Gulf Coast Businessman Celebrates 25 Years as SUBWAY Sandwich Entrepreneur

Milford, CT  (RestaurantNews.com)  SUBWAY® Development Agent, Hugh Stiel of Metairie, Louisiana, is celebrating 25 years of entrepreneurial success with the world’s largest restaurant chain during a team meeting this week at the Beau Rivage Resort in Biloxi, Mississippi.

A true pioneer, Stiel opened the SUBWAY® chain’s first restaurant in Louisiana in 1986.

“The economy along the Gulf Coast was going through a difficult time, I had just turned 30 and was looking for a career,” says Stiel. “I stopped in a Subway restaurant in Florida and really enjoyed the product. There were franchise opportunities in the New Orleans area and always wanting to be a business owner, I opened the first Subway in Metairie.”

Today, from offices in Lake Charles and Metairie, Stiel and his team oversee 522 individually owned and operated SUBWAY® restaurants along the Gulf Coast in Louisiana, Mississippi, and southeastern Texas.

“After a year in business, there was an opportunity to become a Development Agent for the chain. I sold the restaurant and focused my efforts on building the Subway brand in the region. 25 years later, there are more than 500 stores in the territory,” Stiel proudly admits.

Chiefly responsible for building and managing a geographical territory, SUBWAY® Development Agents, known as DAs, provide local franchisees with the necessary support and expertise to help them launch and run a successful business.

The restaurants in Stiel’s territory provide more than 5,000 job and career opportunities to people throughout the Gulf Coast region.

With a constant eye on the needs of the community, Stiel and company, along with many area franchisees, participate in outreach programs of special local significance as well as those that support the SUBWAY® brand’s national efforts of promoting healthy eating, active lifestyles and corporate responsibility.

SUBWAY® personnel can often be seen helping out at events such as American Heart Association Heart Walks and Habitat for Humanity initiatives. In fact, Gulf Coast SUBWAY® franchisees and crew members took part in the Habitat for Humanity project following the devastation of Hurricane Katrina, which was responsible for destroying about 40 SUBWAY® restaurants along with their surrounding communities.

Working with one particular franchisee in La Place, Louisiana, Stiel was able to provide guidance as their restaurant was rebuilt using “eco” or “green” elements to promote conservation through the use of energy saving equipment, recycled building materials and products made from sustainable sources. With his input, the project became the region’s first SUBWAY® Eco-restaurant.

“I am glad that I have been able to work in a business that fosters small business ownership among people who have embraced an entrepreneurial spirit. From Katrina to the Gulf Oil Spill, we have faced some challenging times, however, by working together, we have been able to grow the brand to even greater levels,” says Stiel.

There are 40 new SUBWAY® restaurants in various stages of planning that are expected to open by the end of 2012. Stiel’s long range goal is to increase the store count to approximately 600 locations within the next three years while also increasing sales and franchisee profitability and placing more restaurants in non-traditional venues such as airports, hospitals, college campuses and inside other retail businesses.

About SUBWAY®

With more than 36,000 locations in 98 countries, the SUBWAY® restaurant chain is the world’s largest restaurant franchise, in terms of number of locations. Headquartered in Milford, Connecticut, and with regional offices in Amsterdam, Beirut, Brisbane, Miami and Singapore, the SUBWAY® chain was co-founded by Fred DeLuca and Dr. Peter Buck in 1965. Their partnership, which continues today, marked the beginning of a remarkable journey — one that has made it possible for thousands of individuals to build and succeed in their own business.

In the 2011 Zagat® Fast Food Survey, the SUBWAY® brand was ranked “number one” by consumers in the “Most Popular,” “Top Service” and “Healthy Options” categories for food brands with 5,000 or more locations. SUBWAY® restaurants were also recently ranked as the most loved Fast Food Chain in the U.S., according to Amplicate, a research firm, that specializes in the public opinions of social media users.

For more information about the SUBWAY® chain, visit www.subway.com.
Find us on Facebook: Facebook.com/subway.
Follow us on Twitter: twitter.com/subwayfreshbuzz.
SUBWAY® is a registered trademark of Doctor’s Associates Inc.

Contact

SUBWAY(R) Public Relations
(203) 877-4281

Kevin Kane Ext.1329
kane_k@subway.com

Les Winograd Ext. 1683
winograd_l@subway.com

Chain Opened More than 2,400 New Locations in 2011—Plans to Open 2,500 More in 2012

SUBWAY Adds 24,000 Jobs in 2011, Expects to Add 25,000 in 2012

Milford, CT  (RestaurantNews.com)  Through the opening of more than 2,400 restaurants worldwide, including 1,100 new locations just in the U.S. and Canada alone, the SUBWAY® restaurant chain created approximately 24,000 new foodservice job and career opportunities in 2011. By opening an additional 2,500 outlets by the end of 2012, it expects to add another 25,000 full and part time positions—and this doesn’t include jobs in ancillary fields, such as construction, logistics, equipment manufacturing, food processing, maintenance, etc.—an extraordinary achievement for any business, especially during these turbulent economic times.

“Although we have become the world’s largest restaurant chain this past year, it’s more about the opportunities than the numbers,” said Chief Development Officer Don Fertman. “With each new Subway restaurant that opens, there is an entrepreneur that wants to own and operate his own small business and provide great food, exceptional customer service and job opportunities in his or her community.”

The SUBWAY® chain was recently named the top ranked restaurant brand in Entrepreneur magazine’s annual Franchise 500 listings. The magazine’s January 2012 issue and website also lists SUBWAY® restaurants as the #2 overall franchise opportunity, #2 fastest growing franchise and the #2 Global franchise. Also in 2011, the Zagat® Fast Food Survey ranked the SUBWAY® brand “number one” in the “Most Popular,” “Top Service” and “Healthy Options” categories for food brands with 5,000 or more locations.

“From reducing sodium content across the menu and fortifying the bread with calcium and vitamin D, to opening locations in airports, college campuses, high schools, health clubs and hospitals, and one made entirely out of recycled material, it’s clear that we continue to work on staying ahead of the curve as we continue to grow,” said Fertman, who has been with the brand since 1981 when there were only 166 SUBWAY® restaurants open.

SUBWAY® restaurants are just about everywhere—from bustling city centers and suburban shopping malls to bucolic rural communities, bringing great tasting, made to order subs, many of which are low in fat, to sandwich lovers at nearly 36,000 locations in 98 countries.

One of the ways that the SUBWAY® brand has managed its sustained growth is by opening in what are known as non-traditional spaces—often considered by others to be too small, inconvenient or impractical to set up shop—places such as inside convenience stores, factories, department stores, train stations, museums, hotel lobbies, and movie theaters, just to name a few. In 2011, SUBWAY® franchisees opened their 8,000th such location.

Some of the more unique sites where SUBWAY® restaurants can be found include a Goodwill Industries training center in South Carolina, and the True Bethel Baptist church in Buffalo, New York. Both restaurants are used to teach job skills to disadvantaged members of the community. There’s also an automobile assembly plant; several new car showrooms, a pharmacy; a brewery; a combination laundry and tanning salon; a floating restaurant aboard a river boat in Germany; and the construction site of the new World Trade Center in New York City—it sits on an elevated platform that rises as the construction of the building progresses and is only accessible to construction workers.

One particularly noteworthy SUBWAY® restaurant is owned and operated by Bob Ecoffey and Darlene Nichols-Ecoffey. Their franchise, on the Pine Ridge Indian reservation in South Dakota, is one of the few places in the area where residents can get fresh vegetables. It sits in the middle of what the U.S. Department of Agriculture defines as a food desert–a low-income community without ready access to healthy and affordable food. Bob, who is also the local Bureau of Indian Affairs superintendent, says that because healthy foods like fresh fruits and vegetables are so expensive due to their remote location, they are generally out of reach to most members of the community. In a place without shopping malls, movie theaters, banks or other big businesses, their restaurant is busy all day long, serving customers looking for healthier options and an alternative to pricey produce.

