Edible Arrangements -- "A Must To Avoid"

Muslim Owners of Fruit Basket Company Fund HAMAS, Jihadist Extremism
By Debbie Schlussel

Now, that it’s the holiday season and a time of buying and giving Christmas and Chanukah gifts, a lot of people make the convenient choice of sending fruit baskets to their friends and professional associates.

If you do purchase a gift from Edible Arrangements, you are funding HAMAS abroad and Muslim community organizing, such as the group IMAN, the Inner City Muslim Action Network,in the U.S. Tariq Farid is the CEO of Edible Arrangements, which he started with his brother, Kamran Farid.

Not only are they devout Pakistani Muslims, but they are major donors and fundraisers for American mosques, Islamic schools, and similar enterprises in Pakistan.

Recent tax returns of their Farid Foundation, to which they and Edible Arrangements are major contributors, gives tens of thousands of dollars to extremist Islamic schools and mosques in America and to Islamic Relief, the HAMAS/Al-Qaeda/Muslim Brotherhood “charity” which sends tens of millions of dollars to finance jihad around the world.

An Islamic Relief fundraiser I attended undercover featured young Muslim Arab kids simulating beheadings of Americans, Brits, and Israelis as the evening’s “entertainment” !

Islamic Relief’s chief official in Gaza was a HAMAS official with Bin Laden’s photo, swastikas, and a “G-d Bless Hitler” banner as his screensavers.

Islamic Relief’s registered agent in the U.S. is Kazbek Soobzokov, is the son of Nazi Waffen SS officer Tscherim Soobzokov and the lawyer for deported accused terrorist and Islamic cleric, Imam Wagdy Mohamed Ghoneim.

The Farids and their Farid Foundation are also major donors to IMAN, the Chicago-based group which organizes Muslims to impose their extremist values on America’s political process and in America’s inner cities. The other purpose of the group is to convert Blacks and other inner city residents to Islam and help those who’ve already converted remain Muslim.

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

I was under the impression that Edible Arrangements was a small local company...but when I GOOGLED it - this is what I found:

Edible Arrangements:

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Edible Arrangements International, LLC

Type:  Private Company
Industry:  Food & Beverage
Founded:  Hamden, Connecticut, USA (1999)
Founder(s):  Tariq Farid Kamran Farid
Headquarters:  95 Barnes Road, Wallingford, Connecticut, USA 06492
Area served:  United States, Canada, Puerto Rico, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman, Kuwait, Hong Kong, Italy, Turkey, Bahrain, India, Jordan and China.
Key people:  Tariq Farid, CEO Kamran Farid, COO
Products:  Bouquets and arrangements of sculpted fresh fruit, chocolate dipped fruit, fresh fruit smoothies, and fruit salad
Revenue:  $255 million (2010)
Net income:  $98 million
Employees:  70 (2009)
Website:  http://www.ediblearrangements.com/

Edible Arrangements International is a U.S.-based franchising business that specializes in fresh fruit arrangements, melding the concept of fruit baskets with design inspired by the floral business.[1] The company also sells a variety of specialty fruit gift items, such as gift boxes featuring premium chocolate dipped fruit, and fresh-fruit-to-go products.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The company is headed by Tariq Farid, who partnered with his brother Kamran Farid to open the first Edible Arrangements store in Hamden, Connecticut in 1999.[1] After designing the computer systems, training manuals, production and profitability tracking and supply chain management process, they began franchising the concept in 2001. The first official franchise location opened in Waltham, Massachusetts.[2]

As of 2011, the business had grown to more than 1,100 stores serving locations in the United States, Canada, Puerto Rico, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and the United Kingdom. In March 2008 Edible Arrangements was reported to have annual revenues of $195 million.[3]

In 2009, Edible Arrangements announced the signing of master franchisee agreements in Rome, Italy, and Hong Kong. The Rome master franchise was purchased by VPF International Ltd, and the franchise for Hong Kong was purchaes by D.T. Hong Kong Ltd, which is owned by Sanja Dujic.[4] Additionally, in November 2009, an agreement was signed with brothers Kemal and Emre Aydin, who planned to develop 15 locations in Turkey.[5] Edible Arrangements ended 2009 with 74 new stores and franchise agreements for more than 85 locations in the U.S. and internationally, totaling the number of units to 940. The company’s U.S. growth in 2009 was concentrated in Texas and the Midwest with stores also opening in other locations including California, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and Virginia.[6] A total of 39 U.S. locations closed during the three-year period 2007–2009.[7]

In 2010 the company opened 84 new U.S. stores and nine international stores and signed commitments for 123 new locations.[8] Hiten Bajaj planned to open 20 new stores in India, with the Mumbai store serving as a model for the others.[9] Richmond, Virginia, businessman Raed Al-Mustafa planned to open six stores in Jordan.[10] In January 2011, Edible Arrangements announced its 1,000th franchise agreement.[11]

Rankings

With over 1100 stores in 14 countries around the world, Edible Arrangements has appeared on Entrepreneur magazine's list of Top Global Franchises for five consecutive years.[citation needed] It was ranked number 42 on the 2012 Entrepreneur Franchise 500. It also ranked first in category in the Franchise 500 in the years 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010.

In January 2011, a Forbes magazine article entitled "Top 20 Franchises to Start" ranked Edible Arrangements as number nine.[7] As of 2011, the company has over 1,110 franchisees worldwide.

Franchisee lawsuit

In 2010, Edible Arrangements faced dissatisfaction from some of its franchisees. In January 2010, more than 270 franchisees presented Farid with individual letters expressing opposition to corporate policies and practices that they considered to be harmful to their individual franchised businesses. The franchisees formed an association known as "EA Independent Franchisees Association, LLC", or "EAIFA" and hired an attorney to represent them in possible litigation.[12] On September 20, 2010 the group filed a lawsuit in federal court on behalf of 170 franchisees, alleging that several changes the company made in its franchise agreements were unfair or violated contractual obligations to the franchisees.[13] Edible Arrangements International, responded to inquiries about the lawsuit by saying that they strongly disagreed with the accusations and would vigorously defend the complaint. The company subsequently initiated a motion in the courts to dismiss the case, but this attempt was denied by a District of Connecticut judge on July 19, 2011 and the franchisees were granted authority to pursue the case on all claims.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I have  always thought that Edible Arrangements was a bit overpriced and over done for nothing more than cheese and fruit.  But there have been times I was tempted (but did not order) to send an arrangement to a friend or family member.

I am glad that I never did.  And I encourage you not to patronize this business.  No gift is worth the murder of children.