News
       Photo Gallery

By Mary Kate O’Flanagan

There is a revolution sweeping the world of subs and sandwiches. In fact, the revolution began two decades ago but is now gathering momentum in Ireland. Quiznos Sub is one of the fastest growing food franchises in the country - and the world.There are 4,000 Quiznos restaurants open worldwide with operations in 21 countries.

The Quiznos Sub restaurant in North Earl Street, Dublin

Kylemore Foods Group operates the Quiznos master franchise in Ireland, using its added expertise of a company with a long history of successfully catering to the Irish public.

Quiznos Sub is an American company, which was formed in 1981 in Boulder, Colorado. It takes the classic ‘submarine’ sandwich and toasts the ingredients on proprietary breads with proprietary sauces.

The commitment that Quiznos Sub made to its customers from day one was that it would source the best ingredients for every part of the food, from the artisan breads through the signature sauces, and of course the all-important fillings.

The policy of fine ingredients accompanied by toasting to enhance flavours soon created a roaring success in the catering industry.

Quiznos delivers uncompromising quality for today’s busy consumers who are looking for a tasty, fresher alternative to traditional sandwich bars and fast food restaurants. Using premium quality ingredients, Quiznos offers better-tasting food through creative, chef-inspired recipes to give a food that’s a cut above the rest.

The runaway success of the first outlet started to attract franchisees in the late 1980s.By 1994, it was emerging as a major brand in the US market, being named as a Hot Concept byNation’s RestaurantNews.

David White of the Quiznos Sub restaurant, St James’s Hospital, Dublin

In January 2006, Entrepreneur magazine rated Quiznos Sub the second best franchise in the US, and in August 2005, it was chosen as third best restaurant chain by Quick Service Restaurant magazine.

Undoubtedly, the fact that franchisees and customers alike can appreciate the Quiznos Sub as a superior product has a great deal to do with its popularity.

The menu also appeals to the more adventurous palate of a younger generation: Mesquite Chicken and Bacon,Teriyaki Chicken and Pineapple and Turkey Bacon Guacamole sit alongside the classic Ham and Swiss and Meatball sandwiches on an extensive menu.

The submarine sandwiches live up to their names and are substantial enough to fill the hungriest person. But those who want less bulk and fewer calories can choose from ‘lite’ subs, vegetarian options, flatbreads, soups and salads.

No matter what your food mood is, there’s a choice at Quiznos Sub that’s just right for the moment. Subs come in three sizes, so you will always find one to satisfy you.When you’re looking for something different, there are salads or soup and sandwich meal deals.

Quiznos Sub also operates as a premium coffee bar and will deliver a latte, cappuccino and muffin every bit as good as the dedicated coffee bars.

The simplicity of the operation is also a major point in its favour. Each preparation area is carefully designed to make the most of a relatively small space.

Once a sandwich is prepared from the ingredients and dressed with the appropriate sauce, it is simply slipped onto a rotating grid oven. It takes 55 seconds to pass through to the other side, where it is wrapped and cut according to the customer’s directions.

The customer transaction time from order to receipt is 210 seconds in total.This is all the ‘cooking’ that is necessary. The toasting is just enough to bring out the flavours and offer the customer a hot meal, but it is simplicity itself.

Quiznos won the title Best US Sandwich in 2004. This was the same year that Kylemore Foods Group launched the brand in Ireland.

The success of the franchise was almost guaranteed from the start. A number of factors were in its favour. The brand was well known to younger consumers from their travels in the US. The hot toasted sandwich trades well throughout the day and into the evening and night, which considerably lengthens the trading day.

Kylemore Foods Group had expert advice to add to the support from the main brand.The group also offers franchisees its buying power, sourcing ingredients and passing on its group discounts.

Kylemore also partnered with Douglas Newman Good for advice on locations and to negotiate for leases on premises. In less than two years, there have been no fewer than eight new restaurants opened with four more in ‘build’ phase.

Repeat business at all locations is very high, thanks to the quality of the product. It’s a true Irish-American success story.

Kylemore Foods Group is now interested in meeting people with an entrepreneurial spirit to become the next generation of franchisees. The company emphasises that there is a significant support structure in place with training and operations support, marketing support and consulting support every step of the way.

The franchisee will need to bring some capital of his or her own to the business (about €60,000).Typical restaurant investment is about €175,000 in total.

There is an established financial package available through Bank of Ireland, and Kylemore will assist the franchisee in creating a business plan.

Interested parties should attend a franchise seminar (details below) or simply contact Kylemore Foods Group directly to receive an information pack and set up a meeting.

Quiznos Sub Wexford Street, Dublin 2

Those considering a step into franchising with Quiznos Sub need to ask existing owners how the experience has been for them. Albert Gallagher has been operating the outlet on Wexford Street in Dublin 2 since March 1 2006.

‘‘I first came across the brand at the franchising show in the RDS,’’ Gallagher said. ‘‘I had a background in catering and knew that I was interested in this area. Quiznos Sub had a lot of what I was looking for.

‘‘I was already thinking about sandwiches, but the Quiznos product and the key of its being hot and toasted compared very well to the competition. I had a number of meetings and did my research, and I was happy to sign up a few months later.

The Quiznos Sub restaurant in Wexford Street, Dublin

‘‘It is difficult to get all the conditions for success right and keep the parameters within what you can afford. The Wexford Street location, sourced through Douglas Newman Good, is terrific – and it’s very competitive. But the feedback is consistently very positive and, although we are only open three months, we have our regulars who are increasing in number every day.’’

It is one of the key characteristics that the sandwiches have fans who get hooked; one blog even describes Quiznos as ‘‘like drugs on a toasted bun’’. Gallagher currently has the only franchise that opens late and catches the after-pub and club trade on the way home.

‘‘The street gets busy then, and each franchisee has to cut their cloth according to their location,’’ he said. ‘‘Quiznos offers terrific breakfast fare, but it wasn’t our busiest time. In our case, we decided to shift our 8.30am opening time to 10am Monday to Thursday.

‘‘We stay open till 7.30pm Monday to Thursday and we open until 4am Friday and Saturday. Only a hot product will sell that well, you would not be selling ordinary sandwiches at that time of night.’’

Gallagher agreed that a franchisee needed to be committed to make a success of the operation, but said calmly that he was achieving his goal of not exceeding a 60-hour week most of the time. He is sanguine about the future and hopes to open at least one more outlet once he has finished building the business in Wexford Street.

‘‘From the start, the biggest thing is to be part of building a brand,’’ he said. ‘‘Customers come in who know the brand from the US and are delighted to recognise it and realise it has come here too. The support from Kylemore has been excellent.’’

Looking around the attractive interior of the Wexford Street restaurant, he pointed out how everything from the signage to the interior design had been designed, placed and selected with the expert guidance of the parent brand.

In the end it’s the food that is all important.

Gallagher’s comment summed it up: ‘‘Anyone who tastes it comes back.’’ And Now that’s a recipe for success.