Bermuda and have sought out prospective candidates.

The pizza giant that is currently in 60 markets with nearly 6,000 stores worldwide, placed an advertisement in the Bermuda Sun on Friday.

And they want interested people who live in Bermuda, with access to sufficient capital, to send their resume and business proposal to the company office in Ann Arbour, Michigan.

The Royal Gazette was unable to contact Domino's Director of Development David Tracy.

Finance Minister Grant Gibbons said he had not seen the advertisement.

"I don't know anything about the ad or why they would have put it in at this particular time,'' he said.

"One would have thought that they would have done a little more due diligence about the climate for franchise restaurants in Bermuda at the present time.

"Right now the matter is in the courts and needs to be resolved in that fashion.'' Dr. Gibbons said that the principals of Domino's Pizza may have just placed ads in many jurisdictions through a lawyer or public relations or marketing agency.

Consequently, they may not have done any research into any particular country.

Grape Bay Ltd., which is a company that has former Premier Sir John Swan and UBP backbencher Maxwell Burgess among its principals, wants to open a McDonald's restaurant franchise on the Island.

A judge ruled last year that the law banning restaurants with a foreign flavour -- the Prohibited Restaurants Act 1997 -- was unconstitutional.

Puisne Judge Vincent Meerabux's ruling gives the go-ahead to open a McDonald's elsewhere.

However, whether Grape Bay Ltd. will want to risk setting up shop prior to a Court of Appeal hearing and the option of a final appeal to the Privy Council, either of which could rule against them, is open to question.

Dr. Gibbons said: "I would have thought that (Domino's Pizza) would reserve any decision about the viability of a franchise restaurant proposal in Bermuda until they have a clearer sense of where the court situation is likely to come out.'' The thorny issue of franchises is far from closed on the Island. Last year Mr.

Meerabux ruled against a stay of execution pending appeal of his finding that the Act of Parliament banning foreign fast food franchises from the Island was unconstitutional. In theory that leaves the way clear for a McDonald's restaurant to open its doors for business.

But it has yet to be decided whether Grape Bay Ltd.'s McDonald's will open at the Airport.

Government has granted an Airport concession to Grape Bay, but the lease still has to be approved by the House of Assembly.

The lease has not come before the House because of the uncertainty created by the legal row over franchises with a foreign flavour.

The last McDonald's on the Island closed when US forces quit the Naval Air Station at St. David's in 1995. Grape Bay have been embroiled in bitter legal and political rows ever since.

And they now want the compensation because of the Prohibited Restaurants Act, which passed into law last year.