Subway franchisees: partners in profit

SUBWAY owes much of its success to the strong systems it has in place for franchisees

One of the UK’s most popular franchise opportunities, the SUBWAY brand is currently seeking to expand its business and recruit new franchisees nationwide.

The concept is to keep franchisee investment low, the operation simple and offer customers fresh, great tasting food. There is no need for grills and fryers in a SUBWAY store and because of the simplicity of the operation there is an adaptable approach to the physical layout of the outlets.

Support
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The franchise is perfect for those who have had experience of running a successful business or benefited from a successful career. SUBWAY franchisees can take advantage of support with aspects such as site selection, leasing, purchasing and marketing.

The SUBWAY brand owes much of its success to the strong systems it has in place for franchisees, allowing each individual to operate within a tried and tested system with excellent training and a solid support structure. This support has been very successful, and the fact that over 70 per cent of all new SUBWAY franchises sold worldwide are sold to existing owners speaks volumes.

The UK arm of SUBWAY Worldwide Training - based at the company’s UK headquarters in Cambridge - delivered training courses for over 200 personnel last year alone. This high level of training and support is available to franchisees and their staff, regardless of how long they have been involved in the business. In addition to face to face training, the company also runs the University of SUBWAY, a well established online training programme coordinated by the worldwide headquarters for the SUBWAY brand in Connecticut, USA. Offering over 700 online courses for store staff and managers, the university has delivered training for over 5.5 million participants.

New franchisees are invited to attend local seminars or talk to their local development agents and field consultants across the UK, who are experts in their local area and have considerable knowledge of the opportunities available and how to make the most of them.

HANDS-ON BUSINESS
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Jonathan Kempsey owns two SUBWAY stores in Hampshire and employs 25 staff. He answers our questions on why franchising is for him and offers his advice on becoming a franchisee.

### Why did you decide to invest in a SUBWAY franchise? ###

Before becoming a franchisee, I worked for BT dealing with business point to point data circuits. I was keen to branch out and start my own business and the support offered by the SUBWAY franchise system made it extremely appealing. Compared to other franchises, the start-up costs were far more realistic.

### How have the customers changed over the years and how have you adapted to these changes? ###

I’ve noticed customers are thinking more about what, when and where they spend their hard earned money. The majority of quick service restaurant brands have value offerings, and the SUBWAY brand is no different. Everyday affordability doesn’t mean the core products have to be discounted consistently. However, the ‘add on’ products such as drinks and sides can be discounted to form a package that delivers a great deal to the value focused customer, while also delivering a good margin for the business.

### What advice would you give to someone thinking of buying their first franchise? ###

You must be ready to take on a challenge that will not be a change of job - it will be a complete life change. Sound financial planning is crucial, thinking ahead not just for what the good times can bring, but how to cope with another economic dip should we as a country have another setback. Having a SUBWAY store is definitely a hands-on business where people skills are a must - not just for customers, but also your staff. After all, people buy from people.

### Would you do it again? ###

Definitely.