About SUBWAY® Restaurants

Headquartered in Milford, Connecticut, and with regional offices in Amsterdam, Beirut, Brisbane, Miami and Singapore, the SUBWAY® chain was co-founded by Fred DeLuca and Dr. Peter Buck in 1965. Their partnership, which continues today, marked the beginning of a remarkable journey — one that has made it possible for thousands of individuals to build and succeed in their own business.

For more information about the SUBWAY®chain, visit www.subway.com.

Find us on Facebook: Facebook.com/subway

Follow us on Twitter: twitter.com/subwayfreshbuzz

SUBWAY®is a registered trademark of Doctor’s Associates Inc.

Fast-food eateries are in the throes of drive-through Darwinism as more upscale upstarts, such as Chipotle Mexican Grill and Panera Bread Co., grab market share from the likes of Taco Bell, Subway and Wendy’s.

Chains that are fancier than fast-food options but cheaper than sit-down alternatives are part of a hybrid sector known as fast-casual that is maturing into one of the food industry’s strongest.

That category is tapping into growing demand for more healthful, specialty foods that are still speedily served and moderately priced. Fast-casual is steadily poaching fast-food customers looking for better quality and sit-down diners seeking cheaper prices, said NPD analyst Bonnie Riggs.

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For thousands of customers of Subway restaurants around the US over the past few years, paying for their $5 footlong sub was a ticket to having their credit card data stolen. In a scheme dating back at least to 2008, a band of Romanian hackers is alleged to have stolen payment card data from the point-of-sale (POS) systems of hundreds of small businesses, including more than 150 Subway restaurant franchises and at least 50 other small retailers. And those retailers made it possible by practically leaving their cash drawers open to the Internet, letting the hackers ring up over $3 million in fraudulent charges.

In an indictment unsealed in the US District Court of New Hampshire on December 8, the hackers are alleged to have gathered the credit and debit card data from over 80,000 victims.

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SUBWAY Names Two With Franchisee Experience as Directors of Operations & Training

Milford, CT  (RestaurantNews.com)  The SUBWAY® submarine sandwich and salad chain has announced that Joe Chaves will head-up operations for the 35,500-plus restaurant chain as Director of Operations, while Rebecca Audet has been named the brand’s Director of Worldwide Training.

Joe, who has been with the SUBWAY® restaurant chain for five years, has 28 years experience in the QSR industry, including time as a Dunkin Donuts/Baskin Robbins franchisee. Rebecca is a SUBWAY® franchisee, owning two locations in Vermont, while also overseeing 1,000-plus restaurants as the Manager of U.S. and International company run (or held) territories. Rebecca will continue this field work in addition to training.

“Training is the cornerstone of any organization, especially in franchising where we need to teach people how our system works and how to achieve the highest level of efficiency. As the largest QSR in the world, I know I have been entrusted with a critical responsibility,” said Rebecca, a graduate of Columbia University who lists one of her favorite sandwich as the egg white on flatbread with spinach, green peppers, onions, tomatoes, chipotle sauce and salt & pepper.

“Subway is doing extremely well, especially considering the current global economy,” said Joe, a devout fan of the Italian BMT sub. “It continues to be a remarkably good investment for our existing and future franchisees.  I am looking forward to supporting all of our partners by building on the brand’s great track record.”

A Connecticut native, Rebecca moved to Vermont after attending college in New York City. During her senior year at Columbia University, Rebecca purchased her first franchise, skipping her graduation rehearsal to attend a zoning meeting on the location.

As Director of Training, Rebecca will oversee the brand’s entire training program, which includes thirteen global training centers, an e-leaning program, as well as the education and training of Sandwich Artists™, managers, franchisees, field consultants, and Development Agents. “I am excited to welcome new franchisees joining the Subway team so they feel part of the family and excited about their investment and new endeavor,” she said.

A Rhode Island native who has also spent time in Florida, Joe joined the SUBWAY® chain five years ago and immediately made an impact working on several projects, such as expanding catering capabilities and improving the Customer Service experience. He also led the company territory teams to improve operations and profitability.

“This will be a challenging and exciting opportunity, and a privilege to serve this great brand and the thousands of franchisees, development agents, and staff,” Joe said.

About SUBWAY^® Restaurants
Headquartered in Milford, Connecticut, and with regional offices in Amsterdam, Beirut, Brisbane, Miami and Singapore, the SUBWAY^® chain was co-founded by Fred DeLuca and Dr. Peter Buck in 1965. Their partnership, which continues today, marked the beginning of a remarkable journey – one that has made it possible for thousands of individuals to build and succeed in their own business.

In the 2011 Zagat^® Fast Food Survey, for the third year in a row, the SUBWAY^® brand was ranked “number one” by consumers in the “Most Popular,” “Top Service” and “Healthy Options” categories for food brands with 5,000 or more locations.

For more information about the SUBWAY^® chain, visit www.subway.com.  Find us on Facebook: Facebook.com/subway. Follow us on Twitter: twitter.com/subwayfreshbuzz.

SUBWAY^® is a registered trademark of Doctor’s Associates Inc.

Franchises get a bad rap from people who are committed to supporting independent businesses or who have embraced the “buy local” movement. Even though most franchises are owned and operated by community entrepreneurs, it’s probably true that franchising is the antithesis of localism. When a company decides to jump through the regulatory hoops and pay the upfront costs needed to set up a franchise system, it’s sending an unambiguous message: We’re not interested in sticking with our hometown.

Still, most national chains started out as the type of locally cherished independent restaurants adored by franchise-phobes. Why did these eateries decide to franchise? Because passionate customers asked them to expand to their neighborhoods or towns. Think about it: At one time, there was a single Subway–with Fred DeLuca spreading the mayo–before there was unit No. 30,000.

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Doctor’s Associates Inc., the franchising company for Subway restaurants, can’t be held liable for workers compensation claims stemming from an uninsured franchisee, the Kentucky Supreme Court has ruled.

The Kentucky Uninsured Employers’ Fund had sought payment from Milford, Conn.-based Doctor’s Associates for medical and temporary total disability benefits it paid to the employee of a Subway restaurant in Whitesburg, Ky.

The restaurant, owned by Watash UBC, did not have workers comp insurance at the time of the employee’s May 2000 injury, even though Subway’s franchising agreement required Watash to maintain coverage, according to court records.

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Subway Restaurants Opens First New Concept Subway Cafe in California

Subway restaurants opened its first California new-concept eatery, called Subway Café, in the historic Gaslamp quarter of San Diego on September 9, 2011.

Raghu and Rohit Marwaha, owners of the new Subway Café in San Diego said the downtown store, located at 1111 6^th Ave in San Diego, has far exceeded sales projections since its opening last month. Raghu and Rohit Marwaha are also opening a second Subway Café at 440 W. Washington Street in Mission Hills on November 16^th, 2011.

The two new San Diego Subway Cafés feature an upscale coffeehouse ambience, an expanded menu, and Seattle’s Best coffee offerings including espresso drinks, lattes and frozen blended beverages, along with amenities such as Wi-Fi, and DIRECTV, to allow customers to enjoy local news and sports events with their sandwiches. “Customers can grab a low-fat sub and a coffee drink anytime,” says Raghu Marwaha. “It is not uncommon to have a rush of customers at 2:00 a.m. on the weekends.”

