for this "big deal" rejected the idea after reviewing the poor state of Allied Brands balance sheet, with cash still bleeding to support crashed operations. This has included Elders Corporate, which reportedly rejected the deal earlier in the week.

Instead, Allied Brands purchased the parallel coffee shop/homewares division of Freedom Furniture, Bayswiss. Freedom, a SUCCESSFUL company with a much better offering than Villa & Hut, was so anxious to divest these coffee shops that they GAVE THEM to Allied Brands for NOTHING! This a huge turnaround from 2003, when Freedom Management said that "Bayswiss is number one growth vehicle". From that to giving the stores away to Allied Brands, the franchise garbage collectors of Australia. But for the Allied Brands formula, which is designed to overcharge, squeeze, crush, intimidate, and churn the franchisees instead of servicing them, nuturing them, and growing them, a failed chain of coffee shops is ripe for the plucking. Wait until the Bayswiss franchisees find out how much Allied Brands is planning to "overcharge" them for rebranding their stores. It's called Franchisor Rape, mates. Enjoy it!

So immoral has Allied Brands become that places like the Southport School are now ashamed to be in the company of these directors.

And Allied, embarrassed by the collapse of the "big deal" that they were touting, is now spinning this Freedom Bayswiss deal as a "great thing". It's a great disaster, that's what it is.

Buy one overleveraged, failed concept (Villa & Hut's 26 stores), combine it with another 13 failed stores so burdening Freedom that they GAVE them to Allied Brands so that could get these cash burns off the Freedom books, and announce to the world about your "big score" of 13 more junk operations, sucking cash from the company.

It's vintage Peter Graham bullshit. Staff can't even walk around the offices at the Gold Coast there's so much bullshit in the hallways. This will make the second "big deal" that Allied Brands has failed to close (the first being the insane Wendy's acquisition, which couldn't be funded even with money flying out of the banks).

The final hoot is Shane Radbone's claim that Allied Brands will be the home of "entrepreneurs who don't know how to franchise". IT ALREADY IS HOME TO PEOPLE WHO DON'T KNOW HOW TO FRANCHISE! Baskin Robbins failed operations (over a 15 year period) are testament to this failure!

Baskin Robbins promised 200+ locations in 2004. The number has hovered in the 80's for a dozen years or more, with more stores being lost just these last few weeks. When will Allied Brands learn how to franchise???

As always, victims are the franchisees for the Freedom/Bayswiss locations who will be told that they are "required" to rebrand and accept massive pricing increases from Allied Brands. The same immoral strategy that Radbone is now calling the "Franchise Services Division". The only service is to the pockets of select Allied Brands management, with the franchisees left to rot.

ALLIED BRANDS FAILS TO PROVIDE "FLAVOUR OF THE MONTH" TO BASKIN ROBBINS FRANCHISEES -NOW FIVE MONTHS!

Baskin Robbins franchisees have written to confirm that Allied Brands, despite contractual obligations to franchisees and Baskin Robbins USA, have failed to provide the FLAVOR OF THE MONTH FOR FIVE MONTHS ! ! !

The FLAVOUR OF THE MONTH is the key to being different in the market for Baskin Robbins franchisees, and a programme going back SIXTY YEARS.

As noted in Blue Mau Mau, this programme at Baskin Robbins is one of the most effective consumer tools used by those in the food business.

While Allied Brands staff including Trent and Daniele were telling furphys to angry franchisees about the missing flavours the first couple months, they have now stopped, knowing how damaged front-line management is when they continually LIE to the franchisees. As a result franchisees inquiries on this subject are just ignored by everyone from Peter Graham to Lachlan McIntosh.

Both of these directors know how to embellish the truth as well, as the LAST ANNUAL REPORT can confirm.

This flavour shortage, now compounded with reports of only 20 flavours available to the franchisees as summer arrives, has angered franchisees across the country and forced two NSW franchisees out! 31 Flavours is only a dream.

Allied Brands is now trying to scrape up cash by pretending to buy another distressed franchise system. Elders Financial, originally said to be ready to provide this cash injection, is now rumoured to have run away from what their financial analysts could see revealed as flushing money down the dunny.

PETER GRAHAM - WHERE IS THE FLAVOUR OF THE MONTH WE DON'T GET ANYMORE?

