Deli Delicious Franchise Violation Order; Did Attorney Stephen Colley Lie?
Deli Delicious Franchising Inc. has not been approved to sell franchises by the California Department of Financial Protection & Innovation (CDFPI) since 2019. However, that hasn’t stopped them from selling an illegal franchise without a valid FDD or registration last year. The CDFPI has hit DDFI with a Notice of Violation. In his response on behalf of his clients, attorney Stephen Colley may have gotten himself and his client in more hot water. At least we hope so. by Sean Kelly
(UnhappyFranchisee.Com) Deli Delicious Franchising Inc. (DDFI), & Ali Nekumanesh have long had a somewhat tenuous relationship with the truth.
And they tend to hire attorneys who are willing to do or say whatever helps them get their way… no matter how preposterous.
Attorney Stephen Colley has contributed (another) new low in his response letter to the Department’s Lindsay Nelson.
In that letter, Colley characterizes the mild-mannered Hadi Hobab as a vindictive hot head who promised to destroy the company that he had created (of course he claims he was told this by Ali Nekumanesh).
Colley’s letter states:
The difficulties began with a son (Hadi) of the founder having a major falling out with his father. He made it clear he was going to be very vindictive and promised to destroy the company—I know it sounds excessive, but an officer of the Franchisor, Mr. Ali Nekumanesh, heard him say it, and the son has gone to great lengths to harm the business.
He attempted to minimize the dispute over Mohammad Hobab’s disastrous decision to force franchisees to switch from fresh to frozen bread as being about replacing “a baker who was friendly with the complaining parties.”
Regarding multiple lawsuits and complaints from consumers regarding Deli Delicious’ deceptive marketing of its thaw-and-serve bread as “fresh” and “organic,” Stephen Colley tried to minimize it as:
Several customers made complaints with store owners regarding the freshness of the bread which my client believes are frivolous claims.
Perhaps Attorney Stephen Colley Didn’t Expect His Letter to Go Public
Franchisor attorneys are spoiled by the secrecy afforded them by NDAs, private arbitration and gag orders.
Thankfully, the California Department of Financial Protection & Innovation (CDFPI) makes its franchise registrations and correspondence public.
Here is Stephen Colley’s response letter to counsel Lindsay Nelson.
Here is my letter refuting of Colley’s claims and requesting full disclosure of the true issues and risks” of the Deli Delicious Franchise Opportunity:
Sean Kelly Ltr to Lindsay Nelson re Deli Delicious
Documents Related to Deli Delicious 2021 CA Franchise Violation
Deli Delicious Application/Facing Page
Deli Delicious Certification-Form C
Deli Delicious Order and Letter
NOTE: We’ve invited Stephen Colley, Ali Nekumanesh and others at DDFI to respond, clarify, rebut. We’ll let you know what they say.
If you have information you’d like to share with the California Department of Financial Protection & Innovation (CDFPI), please email me for contact information.
ALSO READ:
FRANCHISE DISCUSSIONS by Company
All Deli Delicious Posts on UnhappyFranchisee.Com
DELI DECEPTIVE: What Deli Delicious Won’t Tell Its Customers
DELI DELICIOUS, Ali Nekumanesh Defamation Lawsuits
Deli Delicious Franchise Assessment GoFundMe Campaign
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TAGS: Stephen Colley, Attorney Stephen Colley, Mohammed Hobab, Ali Nekumanesh, Deli Delicious, closed stores, Deli Delicious closing, Deli Delicious Franchise Inc., deli delicious lawsuit, deli delicious false advertising, deli delicious bread, BB’s Bakery, DDFI, Deli Delicious Franchising inc., fresh bread lawsuit, frozen bread lawsuit, Unhappy Franchisee
This information needs to be mailed/delivered to every existing DD franchisee!!!
I hope every franchisee reads through the letter and exposes any other questionable claims. I didn’t even have a chance to go through the rest.
The false portrayal of Hadi Hobab and attempt to minimize & distort the disastrous frozen bread decision by Mohammad Hobab & Ali Nekumanesh were all I could handle.
Prospective franchisees should be warned about the danger posed by the debt incurred for DD’s Bakery – Over $2M.
DDFI already has a negative net worth… what happens if the Mohammad Hobab & Ali Nekumanesh-owned DD’s Bakery defaults on its SBA loans?
Will it bring down DDFI with it? The owners are the same, right?