“In just a few weeks, we’ve become a magnet for customers in the Gaslamp Quarter who want a comfortable place to relax and surf the internet,” added Rohit Marwaha. “We are also hearing rave reviews from customers about our healthy breakfast options that are made to order. We have every expectation that our Mission Hills location will be a huge success as well.”

The Subway Café concept, which is still in a test stage, was launched by a Subway franchisee in an office building in Alexandria, Va., and has expanded to about 20 locations, according to Les Winograd, a spokesman for Subway restaurants.

This year’s MarketForce survey has named Five Guys Burgers and Fries as America’s favorite quick-service restaurant. This is the chain’s second year in the top position. Runners up included In-N-Out Burger in 2^nd place and Chik-fil-a in 3^rd. The survey was compiled from the answers of over 4,500 consumers.

Denny’s new special menu is designed to appeal to serious cheese lovers. The “Let’s Get Cheesy” menu features dishes like the Mac N’ Cheese Big Daddy Patty Melt, the Cheese Please Omelette, and the Big Cheese Country-Fried Steak and Eggs. The chain is holding a cheesy joke competition through Twitter to promote the limited time offer.

Zagat’s in-depth, comprehensive coverage of thousands of restaurants is coming to the Urbanspoon smartphone app. Urbanspoon’s app already features consumer reviews and restaurant information, but the curated recommendations of Zagat’s makes it twice as valuable. The application is free to download on a variety of smart phones.

Even though consumers and the restaurant industry have been trying to reduce sodium content in food for over a decade, current restaurant dishes have more salt in them than ever. This comes from new research from Technomic. Salt is one of the cheapest ways to make foods taste better, but can cause a number of side effects to a diner’s health.

A minor slow down in traffic volumes and dropping same-store sales led the overall outlook of the restaurant industry to drop slightly during July, according to the National Restaurant Association. The association compiles the Restaurant Performance Index each month based on the financial reports of top companies.

Subway is working to pair their healthier dining options with environmentally friendly store designs. Five new “eco-restaurants” opened recently. The new store design cuts the amount of energy used for heating and lighting, as well as reducing building materials and waste. Two of the restaurants in North Carolina received LEED certification.

The AllergyEats website has been helping thousands of diners with food allergies share their experiences and find safe restaurants to eat at. Now the website becomes even easier to use with the release of an app for Android smart phones and the iPhone. All of the consumer reviews and restaurant information are available through the app.

The Original Soupman chain now has a new celebrity partner and spokesman. Shaquille O’Neal has partnered with the national chain to promote their healthy and tasty soups. The restaurant has also recently expanded their offerings to include New York style deli sandwiches and has 19 stores around the country.

North Carolina Golden Corral restaurants are joining together to raise $100,000 or more for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society this September. The money will fund scholarships for family members of a person affected by multiple sclerosis. Donations are also accepted online if you aren’t in the state of North Carolina.

Seattle’s Best Coffee, a chain that is now part of the Starbucks’ corporation, reports that the chain has added 12 new locations since April 2011. The last two opened in the past week. The new stores were built in a variety of venues like airports, college campuses and city centers. The chain now numbers over 100 locations in the country.

The Subway restaurant chain, an industry leader in providing healthier options for consumers, announced the opening of five new “Green” Subway Eco-Restaurants -  with more on the way – each designed with environmentally friendly aspects to reduce energy, water, and waste consumption in cost effective ways.

“All of these new eco-restaurants reflect the brand’s commitment to social responsibility and sustainability,” said Marketing Director Elizabeth Stewart, who heads the Subway brand’s corporate social responsibility efforts. “We have made a commitment to make our restaurants and operations more environmentally responsible. As the largest franchise chain in the U.S., we know we can make a real difference and are working towards that goal.”

Going green is something franchisee Dr. Burhan Ghanayem takes very seriously. Burhan retired as an environmental health scientist, although his passion for conservation continues.

Burhan recently opened two Eco-Restaurants in Cary and Durham, North Carolina, with his brother Marwan. Both restaurants are recognized by the U.S. Green Building Council with Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification.

“I have been a customer of Subway all my life,” said Burhan, who owns a total of 10 Subway restaurants with his brother. “I love the food and the freshness. Compare our food to burgers and other fast food restaurants and ours is a lot healthier.”

Along with the great Customer Service experience his restaurants provide for customers, Burhan says his Eco-Restaurants are educational as well, even down to the automatic shut off faucets in the bathrooms.

Burhan plans to continue building Eco Subway restaurants, with two new locations already on the horizon.

“I actually learned so much from building my first two eco-restaurants that I want to make my next even greener,” Burham said. “I really care about the environment. If we can all chip in, we can really make a big difference.”

LEED is a third-party certification program for the design, construction, and operation of high performance green buildings. As part of their Eat Fresh, Live Green™ initiative, the Subway brand encourages franchisees to create Eco-Restaurants when possible. Many who cannot rebuild their restaurants are incorporating Green elements into their stores such as low flow faucets and toilets, energy saving appliances, motion sensor lights, recyclable trash cans, and more.

George Estep, franchisee of the newly opened Eco-Restaurant in Kokomo, Indiana, constructed a free standing drive-thru restaurant entirely from recycled material. Estep’s restaurant also includes a large monitor that displays real time energy usage of the restaurant, which has turned into a customer favorite.

Additionally, two newly renovated rest areas off the Merritt Parkway in North Haven, Connecticut, each includes a Subway Eco-Restaurant. Among their eco-elements, both operate off of a light harvesting system through solar panels, high efficiency air conditioning, and they even have environmentally friendly plants that do not require any water maintenance.

Among the many soon-to-open Eco-Restaurants is the Subway restaurant on the University of California Los Angeles campus, which is located in the newly renovated “Green” student center. The center will even feature a walkable rooftop terrace and garden.

Many more locations have incorporated sustainable elements, such as franchisee Stephen Maycock’s restaurant in Ephraim, Utah, which now includes solar panels to generate electricity.

Subway brand sustainability efforts do not end with Eco-Restaurants, Elizabeth Stewart said. They also include packaging solutions that are functional, operationally efficient, and cost effective. By reducing the amount of packaging, supply chain transportation is cut back, saving fuel costs and reducing mileage and emissions. These reductions are a result of changes such as recyclable cutlery and paper napkins made out of 100% recycled material. Other efforts include the shift from plastic menu panels to recyclable paper menus, and the new Subway cards which use 30% recycled plastic.

Fox’s “Kitchen Nightmares” may not sound like a good source of positive publicity, but it has turned around some restaurants. Celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay helps restaurant owners pinpoint why their business is failing and implements key changes. Mike and Nellie’s, an Italian eatery on Route 35, has changed to a steakhouse following their appearance on the show.

The owner of one of Philadelphia’s most famous Philly cheesesteak shops has passed away. Joey Vento, who opened Geno’s Steaks in 1966, passed away of a heart attack at the age of 71. The shop is still open today and runs opposite the Pat’s King of Steaks Restaurant that claims to have invented the Philly cheesesteak.

Subway may be the world’s largest fast food chain, but they’re not resting on their laurels. The company is testing a new, larger, more sophisticated layout with their Cafe style restaurant layout. The artwork is updated and the cafes feature better seating. Subway is hoping to draw in coffee shop fans and invite guests to extend their stays.

P.F. Chang’s remains popular due to its combination of upscale dining and Chinese dishes. However, the chain did suffer somewhat as the economy fell over the past 4 years. The company expects another slight fall in sales of 2-3%, but is working hard on a number of new initiatives to bring profits and traffic up again.