TRADING HALT NOW BECOMES ASX SUSPENSION FROM QUOTATION - DUE DILIGENCE REVEALING MASSIVE PROBLEMS TO NEW SUCKER-INVESTORS!

ALLIED BRANDS LTD. on Monday asked for a "trading halt" pending an announcement on an acquisition - the announcement to be made by open of trading this morning.

Little surprise to those inside the company that this was another LIE by the company, and now the ASX has suspended quotation in the shares. The company says they need "more time".

Over 2800 "hits" on this website since Sunday night indicates that the corrupt actions of this company and parent Dunkin Brands are getting widespread coverage and making it all but impossible for ABQ to continue the pyramid-type actions they have been engaged in. The widespread flight by Baskin Robbins and Cookie Man franchisees, as well as the continued CASH BURN by ABQ (with huge bonuses being paid to non-performing management) is now seriously being investigated.

The ASX already has several concurrent investigations underway, as does the ASIC.

The biggest question - why was so much cash needed a few months ago to buy an all-but-bankrupt "Villa & Hut"? Where did all the cash REALLY go? And when is the company going to disclose the full nature of legal actions against Peter Graham & David Graham, for which the Allied Brands has massive liability?

More lies by Allied Brands, - is anyone surprised?

ALLIED BRANDS CALLS TRADING HALT FOR "NEW ACQUISITION"

ALLIED BRANDS (ABQ) has asked the ASX for a trading halt while it can work out details of a proposed acquisition.

Details of the acquisition strategy and their use of Korda Mentha can be found here:

"INSIDE RETAILING" DETAILS ALLIED BRANDS/KORDA MENTHA SCAM HERE

Wonder if they've spoken to the ripped-off ex-owners of "Awesome Water".

Had an interesting chat with several staff at Leadenhall VRG in Adelaide this arvo. They were very chatty indeed. . .

More soon. ..

AND THE ALLIED SHAREPRICE COLLAPSE CONTINUES. . .

A SUITABLE PUNISHMENT FOR LIARS, AND THOSE THAT EMPLOY OR INVEST IN THEM.

ALLIED BRANDS MANAGING DIRECTOR TIED TO DISGRACED COLLAPSE OF SUPER GP - CALLED LIAR BY QUEENSLAND PREMIER!

The spectacular collapse of the Gold Coast SuperGP race this coming weekend has tied disgraced Allied Brands Ltd. (ABQ) Managing Director Peter Graham to fired former MP Terry Mackenroth and seen both accused of lying to the Queensland Government by Premier Anna Bligh.

Graham, who has overseen Allied Brands while it is actively investigated for insolvent trading, sale of visas & dud franchises to Korean and Chinese migrants, and ASX violations related to continuous disclosure, is a director alongside Mackenroth on the Gold Coast Indy Partnership, the organisation now implicated in the Super GP fiasco and loss of millions in state funds.

Bligh is quoted in THE AUSTRALIAN as saying

"It would seem that the A1GP simply lied, that they deliberately misled. Right up until Friday they were giving assurances that this race would go ahead," she told reporters."

"When you're dealing with people like this, it's very hard"

"These are people who frankly I think acted in bad faith, and I would recommend anybody else who might be dealing with them anywhere else in the world to take great caution"

"These are not people you can trust."

Baskin Robbins, Cookie Man, Awesome Water franchisees along with Allied Brands shareholders would agree - Bad Faith is a standard of operation for Allied Brands.

The SuperGP website still claims the race begins "In 2 Days".

The Queensland Police and Queensland State Auditor have opened a criminal investigation into the collapse of this event, and possible criminal charges against those responsible including the board and directors, apparently including director Peter Graham. Mackenroth has already been bounced from the board in disgrace.

Perhaps this will spur the current investigations into getting some of these crooked companies shut down.

Peter Graham has been actively attempting to cash out of Allied Brands (according to filed ASX reports) since the last annual report showed a massive miss despite his assurances of profits to the market and press.

ALLIED BRANDS RAISES MORE CASH WITH CUT-PRICE SHARE ISSUANCE. WILL THE CASH BLEEDING NEVER STOP?

FROM THE ASX 3B FILED 15 OCTOBER

As Allied Brands Ltd. (ABQ) continues to bleed cash, they continue to dilute their shares with "fire sales" at below market prices.

