The SUBWAY restaurant chain, which has more than 300 Development Agents (DAs) providing support and guidance to local franchisees all over the globe, recently recognized four DAs as Development Agents of the Year for 2014, including one who is receiving the award for a fourth time.
Many DAs started as franchisees and are chiefly responsible for building and managing a geographical territory, as well as providing their local franchisees with support and guidance to open and run a successful business.
In each case, the four – Max Lemos of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Kris Perrier of Saskatchewan, Canada; Wei Jia of Shandong, China; and Mohsen Adeeb of Saudi Arabia, are examples of how the Development Agents assist entrepreneurs to open and operate a SUBWAY restaurant.
The winners:
Kris Perrier of Saskatchewan, Canada, has been with the brand for eight years and oversees 119 SUBWAY restaurants. This is the fourth time Kris has been named Development Agent of the Year.
Prior to joining the SUBWAY brand, Kris worked for nine years in his family’s chain of donut shops, where he learned from his father how to successfully own and operate a business. Those lessons he now shares with the franchisees in his territory, as well as with new franchisees that join the team.
“I joined Subway because of the health message and immediately found that it was a very progressive company with huge growth potential,” Kris said. “The best part of my job as a DA is to assist franchisees to increase their sales and profits. I also enjoy finding great locations for existing franchisees as well as new franchisees.”
Mohsen Adeeb of the Shamel Food Co. in Saudi Arabia has been with the brand for 23 years and oversees 76 SUBWAY restaurants in his territories.
“I joined the Subway team because I wanted to be involved in a concept that is different than the other traditional fast food concepts,” said Mohsen. “I needed to join a concept that is focused on quality, freshness, and the power of customization that is also geared for future generations who care about what they eat.”
Mohsen added that the reason for the consistently high customer satisfaction scores in their territory is the people associated with the brand.
“Only the best trained and highly motivated people can serve and satisfy our customers and our people are the secret to our success!”
Max Lemos of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil has been with the brand for nine years and oversees 98 SUBWAY restaurants in his territory.
“I started as franchisee and was attracted because Subway is an internationally recognized brand and easy to operate,” said Max, who likes taking a “hands-on approach” to helping franchisees in his territory.
One way he has helped the stores in his territory be operationally sound was by creating a training center for franchisees and their staffs to become even better at what they do.
Wei Jia of Shandong China oversees 20 SUBWAY restaurants in his territory, all which perform well above the national average.
“Wei Jia’s has created a culture in his territory where the franchisees are dedicated to creating an outstanding customer experience while always being operationally excellent,” said Chief Development Officer Don Fertman. “He also serves as mentor to other Development Agents.”
Don added that all Development Agents work behind the scenes to help the stores be successful and the brand grow.
“The Development Agents play an essential role in helping local entrepreneurs find locations, open their restaurants and to successfully operate and grow their businesses,” Don said. “A large part of the success of the Subway brand is how the DAs and their staffs work in partnership with the franchisees to bring a great product, as well as a great dining experience, to Subway customers.”