The economic downturn has hit restaurants around the country, but independent restaurant owners are struggling the most. In Augusta, Georgia many restaurants like Blue Sky Kitchen and Soy Noodle House are struggling to pay for the rising costs of food while keeping their menus affordable. Some restaurants are cutting staff while others are resorting to menu price increases.

Food trucks are the culinary world’s next big thing and the trend is about to crest. Restaurant owners can learn a lot from these mobile cafes and taquerias. Food trucks build interest and traffic by utilizing social media to its maximum potential. They also make dining out more exciting because diners never know when or where they’ll spot their favorite food truck.

If you’re concerned about calorie counts and nutrition, but would like to enjoy a McDonald’s hamburger without guilt, try the free Nutrition Calculator App. Recently developed by McDonald’s Canada, the free app helps visitors combine menu items to find a meal that fits their dietary needs and restrictions.

A large franchisee of Domino’s Pizza, the company known as Pizza Project, has received $2.15 million in funding from GE Capital and Franchise Finance. This will help the company purchase existing Domino’s locations and develop new ones. The decision was made to fund the project because the executives of Pizza Project already have loans with GE Capital under a different franchisee company.

Del Taco is growing in Colorado Springs and has doubled the number of restaurants in the city in just six months. The fourth location for the area opened on August 25^th on Academy Drive. The new restaurant is owned and operated by the same franchisees as the other three. The chain has proved popular due to its healthy and affordable menu.

Krispy Kreme may be the next big thing in Japan. The company has signed an agreement with a Japanese franchisee to bring over 70 new stores to the country. Most of the locations will be built in the Chubu, Kanto and Kansai regions in the next five years. The chain is also adding 70 new locations in Mexico.

The spacious restaurant with its chic lighting, flat-screen TVs, stuffed chairs, pastries and bistro sandwiches is not typical of Subway.

The bright images of vegetables that line the sandwich counter have been replaced by strands of wheat, the artwork is more sophisticated, and the smell of fresh-baked bread is gone. The decor and expanded menu are part of cafe concept being tested by the nation’s largest sandwich chain that aims to steal a portion of the breakfast market, lure coffee drinkers from its competitors and get customers to stick around for a while.

“Sometimes in our Subway locations, we want people to get up and go,” said Mark Roden, who opened a Subway Cafe in Flagstaff on Wednesday. “Here, we want people to stay.”

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For the second time in three years, Neenah, Wisconsin, Sandwich Artist Bryon Shea won first place in the annual Sub Jammers competition held at the recent Subway Convention in San Francisco, by making a “perfect” footlong submarine sandwich in 46.6 seconds. He also won the competition in 2009.

Bryon, who has been a member of the Subway family for 10 years, came in second place in 2007 and 2008 and placed third in the 2010 Sub Jammer competition.

Already the fastest and friendliest workers in the Quick Service Restaurant (QSR) industry, the Sub Jammers are judged on speed, sandwich appearance, content distribution and formula accuracy. Sandwich Artists taking part in the Sub Jammers competition won regional events leading up to the championship round in California.

For winning the competition, which was sponsored by Shamrock Farms and Schreiber Foods, Bryon was presented with a check for $3,000. Mana Dangol, from San Rafael, California, took home the $2,000 second place prize with a score of 47.8. Sharon Hall, of Waco, Texas, received $1,000 for her third place finish with a score of 50.2. In all, 120 Sandwich Artists from throughout the world competed.

Like Bryon, Sharon was no stranger to the competition; she took second place last year after winning the championship in 2007 and 2008. Sharon, who said she loves the competition as well as meeting fellow Sandwich Artists from around the world, still holds the record for making a sandwich in a blazing-quick time of 38.6 seconds.

“Sandwich Artists are the cornerstone of the Subway experience,” said Tom Coba, Chief Operations Officer for the Subway brand. “They are the people most responsible for creating a memorable experience and great meal for our customers. The Sub Jammers competition is a fun way to showcase one of the things that they do best.”

Rounding out the top 25 are: 4- Diana Garcia of Fort Worth, Texas; 5- Erika Rivas of Reno, Nevada; 6- Jennifer Underwood of Spokane Valley, Washington; 7- Kristina Pierson of Bryan, Texas; 8- Lori Brown of Burton, Michigan; 9- Jennifer Chapman of Galesville, Wisconsin; 10- Sara Price of Pullman, Washington; 11- Amy Corbett of East Lansing, Michigan; 12- Noel Montelongo of Roswell. New Mexico; 13- Tiffany Archibald of West Valley City, Utah; 14- Cristeta Cabradilla of Honolulu, Hawaii; 15- Efrain Lozada of Orlando, Florida; 16- Marina Martinez of Garland, Texas; 17- Jordan Johnson of Joplin, Missouri; 18- Messina Sharp of Joplin, Missouri; 19- Nedra Buster of Killeen, Texas; 20- Emily Barber of Spokane, Washington; 21- Renee Bell of Kansas City, Missouri; 22- Crystal Porter of Lawrence, Kansas; 23- Hirokazu Oshiro of Okinawa, Japan; 24- Kudo Minako of Misawa, Japan; and Junko Oshiro of Okinawa, Japan.

Subway is taking shots at the grease in some other QSR foods in two TV spots for its latest product launch, an Oven Crisp Chicken sub.

The sub’s white-meat chicken, tossed in seasoned breading and baked, is being billed as offering “breakthrough” flavor and a crispy texture “without the calories and fat of a traditional fried chicken sandwich” — and the sub chain clearly has high expectations for it. “We’re always looking for new options that offer great flavor and a good health profile, and this fits that bill perfectly,” says Tony Pace, SVP and CMO of the Subway Franchisee Advertising Fund Trust.

Subway’s nutrition facts show a typical 6″ (273-gram) Oven Crisp Chicken sub having 0 trans fat, 6.7 grams total fat (1.5 grams of saturated fat) and 30 milligrams of cholesterol (60 of its 420 calories are from fat). The sandwich also has 23 grams of protein, 67 grams of carbs and 940 milligrams of sodium. (A quick check of KFC’s menu shows 0 trans fat in all of its chicken items, with total fat and saturated fat grams per piece ranging from 3.5 to 33 and 1 to 4.5, respectively, depending on the method of preparation and the chicken part.)

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In addition to its many healthier offerings, the Subway restaurant chain has now added calcium and vitamin D fortified bread to its menu, announced Mark Christiano, the Subway brand’s Global Baking Specialist.

Now, each 6-inch serving of bread in the 24,000-plus U.S. restaurants provides 30 percent of the daily recommended value of calcium and 20 percent of the daily recommended value of vitamin D.

“Now, the calcium included in each 6-inch serving of bread has the nutritional equivalent of one glass of milk,” Mark said. “For years, our high-quality, fresh baked bread has been a signature item for the Subway brand. It is the perfect vehicle to complete the great tasting sandwiches that people have grown accustomed to when they visit a Subway restaurant. Now, we have raised the bar in providing healthier options to consumers by fortifying our bread to include calcium and vitamin D.”

According to the Centers for Disease Control, on average, men and women in the U.S. consume less than the recommended daily amount of calcium they need. In addition, the Institute of Medicine states that less than 1/3 of older people meet the recommended adequate intake for vitamin D based on total intake, including supplements.

Adequate calcium is essential for children as they grow to insure strong bones. It is also important that women get enough calcium to maintain proper bone density and prevent osteoporosis.

“This is certainly exciting for us to now have our bread fortified with bone-building power houses calcium and vitamin D,” said Subway Corporate Dietician Lanette Kovachi, MS, RD.