This ASX disclosure, filed Thursday, shows now "sophisticated investors" won't pay more than $0.1285 per share.

Expect to see the current market price to collapse to this new level, or below.

The ASIC is now charged with questioning why the company continues to need so much cash to fund operations!

ALLIED BRANDS (ABQ) THE COLLAPSE CONTINUES WHILE REST OF MARKET SKYROCKETS

"SOPHISTICATED INVESTORS" were recently offered "discounted shares" in Allied Brands Ltd. (ABQ).

These shares are now under water.

What kind of lies were these "sophisticated investors" told?

These shares should NOT be confused with those sold to Breville heir Barbara O'Brien and ex-vacuum salesman Tom Krulis. These people were sold shares, but given lucrative "executive" jobs as compensation for their good names. Which are rapidly being tarnished and trashed by their association with this company.

THE COLLAPSE CONTINUES!

AMBUSH NEWS REPORTERS LOOKING FOR LACHLAN MCINTOSH, TOM KRULIS, & FRANZ MADLENER

A producer from ambush news programme "Today Tonight" has been attempting to contact Korda Mentha, Lachlan McIntosh, Tom Krulis, and Franz Madlener about the goings-on at the failing Allied Brands Ltd. (ABQ).

Should be fun when they catch up with them, and start asking the tough questions while they run for their cars!

CONVERSATION REPORTED FROM ALLIED BRANDS SWITCH BY ABQ EMPLOYEE THIS A.M.

"Good morning, Allied, xxxxxxx speaking"

"My name is xxxxxxx, I'm a shareholder, I'd like to speak to Peter Graham"

(Remembering her instructions), "I'm sorry, Mr. Graham isn't available, can I take a message?"

"How about Shane Radbone?"

"I'm sorry, they're all out at the moment - can I take a message?"

"Yes, tell Peter Graham to shut up all these internet message blogs, they're killing my investment".

"I'll give him the message".

CLICK

WENDY'S EMPLOYEES MOCK BASKIN ROBBINS AND ALLIED BRANDS

After seeing the continued collapse in Allied Brands Ltd. (ABQ) shares, today in a market up by over 2%, we were surprised to receive an email from a Wendy's Ice Cream management employee. They say:

"Wendy's management is in fits of laughter day after day, as more and more failed Wendy's staff appear as Allied Brands and Baskin Robbins employees".

"There is a reason these people like Cavanaugh and Radbone no longer work at Wendy's, Australia's largest ice cream company. We were happy to see them go, relieved they're gone, and even happier to see them destroying our competition".

"Keep up the good work".

Thinking this another Allied Brands management trick, we note the address on the email was from 150.101.248.21. Even the competition has noted the management stupidity at Allied Brands!

RFG CEO TONY ALFORD BUYS HIS SHARES EVEN AFTER RUNUP! PETER GRAHAM SELLS ABQ AFTER COLLAPSE!

HERE'S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN QUALITY MANAGEMENT AND FAILED LIARS:

(CLICK HERE FOR ALLIED BRANDS LIES)

TONY ALFORD, Retail Food Group Ltd. (RFG) CEO - BUYING SHARES

PETER GRAHAM, Allied Brands Ltd. (ABQ) (mis)Managing Director - SELLING SHARES

What better signal to the market about the direction these companies are headed? Selling your own shares as the company collapses around you isn't a good signal to the market or your Gold Coast mates, Peter.

ABQ MANAGING DIRECTOR RUNS OUT, CASHES OUT, ON LOUSY ANNUAL RESULTS

On the heels of of another failed year for Allied Brands Ltd (ABQ), managing director Peter Graham is apparently being shown the door by other management - and is cashing out at a huge loss on his way out.

After close of trading today, Graham revealed he's been selling off big.

ASX ANNOUNCEMENT

Note in this announcement the massive number of options held by Graham and his family that expire very soon - options that are totally underwater due to the company's collapse and continued huge cash burn. No one knows why these options were "awarded" by the company, but the price has never even been close. How can it, when stores continue to open, fail, and close?

With the company diluting shares even further this week, issuing another 5million at 14+ cents, the Grahams have clearly signaled that the share price can only go down from the current .155 cents, and are running for the door now.

Graham has clearly lost the support and respect of his fellow directors, who like the franchisees blame Graham, his son, and brother David for the failure of brands Baskin Robbins and CookieMan.

