I'll start by saying I sold my last parcel of RRG at about...

I'll start by saying I sold my last parcel of RRG at about $2.30. I've followed the company for 5 years and have liked it. However times change. I didn't adjust fast enough.

I work in an office block in Perth. Its got / had a great coffee shop downstairs. Independent operator, Friendly, great service, cheap and good coffee, good cheap food (comparatively).

The other day they closed up shop. Now its an empty space and probably will be for several months until they can find another mug to take it over. The simple reason I have been told is that the commercial rents are too high and not enough buying coffees.

As a consumer, I actually stopped buying my morning coffee there about 4 months ago. My reason was I wasn't making progress on my mortgage. I wasn't making progress on paying my mastercard off (my wifes to blame on that one...) I stopped buying lunch too. I needed to save money.

Over 5 years, my wage has dropped about 30% yet basic living expenses have skyrocketed.

I've also stopped ordering crust pizzas as the Sunday treat for the kids and now we make them ourselves.

So I get that RFG need to make it easier for the franchisers - but I think the franchisers - small business owners need to realize commercial rents are a HUGE portion of your expenses. I think changing consumer trends (such as my own story) need to be understood. If a shop is profitable, its because its likely got large volumes of traffic. The coffee shop downstairs serviced the building and seemed busy in the mornings and lunch. By early afternoon - you could hear crickets chirping. I'm guessing for the rent they were paying, it was marginal.

So I guess what I'm trying to say is that most small business and cafe shop owners will likely be facing hardships due to excessive rents. Not just RFG franchisers'. And it doesn't help when people on reasonable 6 figure incomes like myself can't afford to buy coffees anymore because my electricity, rates, water, health and car insurance, loan repayments, kids schooling have all gone up and take precedence.

GLTAH and DYOR etc but I'm staying out until the next boom when peoples wages go up again and become more frivolous wasting money on things they don't need like pizza, coffee, cake and burgers.