What’d he say

I would document his comments and go to the police or a lawyer with the evidence.

HR is not your friend. They are there to protect the owners from lawsuits. Their friend of the worker face is completely phony.

Go ahead and report it to franchise manager anyway. If the company does nothing about it, then go to your local labor board (assuming you're in the US). The labor board will not want to talk to you at all if you have not attempted to resolve the issue with the company before you turn to them, so it is extremely important that you give them at least one chance before you go to any external agency. Also, if anyone retaliates for your report (treats you differently, changes your schedule or workload, suspends you or fires you, insults you, etc.), document everything and, again, go to your local labor board.

Start documenting everything! Dates, times, exactly what was said. Keep a record over several weeks. Take copies to HR. If nothing is done, or they retaliate, you file a complaint with the state. You must have documentation of everything! Any proof you can get at all. Keep it quiet until you get it.

Well, now you have another option of who you can talk to - a lawyer. You shouldn't be harassed at work at all, and the franchise owner's personal relationship with your boss should not be a factor. So definitely get someone even higher up involved.

Report it to the franchise owner and if the appropriate measures arwnt take, go to an ombudsman.

Bullshit, it's a franchise, you complain to the parent corporation, no satisfaction there got to the state labor board, or yell "I QUIT" and kick the ****** in the balls