I”ve shared with you my total dislike (even hatred) of non-compete agreements. They are unfair, limit employee mobility, and act as a anchor weight on the American economy.
But now…its gone way too far! Now I hear that one cupcake purveyor wants to stop an ex-employee from opening her own cupcake store. No…I am not kidding!
The original concept for Red Velvet at 314 S. Main in Nashville, TN called for pairings of upscale cupcakes with fine wines and coffees. But the shop’s proposed name has been changed to Carrot, and other changes may be in the works.
The name change came after Gigi’s Cupcakes, a 37-store chain, alleged that Amanda King would be violating a noncompete agreement if she operated a cupcake shop. Gigi’s Cupcakes says it threatened legal action in an effort to protect recipes and other details of shop operations. What a bunch of baloney!
King, who was to be co-owner of Red Velvet with Neil Armstrong, could not be reached, but lawyer Tim Thompson said, “Neither Red Velvet nor her had any intention of violating any of the terms she agreed to.”
My Take: There is no such thing as a secret cupcake recipe…and the more cupcake stores the better!