“Already, each sandwich made to standard formula provides two full servings of fresh vegetables, essential nutrients vitamin A and iron and are free of artificial trans-fat and are rich in complex carbohydrates. When made on 9-Grain Wheat or Honey Oat bread, each sandwich contains at least 20% daily value of fiber.”

Lanette and Nutritional Consultant, Jessie Erwin, RD have co-written a column that can now be found on the Expert Advice section of Subway.com that explains the importance of calcium and vitamin D, as well as how consumers can find the best sources of both.

“Ninety-nine percent of your body’s calcium is stored in your bones and teeth. Not getting enough calcium means weak, porous bones and increases your risk of osteoporosis. Consuming adequate calcium is especially important for children and teenagers during their growing years, while they are building bone and storing calcium for the rest of their lives.  Getting plenty of calcium when you’re older can help minimize calcium loss from your bones. Vitamin D helps the body to absorb calcium and build and maintain strong bones,” the pair writes in their column.  

They also note, “You may have already known calcium and vitamin D are important for bone health, but did you know that they might also help your heart?  Researchers have linked low calcium levels to high blood pressure, and have linked vitamin D deficiency to increased risk of cardiovascular disease.”

Fortifying the bread with calcium and vitamin D is only one step in the brand’s overall nutrition platform, which includes providing easily accessible nutrition information so consumers can make more informed meal choices. For those watching their calorie and fat intake, the Subway Fresh Fit menu offers eight delicious 6″ sandwiches under 400 calories and 6 grams of fat.

Two Subway sides – apple slices and low-fat yogurt – add more nutrients to a meal.  Fat free sauces and dressing are available to add a variety of flavors to sandwiches and all menu items are completely free of partially hydrogenated oil.

 Dan Coudreaut is the executive chef and culinary director for McDonald’s and is responsible for testing and creating all of the foods that the chain serves. He has to balance the desires and favorites of 27 million daily diners with health concerns over high fat and sodium content. He graduated from the Culinary Institute of America and has been in the position for 7 years.

Hot pot is a old style of Asian cuisine that is customizable and adaptable to fast food and casual dining chains. China’s Little Sheep hot pot chain has done so well that American fast food giant Yum! Brands is offering to buy the chain. Yum! owns chains like Taco Bell, Kentucky Fried Chicken and Pizza Hut and is interested in bringing hot pot to America.

Restaurants used to invite reporters, food critics and local politicians for special dinners to build anticipation of a menu change or new addition. But modern restaurants are saving these special seats for bloggers and Twitter users who can reach 10,000 local potential customers with one click of their mouse. Social networking stars are now more valuable to many restaurants than traditional media critics.

CiCi’s Pizza is continuing their drive to offer new and exciting pizza topping combinations with the Cheeseburger Pizza. All national restaurant locations will now carry the new option on the buffet. The pizza is topped with ground beef, pickles, mustard, ketchup and plenty of cheese. Guests can enjoy the taste of a classic cheeseburger without visiting a burger restaurant.

Cold Stone Creamery may be best known for their indulgent and rich ice cream flavors, but the chain has now put low-fat frozen yogurt options in all of their locations. These new yogurt options were tested in limited release at the beginning of the year. Customer demand was high enough to ensure that frozen yogurt became a permanent addition to the Cold Stone menu.

Jamba Juice is ready to help health conscious guests stick to their diet or calorie intake goals. The chain offers 22 different beverages that have less than 250 calories in the 16 oz serving size. Criticism of some of the chain’s less healthy options has caused them to highlight the variety of low calorie choices that are available on the menu.

Subway Restaurants, the world’s largest fast food chain, is supporting the West Alabama Food Bank in feeding the victims of the tornadoes that destroyed much of Tuscaloosa, Alabama. It has been a few months since the disaster occurred but the victims still need help. Subway is helping concerned individuals make donations to the food bank through a text-message hotline.

Burton’s Grill, a small restaurant chain based in New England, has added their seventh location in Nashua, New Hampshire. The restaurant is an upscale, full-service dining establishment serving updated American cuisine classics. Other locations can be found in Massachusetts, Virginia and Connecticut.

Hof’s Hut Restaurant & Bakery is celebrating their 60^th anniversary with the 60 Days of Celebration promotion. The chain has six locations in Southern California and specializes in burgers, chili and hot dogs. The chain will be giving away .60 menu items throughout the next 60 days until the promotion ends on September 16^th.

Subway Restaurants, the world’s largest restaurant chain, today announced a partnership with the West Alabama Food Bank to feed disaster victims in and around Tuscaloosa, AL. The announcement comes after violent storms tore through the region this spring, killing dozens of people and leaving hundreds displaced amongst massive damage.

In an effort to bolster lagging support for the underserved communities in the greater Tuscaloosa area, consumers are encouraged to text the word “FOOD” to 27722 to give $10 to the West Alabama Food Bank. The Subway brand has pledged to match all donations made through the end of July. This charitable endeavor, aptly named “Pullin for a Cause,” coincides with the introduction of the sandwich chain’s BBQ Pulled Pork offering, available nationally for a limited time.

“We’ve teamed up with the West Alabama Food Bank to remind folks that even though it’s no longer front page news, communities affected by the violent spring weather still need our support on the long road to recovery. We invite everyone to join us in supporting them.”

Based in Northport, AL, the West Alabama Food Bank distributes more than two million pounds of food annually and has helped feed Alabamians in need since its inception in 1987. Recent disaster demands have strained its budget and donations are needed.

“The people of Alabama who have suffered as a result of these natural disasters are thankful for corporate citizens like the Subway chain,” said Henry Lipsey, Executive Director of the WAFB. “It also pleases us to know that the Subway brand shares our passion for delicious BBQ.”

Piled high with tender, succulent slow-cooked pork, Subway BBQ Pulled Pork is covered in an irresistibly bold barbecue sauce. Smokey, savory and sweet, piled high with fresh veggies and served on freshly baked bread, it will be available nationally through August 14, 2011.

For more information about the WAFB, please visit www.WestAlabamaFoodBank.org.

The bright, colorful plastic play structures found at fast food restaurants like McDonalds have come under heavy scrutiny. Mother and developmental psychologist Erin Carr-Jordan has taken samples from over 50 structures that shows a lack of cleaning and dangerous levels of bacteria growth and food accumulation. She says that companies like Chick-fil-A do a better job than competitors.

A large franchisee of Applebee’s restaurants, the Apple Gold Group, has purchased 13 existing locations in South Carolina. The restaurants are located in large cities like Charleston and Myrtle Beach. This brings the company’s total to 86 Applebee’s restaurants and makes it one of the four largest franchisees of the brand.

Subway restaurants have focused on non-traditional development that puts restaurant locations in colleges, office buildings and large retail complexes. This focus has led to the opening of the 8,000^th non-traditional location. The newest restaurant was opened inside a Jeep and Chrysler Assembly Plant in Toledo.

Saladworks is on the expansion path again. The national fresh tossed salad chain has signed a new development agreement that will help one franchisee open his third location in Delaware. Nearly 75% of all franchisees with Saladworks own more than one restaurant. The chain was also named one of the 10 ten franchises by QSR Magazine for 2011.

Smashburger is growing by leaps and bounds as consumer demand for higher quality burgers swells. The chain opened its first location in Frisco, bringing the current total number of locations in Dallas to four. Six more restaurants will be added to the area over the next three years.

The National Restaurant Association has introduced a new initative program to help parents make informed healthy dining choices for their children. The “Kids LiveWell” program involves over 15,000 restaurants that will voluntarily added healthier menu items for children. Brands include El Pollo Loco and Outback Steakhouse.

Denny’s has been chosen by the National Restaurant Association as an Inaugural Leader of the program. The chain already has two menu items for kids that meet the program’s healthy dining requirements, the Junior Build Your Own Grand Slam and Spaghetti Plate. The two dishes will be featured at the Kids LiveWell Event.

