An Open Letter to the CEO of Yum! Brands

October 25, 2020

Dear Mr Gibbs,

I hope this letter finds you well.

My name is Simon Byrne, and I have been a UK Pizza Hut franchisee since December 2009. During my time with Yum! Brands, I have owned and operated up to twelve Pizza Hut delivery units both established stores as well as opening new store locations.

I have been very proud of the partnership we formed together, and at one point, I oversaw three of the top five performing stores in the United Kingdom. Your predecessor Mr Creed was always very kind to me despite his busy international schedule.

2020 has been a very trying year all across the globe. It has taught numerous lessons.

It has reinforced my belief that our people come first.

This point was driven home at the beginning of the pandemic when one of my managers on social media said, “...We’re risking our lives for pizza.” These are people who are not only essential to me but the Yum corporation as well.

At the time, no one had any idea about the impact of COVID-19 much less how it was transmitted and how dangerous it was.

At that moment, I remembered a Fortune article featuring Mr Creed, where he encouraged his employees to make “big, courageous, disruptive decisions.”

The decision I made was truly disruptive not only to my life and livelihood but to my team as well.

I made a difficult and stressful decision to close my stores.

Closing my stores was to be a temporary solution until more information was known about the disease and how to safely conduct business for my employees, customers and the public.

Deep cleaning of stores was required, and COVID-19 training was a must.

Social distancing, mandatory mask-wearing, frequent and proper handwashing amongst other protocols were required for the safe reopening of my stores.

Once these measures were in place to ensure compliance, I had planned to supervise the team personally and re-open stores one at a time.

I was never given the opportunity.

I want to be brutally honest with you on both a business and personal level.

To quote you from Yum!’s Global Code of Conduct, “More than ever before, employees and customers expect companies to do the right thing. We’re fortunate that this is how we’ve always operated at Yum! Brands, and we are committed to doing more and better.”

This philosophy is the very reason I decided to become a franchise partner with Yum! Brands, opening my first Pizza Hut store ten years ago. It’s not always been perfect, but the effort to do the right thing was apparent until recently when it has rapidly deteriorated. It saddens me to inform you that on every level Pizza Hut UK has failed to live up to the standards that you outlined in Yum’s Global Code of Conduct, I’m not sure that your Pizza Hut UK team has even read nor comprehends your message.

“Our strategy is to unlock the potential for growth and good. This happens by staying focused on our priorities and living our values.”

When I joined Yum! Brands, I was openly welcomed as a partner, and the companies focus was on working together to help me grow the brand.

Yum! Brand’s commitment fell short long before my franchise agreements were unjustly and abruptly terminated. To date, I have not been given a reason for this termination.

“The Yum! Brands Global Code of Conduct outlines our standards for working and is aligned with our values. We must act in an honest and ethical manner in all of our business practices and hold ourselves accountable to all of our stakeholders. Thank you for your commitment to leading with integrity as we build the world’s most loved, trusted and fastest-growing restaurant brands.”

Once again, your Pizza Hut UK team is not living up to the standards you have set forth. They have acted deceitfully and unethically on a regular basis. I sincerely hope that you hold them accountable for their actions. For the past ten years, I have been a loyal partner and stakeholder in your company following Yum!’s Global Code of Conduct, while they have not.

In the past four years, I have experienced theft—everything ranging from fraud, missing cash, vanishing stock and equipment. I reached out to Pizza Hut UK on numerous occasions asking for help and advice to no avail. The lack of support and lack of “partnership” left me feeling frustrated and abandoned, causing me untold amounts of psychological stress.

I would now like to share with you something personal, which I feel embarrassed to reveal; however, it’s relevant and essential.

You may have heard of the term “bedlam.” This word is derived from the nickname of the oldest Asylum in the world - Bethlem Royal Hospital which has been in operation since 1247AD, just slightly longer than the Yum! Brands Corporation. Bethlem Royal Hospital is where I found myself.

During this time, I wandered the halls of insanity, playing chess with permanent residents, who beat me every time by the way. I guess you could consider this a two-week vacation without the need for sunscreen. While there, with full knowledge of my circumstances, Pizza Hut UK publicly announced the termination of my franchise before they even shared it with me. What a fantastic partner! Ten years of my life, energy, commitment, loyalty, trust, livelihood and sanity vanished in the blink of an eye. Thank you Pizza Hut UK your commitment to the code of conduct laid forth by Yum International is beyond reproach, bravo, huzzah, well done, good job.

Mr Gibbs, thank you so much for allowing me to get that last paragraph off my chest. I’ll be here all week, one week shorter than my vacation at Bethlem.

Seriously, I was stolen from, cheated and defrauded. Instead of supporting me as they should, Pizza Hut UK interfered with my business relations and actively conspired to destroy my business.

Please, I need your help.

In a perfect world, I would still be a committed franchise partner operating six successful Pizza Hut stores. However, as 2020 has shown us, the world is not perfect.

At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, I made a “big, courageous, disruptive decision” to temporarily close my stores, putting our people ahead of profits. Over eight months later, my stores remain closed despite all my efforts to reopen.

I no longer trust nor wish to be associated with this rogue branch of Yum! Brands. Their actions have been both immoral and unethical.

There has been no communication. None.

I need to recoup my initial investment. I also feel that it’s important to inform you of why the once number one pizza brand in the UK has now become number three.

I am hoping that like your predecessor you will reach out to communicate with me. I would be happy to travel to your office to meet with you and your team.

I am more than happy to share with you all my correspondence with Pizza Hut UK. I record all my telephone conversations and keep meticulous notes.

I appreciate you taking the time to read this, and I look forward to hearing from you.

Yours sincerely

Simon Byrne