Question to Ask a Franchisor

Subway's Background
SUBWAY® restaurants began in the summer of 1965 when 17 year old Fred DeLuca graduated high school with aspirations of becoming a doctor.  While at a cookout that July, he asked a family friend, Dr. Peter Buck, for advice on how to pay for college hoping that Dr. Buck would just give him the money.  Instead, Dr. Buck suggested that Fred open a submarine sandwich shop similar to the one Dr. Buck frequented as a child in Maine so that Fred could earn enough money to pay his tuition.  Dr. Buck wrote Fred a check for $1,000 and they became business partners. This was the start of Doctor’s Associates Inc.

A month later, on August 28, 1965, Fred and Dr. Buck opened Pete’s Super Submarines in Bridgeport, Connecticut.  From the very beginning they established goal setting as an integral part of SUBWAY® restaurants’ growth.  With a clear vision, Fred and Dr. Buck implemented a strategic plan to open 32 restaurants within 10 years.  In 1974 they found themselves behind schedule with only 16 open restaurants.  Fred decided it was time to give franchising a try.  Today, SUBWAY® restaurants have more than 33,000 locations in approximately 90 countries.  We have been rated the #1 franchise by Entrepreneur Magazine for 17 of the past 23 years.

How you train and mentor your franchisees?

The training is for two weeks, 50% in class and 50% in store training.  All franchisees named on each franchise agreement must satisfactorily complete training at SUBWAY® World Headquarters before the store will be allowed to open.

How does the exit process work?

Yes, you may sell your restaurant at any time after opening, provided the company approves the buyer.

In what ways do you work with a franchisee who is struggling?

Franchise World Headquarters, LLC is proud of the excellent support systems available to SUBWAY® franchisees. Ongoing support is provided before and after you open your store. As soon as you join the SUBWAY® team, you'll have access to help to get you started. Once open, systems are in place to help you operate your location effectively.