IHOP is celebrating their participation in the LiveWell program by running a special promotion during the month of August. Each evening in August the “Kids Eat Free” promotion will return so kids can try the new SIMPLE & FIT kids’ menu items. Options that meet the LiveWell program guidelines include the Jr. Fish and Baby Cakes with a Jr. Fresh Fruit Dish.

OSI Restaurant Partners, parent company of Bonefish Grill, Outback Steakhouse and Carrabba’s Italian Grill, have also joined the inaugural LiveWell program. All three restaurants now offer dishes for child diners that fit the nutritional requirements. Options include Grilled Chicken and Whole Grain Spaghetti Pomodoro and the Joey Sirloin.

Joe’s Crab Shack was proud to join the LiveWell program when it was first announced and worked with registered dieticians to create a better kid’s menu. The Kid’s Snow Crab and Kid’s Simple Grilled Shrimp are healthy low-calorie options with plenty of flavor. Kids can also choose from side dishes like applesauce and corn on the cob.

A SUBWAY restaurant chain franchisee in Toledo, Ohio, has opened the brand’s 8,000th non-traditional location in a Chrysler and Jeep assembly plant.

“Non-traditional Subway restaurants come in all shapes and sizes and can be found just about anywhere,” said Don Fertman, Chief Development Officer for the SUBWAY restaurant chain. “Because of the Subway concept’s flexible floor plans, minimal space and equipment requirements and popular menu offerings, Subway restaurants are uniquely suited for these special sites, which are an integral part of our overall growth and on-going development strategy, and have been a large contributor to our record breaking 137 months of consecutive positive growth.”

Notable non-traditional SUBWAY locations include the True Bethel Baptist Church in Buffalo, NY, where the pastor is the franchisee and uses the store to teach job skills to area residents who are in need of a helping hand; a new car showroom in California; and a high school in Detroit, in which students run the restaurant as part of a business class curriculum and can qualify for college credits by talking online University of SUBWAY training and job development courses.

“There was certainly a need for a retail food business to be located in the Toledo North Assembly Plant, a two million square foot facility that produces Jeep and Chrysler vehicles. They closed the cafeteria because of downsizing, but still needed a way to provide food options. So, we got together and started talking and developed a pre-ordering system that could feed up to two thousand people in ten minutes,” said Marc Hall, a former supermarket chain executive, and franchisee since 1989 who owns and operates ten SUBWAY restaurants.

Marc’s original idea for the plant called for one main restaurant and two satellite locations where factory workers could pick up their orders. Now there are plans for a third satellite and he’s in talks with plant management to possibly open in another facility.

“It is great that Subway is able to fit into these locations much easier than any other brand. The plant employees appreciate having the Subway menu available to them and I enjoy being able to offer them a healthier alternative to traditionally fatty fast food,” explains Marc.

In addition, travelers in Germany can enjoy the spectacular scenery as well as a SUBWAY submarine sandwich or salad while traveling down the Rhine aboard the MS Stolzenfels, which is part of the KD Deutsch riverboat fleet. There is also a SUBWAY restaurant at Goodwill Industries in Greenville, SC, which is part of a program dedicated to helping people with barriers to employment learn the skills needed to better provide for themselves and their families. And one  of the more unique locations is the SUBWAY restaurant at the construction site of 1 World Trade Center, formerly known as the Freedom Tower, in New York City, where the restaurant is hoisted up to the next level as each floor of the 105 –story building is completed.

“These non-traditional restaurants enable the Subway chain to provide an increasing number of business opportunities to new and existing franchises and offer healthier meal options in venues where other brands cannot or will not go,” said Don, who was featured earlier this year in the hit CBS program Undercover Boss. “They not only provide a much needed convenience to consumers looking for a meal in places where they are often difficult to find, but also help business owners and facility managers attract and retain customers and employees.”

In all, SUBWAY franchisees worldwide provide about 350,000 jobs in their local communities and fill about 42 million square feet of prime real estate space.

The non-traditional category encompasses a large and diverse group of sites, including: airports, bus and railroad terminals; athletic facilities; office buildings; factories; casinos; theaters; colleges and universities; convention centers; convenience, grocery or department stores; hospitals; hotels; military bases; parks and recreational facilities; schools; and stadiums.

GE Capital, Franchise Finance provided a $28.9 million credit facility to Rottinghaus Company, Inc., operators of SUBWAY franchises. The facility includes a $24.5 million term loan and a $4.4 million revolving line of credit. Funding was provided through GE Capital’s bank affiliate, GE Capital Financial Inc.

“GE Capital was quick and flexible in adapting to our deal structure, which strengthened our trust in their ability to fund this transaction and thereby our growth plans,” said Donald Rottinghaus, CFO, Rottinghaus Company, Inc.

Rottinghaus Company, Inc. is based in La Crosse, Wisconsin and owns and operates 359 SUBWAY units throughout the Midwest.

“Our industry expertise gave them confidence in our ability to close the transaction,” said Paul Cantieri, senior vice president, GE Capital, Franchise Finance. “This transaction will help Rottinghaus improve cash flow and provide capital for growth.”

SUBWAY is one of the fastest-growing franchises in the world with more than 34,500 restaurants in 98 countries. The SUBWAY franchise was also ranked the number one franchise in the submarine sandwich category in the 2011 Franchise 500 issue of Entrepreneur magazine.

Russia is the hot site for new international expansion, according to fast food chains like Arby’s and Wendy’s. McDonald’s locations in Moscow and other parts of the country routinely bring in more money per location than domestic restaurants do. Russia’s growing middle class enjoys eating meat based dishes that most American fast food chains offer, and there is little native competition.

Wendy’s launched its first free-standing location in Russia on June 23^rd and plans to have nearly 200 locations there in 10 years. The flagship store celebrated the grand opening with models dressed up as the Wendy’s icon. The company’s very first entry into the country opened in a food court in Southwestern Moscow on June 14^th of 2011.

Subway is now the world’s largest fast food chain and their spokesperson Jared Fogle played a large part in that growth. When he began appearing in commercials in 2000 explaining how he had lost 245 pounds while eating at the chain its popularity grew greatly. The main chain has moved on from this method of advertising, but Subway’s Canada company is looking for a new health conscious spokesperson.

After 26 years of annual Taste of Chicago celebrations residents may assume that they’ve tasted everything the city has to offer. However, a large number of newcomers are joining this year to represent ethnic cuisine from around the world. Each vendor will offer six different dishes, including special healthy choices and small portions for snacking.

Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s have both added a new menu item that offers the fresh taste and quality of a dine-in restaurant. The new Hand-Breaded Chicken Fillet Sandwich is breaded and cooked to order. The sister chains are working on improving the quality of their food after their restaurant style Six Dollar Burgers proved so popular.

People who want the fresh ingredients of a produce stand but who are pressed for time and can’t cook will appreciate the success of Always Fresh Neighborhood Market. Cook and co-owner Joel Guldenschuh started out just selling vegetables, but his vegetable soup was so popular that he decided to expand into other lunch and dinner dishes.

WorldWide Papa’s, the company responsible for international locations of Papa John’s, is celebrating the opening of its fifth restaurant in the St. Petersburg area of Russia. In less than a month another restaurant will be open there as well. The area is densely populated and the fifth restaurant’s delivery service covers about 450,000 residents.

Pret A Manger is popular in its home country of England for serving fresh and healthy foods. They recently opened their third location in Chicago. The newest restaurant serves quickly prepared salads, soups and sandwiches. The menu constantly changes as the seasons shift and all dishes focus on seasonal, fresh produce.

