The SUBWAY chain, which has more than 20,000 outstanding franchisees worldwide committed to providing a great product and exceptional service, recently recognized seven franchisees as recipients of its 2015 Franchisee of the Year awards.
“The franchisee is the heart and soul of the Subway family,” said Suzanne Greco, President of the SUBWAY restaurant chain. “We know that our success depends upon their excellence in operating their restaurant and motivating their team to provide the best tasting sandwiches to their customers. These seven franchisees exemplify everything that makes Subway such a great brand. They are always looking for ways to improve their operations as well as the brand and it is an honor for us to recognize these outstanding franchisees.”
Competing among 49 finalists from 22 regions around the globe, SUBWAY Franchisee of the Year awards are presented to the overall winners of the chain’s multi-unit and single unit owner categories from the brand’s North American, and international emerging markets and international developed markets.
The Seven winners are:
Single Unit Owner Ketan Patel of Troy, Ohio, has been a franchisee for three years and is always trying something new to attract new customers, from offering samples of SUBWAY cookies to folks passing by his restaurant to handing out coupons. “One other thing I tell my crew is be friendly with the customer and treat them like they are family,” Patel said. “You need to be proactive in interacting with your customers.”
Single Unit Owner Udo Bran manages the location at the Koeln-Bonn Airport in Dusseldorf, Germany, which has other food concepts as well. “We were convinced to include SUBWAY by the freshness of the products and the transparent preparation of the products, which is done right in front of the customers,” Bran said. “There is an interaction between the customers and Sandwich Artist where the sub becomes the customer’s very own sub.”
Single Unit Owner Burak Durma of Istanbul, Turkey, said his restaurant is surrounded by many competitors, but there are also a lot of potential customers in the nearby office buildings and businesses. Durma said online ordering and delivering meals has given his restaurant a competitive advantage.
Single Unit Owner Jung-won Byun of Yongin, South Korea, said he likes to look at his restaurant from a customer’s perspective to see what he can do to make the experience even better for the customers that visit. He said his staff is trained on the basics: to provide a great sandwich in a clean store at a great value while providing excellent customer service.
Multi Unit Owner Jeff Johanson, President of Speedy Stop Food Stores LLC, in Victoria, Texas, credits the company’s founder with recognizing the importance of having a great food partner at the convenience stores. “We selected Subway to partner with because it offers a fresh, healthier and quality food offering at a great value, and the Subway operational concept is a great system, with tremendous training and support resources, that is also simple to implement,” Johanson said. Currently there are 6 SUBWAY restaurants in Speedy Stop locations with three more on the way.
Multi Unit Owner Antonio Augusto Fernandes Filho of Manaus, Brazil, has been a franchisee for four years and operates nine stores. “Training is the key to providing excellent Customer Service and to keep customers happy and coming back,” Fernandes Filho said. “The friendly atmosphere makes customers feel at home.”
Multi Unit Owner Dr. Abdulrahman A. Alasmara of the Edarah for Development and Progress Company of Taif, Saudi Arabia, said the restaurants are active in the community, sponsoring sports teams and working with schools on making more nutritious choices. “We decided to partner with Subway because it has a reputation for providing healthier food options.”
