For Subway®, one ingredient remains the same: the human ingredient. Subway franchise owners are ideal representatives of the franchise industry
When Subway fans think about Subway they may first think about their favorite sandwich made just the way they want it at their local restaurant. But, behind every Subway sandwich is an independent restaurant owner who is an entrepreneur, neighbor and important member of their local community.
The diverse background of Subway franchise owners spans the globe to the tune of more than 21,000 franchise owners. They come from different backgrounds, speak different languages but share one thing in common- they embrace the core values of Subway: family, community and opportunity.
Today, more than 40,000 restaurants are owned by husband and wife teams, by second and third generations, by young entrepreneurs and by strong, independent businesswomen. Through their restaurants, they serve millions of meals to their guests each day. They create thousands of jobs in their communities and, perhaps more importantly, they represent the power of possibility and determination.
Kiesha Haggarty
”Failure has never been an option for me,” says Kiesha Haggarty, Subway franchise owner from Oakland, Calif. “I’ve always said if someone else has done it before, then I can definitely do it. I hope that people look at me and realize if I can do it coming from nothing, then they can do it.”
That I-can-do-it mentality has driven Haggarty through her life. As a single, teenage mother, she worked multiple jobs to put food on the table for her and her son. “People always used to say, ‘You’ll never be anyone. You will always be a statistic,’” she recalls. “I knew that I had to make it out if I wanted my son and myself to survive.”
Haggerty earned a spot with the police department where she’s been protecting and serving her community for 20 years now, but was drawn to Subway as she drove by a variety of restaurant choices for lunch. “I’d go to Subway every day. Eating right — Subway allowed me to do that,” she says. “I was sitting there [at Subway] eating lunch one day, and I was looking around and thought, I can do this.”
Haggerty, like so many franchise owners, recognized the opportunities that came with owning a restaurant and the support that comes with investing in a franchised brand, such as Subway’s recent $80 million investment to refresh U.S. restaurants, an additional renovation grant program, shared marketing support, training and more. She immediately took the first step to open her first Subway restaurant.
Opening her first Subway restaurant was an opportunity for Haggarty to continue serving her community. She alternates shifts between serving the community as a police officer and serving her guests with craveable food while creating local job opportunities.
“People come in looking for us, talking to us, and we make them comfortable,” she says. “They come back because they like the atmosphere and they like the people. When customers come in, they see me, they know my name, and I know their name.”
Kareemaa Musa
Kareemaa Musa, a Subway franchise owner in the U.K., is a seasoned business owner who has also overcome adversity to succeed. Musa is new to the franchising game but knows the keys to running a successful business thanks to her time owning a convenience store with her husband, Hamid, which they sold in 2014. Musa reflected, “we wanted to be part of a bigger brand.”
Sadly, tragedy struck: Hamid died shortly after the couple formally purchased their Subway restaurant in 2017. At a loss, Musa decided with her daughters to go ahead with opening their Subway restaurant in his honor. “I want to show my girls if you want something, you should do everything you can to succeed.”
From design to construction to the grand opening, Musa was involved at every step of the way to bring her vision for the restaurant to life. Four weeks later, the empty storefront was transformed into a Subway restaurant. Then the preparation for the grand opening took place.
Guiding and coaching her along the way was Rachana Pancholi, her local Business Development Agent and fellow Franchise Owner. Pancholi and her team used their experience to coach Musa through the best way to organize her restaurant and the tools, equipment and organization needed to succeed.
Driven by a vision created by her and her husband, Musa has moved forward to bring her dream to owning a Subway restaurant into reality for her family.
Haggarty and Musa are two examples of the 21,000 Subway franchisees who come from diverse backgrounds to become entrepreneurs serving and working in their community. Around the world, there are unique stories about every local Subway restaurant.
AT A GLANCE
Name of franchise: Subway
Established: 1965
Number of franchised outlets: 42,000+
Location of units: In more than 110 countries
Investment range: $140,050 to $342,400
Minimum required capital: Suggested 50 percent in cash
URL: www.subway.com
Contact: franchise@subway.com, 203 877 4281 or 800 888 4848