Luna Grill, a casual Mediterranean cuisine chain focusing on kabobs, has announced its fifth location in San Diego. The restaurant will open in late July after the final touches are put on the interior. The chain is based in Southern California. New locations in Orange County and other parts of San Diego are currently in development.

Dickey’s Barbecue Pit continues to grow expansively with yet another new location about to open. Queensbury, New York will be the new home of a Texas style barbecue legend. The restaurant is the first for franchisee Reid Grubb who felt that the classic Texas style barbecue was a perfect fit for the New York town.

California Pizza Kitchen is finalizing the development contract for their twelfth location in Mexico. The chain is pursuing international expansion as their innovative California style pizza has proved popular in a number of other countries. The twelfth Mexican restaurant will be built in a two story shopping center with over 130 stores.

Subway’s recent focus in their marketing campaigns has been on capturing the health conscious portion of fast food visitors. This has paid off for the world’s largest quick service chain. Subway now sells 76% of all fast food purchased with health in mind according to research compiled by the research and marketing firm CustomersDNA.

The competition among barbecue restaurants in the Central Florida area is getting heated. Newcomers like 4 Rivers Smokehouse and mobile food trucks are challenging the hold old favorites like Sonny’s Real Pit Bar-B-Q. Dickey’s Barbecue Pit, the country’s largest chain, also has a large presence in the region with recent expansion.

Francis Marincola has found a way to spend less time at his Italian restaurant while watching it succeed. He gave away half of his share in ownership to four of his longest and most trust-worthy employees. Giving others the ability to control and feel pride in the success of the restaurant has allowed him to cut back to only 10 hours a week in the restaurant.

DineEquity, parent company of the International House of Pancakes chain, is expanding into the Middle East. A new agreement signed with a partner company in Kuwait will bring new IHOP restaurants to countries like Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Lebanon and Bahrain. 40 restaurants will be added over the next few years.

Effectively managing your restaurant’s shifts will be a major factor in the success of any business. Managers must take personal responsibility for the shift, and they must be the one to set the positive and focused mood for the workers. Shifts must also be properly planned ahead of time or chaos and confusion reins.

Krispy Kreme’s hot, fresh doughnuts covered with sugary glaze have created a devoted following, but no one eats one for the health benefits. However, the 75 year old chain’s menu is about to change. Healthy food options like oatmeal, fresh fruit and juices are all going to be offered at Krispy Kreme locations to expand the chain’s attractiveness to health conscious customers.

Grimaldi’s Pizzeria, a pizza chain focused on coal-fired ovens and hand tossed crusts, is adding a new restaurant in San Antonio. The chain is over 100 years old but is still expanding in many markets. The unique brick ovens produce crispy, chewy crusts that other chains can’t compete with. The chain is mostly located in Texas and Nevada.

Columbia, South Carolina now has two Krispy Kreme locations to ensure everyone in town has access to hot and fresh doughnuts. The newest location opened on June 21^st. The first customer received a year’s worth of free doughnuts for each week, and the next 49 in line will all get one dozen free doughnuts every month of the next year.

CEC Entertainment brought Bruce “Smokey” Swenson on board as the newest Board of Directors member for the company. He is also serving as the managing director for a banking firm at this time. The chain brought him on for his vast experience in the banking and financial industry. CEC Entertainment owns the Chuck E. Cheese chain.

Fazoli’s has undergone serious changes in their menus, store designs and even store layouts. To further the changes a new vice president of franchising has been hired. James Franks has been added to the company. He brings over 22 years of franchising and marketing experience with companies like Red Mango.

Jared Fogle, who famously lost 245 pounds as a university student on a self-devised meal plan based around eating Subway sandwiches, is one of the least-likely celebrity weight-loss spokespeople to have endured over the past decade.

Now, Subway Canada is looking to replicate Mr. Fogle’s feel-good success story in this country as part of its Commit to Fit marketing platform, which builds upon his original message of shedding pounds by choosing low-calorie, low-fat lunch options at Subway over pizza or hamburgers, and also encourages people to build fitness into their diet plans.

Mr. Fogle, now 34, rose to fame as a perennial everyman in 2000 when he began appearing in ads for the chain explaining his weight-loss story and holding up a pair of his old size-60 jeans.

Subway grew by leaps and bounds during the Jared period and benefited from being one of the first chains selling so-called “healthier for you” menu options at fast-food restaurants.

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Franchises have unique formulas for success, but Denise and Tim Coulter’s experience as Subway franchisees shows positive results also depend on a quality integral to any startup: perseverance.

The Coulters and her mother, Yvonne Peevy, own and operate six Abilene Subways and three more in the area under Big Country Subs Co. Their newest restaurant opened in September on Antilley Road.

After eating at a Subway in San Angelo, Denise and Yvonne sought to open a unit in their hometown of Cross Plains. A Lubbock-based Subway development agent helped them with the process. Mother and daughter secured a Small Business Administration loan from their local banker for the upfront franchise fee and building renovations. Tim and Denise’s father, R.T. Peevy, did the construction work according to Subway’s guidelines. They opened in March 1996.

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Subway’s massive marketing investments in establishing a health-oriented positioning are paying off. The chain has captured a 76% share of lunch and dinner fast-food orders purchased for “health” reasons, according to new research on Americans’ QSR habits. In comparison, McDonald’s has an 11% share of health-driven orders, Wendy’s a 10% share, and Burger King a 3% share.

These are among the findings from an independent “QSRdna” benchmarking study by CustomersDNA, a marketing research and consulting agency specializing in the food/beverage categories. The research was conducted among a representative sample of the U.S. population (15,000 consumers age six and above).

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After years of bringing in new cash-strapped customers through value menus and lower prices, the biggest fast food chains are shifting their focus to quality. McDonald’s, Burger King and Subway are all working to remodel and improve their restaurants. Chains can’t compete as easily by cutting prices due to rising food costs, so competing through greater luxuries is more appealing.

Clearly posted and well-defined restaurant checklists help keep employees aware of the right techniques and methods as they work. This speeds up the training process and prevents workers from accidentally learning an incorrect method. These checklists include common recipes, plating directions, and cooking indicators for fried foods and baked goods.

Many restaurants are finally embracing web marketing through their own website, but most are doing a poor job. Websites with no keywords, no address or location information and crazy Flash animations are more off-putting to visitors than they are attractive. If your website doesn’t show up when a user searches for a restaurant matching your cuisine in your area, you might as well not have one.

While some businesses are finding success through group discount deal websites like Groupon, others are finding them to be a waste of money. The owner of Posies Cafe, a small coffee shop with an average ticket of $5, struggled due to the lack of control over the date of the discount. There is also no hard data on how to use Groupons to maximum effect or how effective it is.

Panera Bread is launching its largest television marketing campaign ever. Over 30 markets will be targeted with commercials focused on the strength of the brand, not specific menu items. The Panera chain focuses on quality food and better service in their stores as well. This has given the brand nearly 60% of the bakery market in the United States.

Three new board members have joined the Board of Directors of the National Restaurant Association. New members include the Vice President of Food and Merchandise for Walt Disney Parks and Resorts. Vice President of Roark Capital Group, Geoff Hill, and Chief Legal Officer of Cracker Barrel Old Country Store Forrest Shoaf are also joining.

For the fifth year in the row Wendy’s is holding its annual Father’s Day Frosty Weekend to raise money for children without families of their own. Each sale of a Frosty product will create a donation of 50 cents. The money goes to the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption. This foundation helps find families for children in need of adoption.

