In a proposed class action filed in California federal court, consumers allege Inspire Brands and four restaurant chains it operates falsely promised their cookie banners would stop tracking and unlawfully collected and disclosed personal information. In June 2026, a magistrate judge allowed fraud and other claims against Inspire to proceed, while some privacy claims were trimmed.
Plaintiff Benjamin de Ayora plans to file a class action alleging that Inspire Brands installed cookies on his computer in violation of its promise that consumers could choose to visit its websites without being tracked, he said in a petition filed April 25 in the US District Court for the Northern District of California.
Inspire Brands Inc. and four restaurant chains it operates must face several claims of a proposed class action alleging they made false privacy promises through website cookie-consent banners and illegally collected and disclosed consumers’ personal information.
A California federal judge on Monday trimmed some privacy claims in a suit alleging Arby's', Jimmy John's', Dunkin's and Sonic's website cookie banners falsely promise to remove trackers but allowed the plaintiffs' fraud claims to proceed, finding it's enough for them to plead they declined cookies but were tracked anyway.
A Yale School of Management list reports that Inspire Brands, identified with Dunkin’ Donuts and Baskin-Robbins, halted corporate support for its franchisees in Russia. The entry does not specify when the action began or whether franchise operations themselves stopped.
sales and workforce in Russia</td> <td>Industrials</td> <td>Liechtenstein</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Hines</td> <td>Suspend new investments in Russia and sold some real estate assests</td> <td>Industrials</td> <td>United States</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Idemitsu Kosan</td> <td>stop coal imports; lubricants business unchanged</td> <td>Energy</td> <td>Japan</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Indesit</td> <td>suspend production due to "full warehouses"</td> <td>Consumer Discretionary</td> <td>Italy</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Ingersoll Rand</td> <td>scale back to only health critical services</td> <td>Industrials</td> <td>United States</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Ingka</td> <td>Closed Mega shopping centers. Ended business in Russia</td> <td>Consumer Discretionary</td> <td>Netherlands</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Inspire Brands (Dunkin' Donuts, Baskin Robins)</td> <td>halt corporate support for franchisees</td> <td>Consumer Discretionary</td> <td>United States</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Intertrust</td> <td>Not accepting new Russian clients & started process of exiting all Russian Clients</td> <td>Financials</td> <td>Netherlands</td> </tr> <tr> <td>IPG Photonics</td> <td>suspend new investments and reduce manufacturing in Russia</td> <td>Information Technology</td> <td>United States</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Iskratel</td> <td>paused some business with Russia</td>
In 2020, Inspire Brands co-founder Neal Aronson’s firm, Roark Capital, described education and diversity programs and launched an assistance fund for employees displaced at portfolio companies during the pandemic. The fund raised $8 million against a $5 million target; Aronson and his wife contributed a matching $3 million. Roark said grants would help cover essentials.
In addition to the Assistance Fund, Atlanta-based Roark has a community strategy for the firm called "Change the Equation" which is focused on working closely with non-profit partners to help kids achieve long-term educational success. The program addresses shortcomings both inside and outside the classroom, offering wrap-around support and services to help break the generational poverty cycle.
Aside from the likes of KKR & Co. Inc. and The Blackstone Group L.P., private equity firms aren't known to lead the charge when it comes to philanthropy or environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues. But with a new fund launched to help displaced employees at portfolio companies, Roark Capital may be setting a new standard in the private equity world.
A former Inspire Brands director sued in Georgia federal court, alleging she was fired after threatening to report a manager for discrimination. Law360 reported the suit on July 2, 2025; the complaint was filed December 31, 2024. The available account does not provide Inspire Brands’ response or the case’s outcome.
The company that owns and franchises restaurant chains like Arby's, Baskin-Robbins, Buffalo Wild Wings, Dunkin' and Jimmy John's has been sued in Georgia federal court by an ex-employee who alleges she...
By Kelcey Caulder ( July 2, 2025, 5:34 PM EDT) -- The company that owns and franchises restaurant chains like Arby's, Baskin-Robbins, Buffalo Wild Wings, Dunkin' and Jimmy John's has been sued in Georgia federal court by an ex-employee who alleges she was fired after threatening to report a manager for discrimination....
Three current and former employees filed a proposed class action in the Northern District of Georgia, alleging Inspire Brands charged tobacco-using health-plan members annual fees of $390 to $780 without a way to reclaim past penalties. Workers can avoid future fees by completing a smoking-cessation program, according to the April 16, 2025 report.
Inspire Brands Inc. mismanages its health-care plan by charging penalties to workers who smoke without providing an avenue for having the fees retroactively refunded, three current and former employees said in a proposed class complaint.
A federal lobbying filing lists Ashley Coneff, Elizabeth Sharp and Dylann Middleton as lobbyists in an issue area involving the Work Opportunity Tax Credit bill (H.R. 117/S. 492). The bill would increase certain first-year wage credits and remove the SNAP-recipient age cap. The evidence does not specify what position Inspire Brands took.
Common Cents Act of 2025 (H.R. 3074/S. 1525) is bipartisan U.S. legislation introduced in April 2025 to stop minting pennies, mandate rounding cash transactions to the nearest nickel, and keep pennies as legal tender while removing them from general circulation, aiming to save taxpayer money and modernize currency, with sponsors including Reps. McClain/Garcia and Senators Lummis/Gillibrand.
The FEC lists the Inspire Brands Inc. Political Action Committee as an active, qualified corporate PAC. For the period January 1, 2025–October 14, 2026, it reported $247,694.43 in receipts and $374,523.41 in disbursements, including $215,000 in contributions to other committees. OpenSecrets reports that in 2023–24, 62.79% of its candidate contributions went to Democrats and 34.88% to Republicans.
62.79% to Democrats, 34.88% to Republicans</td> <td>$107,500</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Contributions to this PAC from individual donors of $200 or more (list donors)</td> <td>$261,517</td> </tr> </tbody> </table>
Business Insider reported on August 26, 2019, that FEC records show Paul Brown, then CEO of Inspire Brands, donated $367.69 to the Trump Make America Great Again Committee on January 5, 2017. An Inspire Brands representative said the payment covered an event attended by business leaders during the presidential inauguration.
Paul Brown, the other top restaurant executive to have a record of donating to Trump's campaigns, was formerly the CEO of Arby's, founding Inspire Brands and leading the company in acquiring Buffalo Wild Wings and Sonic. FEC records show that Brown, who has donated to the campaigns of Republican politicians including Sens. David Perdue, Ben Sasse, and Pat Toomey, donated $367.69 to the Trump Make America Great Again Committee on January 5, 2017.
A lobbying filing describes work concerning H.R. 5267 and S. 3525, the American Franchise Act, which it says would protect the franchise model and codify the existing joint-employer standard. It names Representatives Kevin Hern and Don Davis and Senators Angus King and Roger Marshall as legislative leads, and lists Elizabeth Sharp and Ashley Coneff among lobbyists.
Consideration of H.R.5267 and S. 3525 - The American Franchise Act to protect the franchise model and codify the existing joint employer standard into law. Reps. Kevin Hern and Don Davis lead in the House and Senators Angus King and Roger Marshall lead in the Senate.