Note also the annual report (page 71) acknowledges that the Graham brothers owe hundreds of thousands (over $320,000) to the company for a failed defense and settlement for their actions as directors--apparently more abuse of franchisees. This legal action was not covered by the company's insurance--as the annual report notes, director's insurance does not cover acts of "bad faith". This debt was not disclosed previously by the company, nor apparently did the auditors know about the debt. The ASIC is investigating this "oversight" along with other misleading statements made by the company.

It was Peter Graham that continued to tell the market the company was "on track" to a $6million to $7.5million annual profit when just weeks later the company so spectacularly missed these numbers and continues to bleed cash on a massive scale. So short is cash that the company is no longer providing Baskins franchisees with their "Flavour of the Month". They apparently can't afford to stock these additional flavours!

The Grahams have driven this company into a ditch - for the third time. Dunkin Brands has signaled it's time for these failed businessmen to go - even as the rest of the weak management team tries desperately to stem the huge cash burn that spells doom in the next few months.

FRANCHISEES CONFIRM - ICE CREAM SHORTAGE DESTROYS BRAND MARKETING AND DISRUPTS SCHOOL HOLIDAY BUSINESS!

Franchisees have been writing in to advise that Allied Brands (ABQ) management is in crisis mode as the ever-popular "Flavour of the Month" is missing FOR THE SECOND MONTH IN A ROW!

The Baskin Robbins Australia website has been stripped of all mention of this standard promotional tool, while the Baskin Robbins USA (and Japan, and China, and India, and Saudi, etc) all feature the "Flavour of the Month" as the #1 promotion demanded by customers.

Franchisees in Australia also report that they have been plagued with an ice cream shortage for all the flavour range for the last few months.

Much of the huge debt shown in the Allied Brands Ltd. annual report is apparently owed to parent company Dunkin Brands and Baskin USA. It's likely that in an attempt to get repayment of these debts, the USA is now standover man and withholding shipments of this essential product to Australia.

An Allied Brands email sent to field staff (posted here) essentially tells staff to "lie" to the franchisees about the nature of the shortage. It suggests that owners be told that "shipping delays" are the cause of the shortages. Field management for this brand has seen continual turnover in staff, with some in and out of employment in weeks, due to their job requirement to lie to the franchisees. One report has said a standing response to any complaint is that "you're the only one" to have the complaint. Apparently management doesn't realise that franchisees all speak on a regular basis.

Only one field staff member remains in place, the son of Managing Director Peter Graham who was previously being groomed for a senior management position but has proven to be stupid and is ignored by most.

SHARE MARKET ANALYSTS POINT OUT MORE DODGY FACTS IS ABQ ANNUAL REPORT!

A share market analyst specialising in the fast food industry has written with his take on the financial statements produced to the market for the year ending 2009.

His take - "smoke and mirrors".

Some of his observations include:

a- Acquisition of Villa & Hut is resulting in massive losses for the company and contributing to the cash burn.

b- The payment of a dividend is nonsense under the current situation. Ploughing this half-cent a share into marketing for the core brands (Baskin Robbins, Cookie Man) would result in far more longterm return to shareholders. The dividend is part of the "smoke and mirrors" strategy however, used when you're more interested in bringing in new "sucker" money instead of increasing shareholder value.

c- Most of the money brought in by the last float (said to pay for Villa & Hut) went instead to operational costs and bonuses for management. The continual attempts to bring in new money are clearly reaching an end.

d- The ASX is currently investigating company statements to the market, which were clearly misleading regarding the financial performance going into the year-end. It 's obvious to even the casual observer that disclosure of the massive profit collapse would have made raising more funds impossible. Several of these new shareholders (several who are well-known investment players on the Gold Coast and don't take kindly to company furphys) have lodged complaints with ASX and ASIC regarding these (Peter Graham) and (Shane Radbone) statements to the market.

e- Shane Radbone is being used as a patsy by other management to "take the heat" for the company's lies. What skills does a mediocre ex-AFL player, with no education in business or finance, bring to Allied Brands other than a fall guy? Has anyone explored his "dirty hands" with the Quiznos fraud? Wonder if he knows that gaol time can be earned for signing off on lies?

f- There is no allegation that anyone at Allied Brands has had any involvement in the murder of Sydney standover man and business manager Michael McGurk.

Keep up the good work!