Vertical Vertigo by Jarod Facundo

[justaprogressive]

wenty years ago, Bhupinder “Bob” Baber shot himself three times in the chest with a .380 handgun inside the bathroom at his friend’s Quiznos in Whittier, California. Baber ran two Quiznos in nearby Long Beach, and at the time of his suicide, he had sunk $100,000 and 18 months of his life into litigating Quiznos over a venue and arbitration clause, before the court ever got to hear the merits of his case.


The Toasted Subs Franchisee Association, of which Baber was a member, published his last words on their website, describing how the legal dispute had ruined his life. “My struggle will continue after my sacrifice,” he wrote.

In response, Quiznos accused the Toasted Subs Franchisee Association of exploiting Baber’s death, and demanded they instead publish an apology calling their own actions “morally reprehensible,” as well as dropping any and all legal claims moving forward. This would cure the association’s supposed breach of contract.

The association refused, and so 11 days after Baber’s death, Quiznos terminated its contracts with the Toasted Subs Franchisee Association’s eight board members. Seventeen days after his death, Quiznos notified its remaining franchisees that “from time to time, we need to take the steps necessary to protect the brand, as we have in this case.”

https://prospect.org/2026/04/10/apr-2026-magazine-vertical-vertigo-franchise-deregulation-antitrust-law/