Smokehouse Grille & Wingery became so successful at their first Boca Raton location that they are now opening a second. The second location in West Boca Raton is double in size over the original and has a triple capacity for smoking meats. Smokehouse Grille & Wingery brings authentic smoked meats to the Boca Raton area.

A new Woody’s Bar-B-Q location is coming to Barrie because local golf pro Ian Wiber is opening a family restaurant. To celebrate the opening the Woody’s restaurant will hold a rib eating contest over the Labor Day weekend. The Woody’s Bar-B-Q brand has grown since the beginning of the recession, despite the struggles of similar restaurant chains.

Red Robin has sold its gourmet burgers in many states in this country, but they are opening their first location in Rhode Island soon. The restaurant will be located in the Warwick area and will serve the entire Providence metro area as well. The grand opening will be held on June 27^th.

With more than 2,000 franchisees actively searching for locations, the SUBWAY sandwich chain has an aggressive growth strategy for 2011.

According to a recent article in the Wall Street Journal, the SUBWAY franchise system is the world’s largest restaurant chain, in terms of number of locations. In order to reach the company’s development goals, a contingent of representatives from the SUBWAY chain will be manning the brand’s booth in South Hall 3 & 4, S2600 N Street & 28th Avenue at the ICSC RECon convention, May 23rd thru May 25th, in Las Vegas.

“To continue to provide career opportunities to entrepreneurs and offer our world famous submarine sandwiches, which includes a wide range of healthier meal options, we will be aggressively looking for sites and ready to make deals,” says Chris Kan, Training and Business Promotion Specialist for Subway Real Estate, LLC. “We have a proven system in place and an ever increasing consumer base. We will have more than 100 Subway developers, field staff and leasing specialists from all across North America will be attending the event.”

The SUBWAY chain is growing while others are not, and continues forge ahead with new opportunities in traditional shopping centers, mall and free standing locations as well as non-traditional venues such as hospitals, colleges, sports arenas and airports. Since this past January, the SUBWAY chain has opened nearly 700 new stores in 50 countries, 43 U.S. states and 8 Canadian provinces, which equates to approximately 840,000 square feet of prime commercial retail space. In total, SUBWAY franchisees lease more than 37 million square feet of property around the globe.

From 100 to 5,000 square feet, SUBWAY restaurants come in all shapes and sizes. Because of the chain’s unique business model, which has minimal equipment and space requirements, a SUBWAY restaurant can operate just about anywhere. To illustrate just how flexible the SUBWAY concept is, recent openings include a restaurant housed on a crane at the World Trade Center construction site in New York City. As the building rises, so does the store.

Other unique SUBWAY locations include a Jeep assembly plant in Ohio; a new car showroom in California; a church in upstate New York; a combination laundry and tanning salon in Wisconsin; a high school in Detroit, in which students can earn college credits for running the restaurant; and floating restaurant aboard a river boat in Germany.

The chain is also testing a new SUBWAY café format, specifically designed to satisfy the needs of landlords of office buildings and upscale properties. The concept is a combination sandwich shop and coffee bar, featuring feature brick or wood-paneled walls, comfortable armchairs, and an expanded menu that includes baked goods and frozen coffee drinks.

Real estate professionals interested in submitting property information, or learning more about what the SUBWAY chain is looking for in new sites, can contact Chris Kan at the Subway Real Estate office at 800-888-4848 extension 1434, or e-mail at kan_c@subway.com.

United Capital Business Lending, a subsidiary of BankUnited, announced today that it has provided $783,000 in financing to multi-unit SUBWAY owner, Bermudez Shorts, Inc. United Capital’s financing arrangement enabled Bermudez Shorts, Inc. to refinance the remaining balance of seller notes from its original acquisition of four SUBWAY restaurants located in New Mexico.

United Capital Business Lending, which recently acquired the small business lending operations of Butler Capital, is a subsidiary of BankUnited, the largest bank in Florida with more than $11 billion in assets. The newly formed United Capital Business Lending now brings the prior experience of Butler Capital together with the financial strength of BankUnited.

“With the solid financial resources of BankUnited, United Capital is committed to working closely with SUBWAY franchisees to provide financing for new restaurant development, store acquisitions and debt refinancing, including seller-financed loans,” stated Trey Grimm, business development officer for United Capital. “As United Capital we have the ability to fund larger transactions with more competitive pricing and leverage the experience of our staff of professionals, so SUBWAY franchisees can expect the same fast service and franchise financing expertise.”

In addition to SUBWAY, the United Capital team has financed franchisees for Burger King, Dunkin’ Donuts, Taco Bell, Checkers, Denny’s, Five Guys Burgers and Fries, Wing Stop, Jimmy John’s and Buffalo Wild Wings among others.

For information about financing for franchise acquisition, new restaurant development or debt refinancing, call United Capital at 866-218-4793.

The Danish restaurant Noma was recently named as the best restaurant in the world by the San Pellegrino’s World’s 50 Best Restaurants List. Over 800 food industry experts voted for their favorites, and Noma gathered the most votes. The chef and team at the restaurant are excited but not surprised because Noma first made it to number one on last year’s list.

Red Robin restaurants will soon feature a new menu in all company owned restaurants, according to Red Robin Gourmet Burgers. More than a dozen new items will be added to the menu of gourmet burgers, chicken sandwiches and other healthy options. New appetizers, including fried mushrooms and clam strips, and new side items for combo meals.

Wingstop is already the maker of fine hot wings, but they’ve expanded their chicken offerings by adding a new sandwich. The Glider Chicken sandwich features a whole boneless chicken breast breaded and tossed in the guest’s choice of Wingstop’s famous sauces. The new Gliders are topped with pickles and served on fresh yeast rolls.

High sodium intake can lead to kidney problems, high blood pressure and heart attack, so Subway restaurants have started reducing the sodium in all of their sandwich menu items. All of the items on the Fresh Fit menu have 28% less sodium now, and the rest of the sandwiches had a reduction of 15%. Subway is now the largest restaurant chain in the world, and they want to help their customers make healthy choices.

Starbucks has released its 2010 Global Responsibility Report which outlines the amount that the company spent on environmentally friendly and consumer conscious choices. Over half of the power used by Starbucks restaurants in America came from a sustainable source, and the company engaged over 50,000 young people in community activity. Fair trade coffee purchases were also up.

Jamba Juice is working on an active refranchising campaign to update and refresh older stores. The company sold 41 stores in the Midwest recently, bringing the total of refranchising stores to 173. This frees up resources for the company to focus on their company owned locations in California and other states. Of the over 700 total locations, only 308 are now operated by the company itself.

Yum! Brands, the company that operates popular franchises like Taco Bell, KFC and Pizza Hut, has opened its 400^th  KFC location in Indonesia.  The company looks to over 1,000 locations in Indonesia by 2015.

Parents and kids can print out Easter Egg Holders from the Chuck E. Cheese’s website because the company wants families to get excited about the holiday. The Egg Holder creates a beautiful centerpiece once the child has colored and decorated it and filled it with dyed eggs. Kids can also find printable decorations for making their own Chuck E. Cheese’s egg.

Portland City Grill is bringing a new option for private dining in Portland by unveiling their new private Chef’s Table. The Chef’s Table seats 14 and guests will eat in total privacy 30 floors about the city. The restaurant presents a stunning view of the Portland skyline, and the 30^th floor location is the perfect location to view it from.

The Daily Grill is holding a new contest that involves making a 30 to 45 second commercial for the restaurant. The “If I Make a Commercial for Daily Grill” competition starts on May 1^st. The grand prize includes $4,000 cash and $1,000 worth of gift cards to the Daily Grill. Winners will be chosen based on creativity and quality, and how much the commercial motivates people to visit the grill.