How to Open a Sub Shop

Business Overview:

If you take pride in creating the perfect sandwich and you’re considering starting your own business, you should learn how to open a sub shop. Sandwich shops are popular for the lunch crowd as well as other meals of the day. If you find the right location and make delicious food, you’ll be busy before you know it. Since this is not a cheap investment, it’s important that you have a business plan in place. Having this plan will help you determine if you want to purchase a sub shop franchise or if you want to go it alone. They both have advantages. A franchise will be pricier but it will come with name recognition, branding, decorations, uniforms, marketing and a food supplier. Starting a sandwich shop without a franchise means you’ll have to make more decisions up front but you will have the freedom to create your menu and change it at any time. You can set your own prices, set up your store however you like and make your own business hours. If you already have food service experience, whether in the restaurant business or even street vending, you will have an advantage over someone with no food experience. However, you have to know how to start a sub shop from the business perspective as well. Having a great menu in place and a well thought out business plan can help to ensure the success of this business idea. Once you have the business framework in place, you need to find the right location. Get the health inspector’s approval before buying or leasing the space and get started on any renovations that will be necessary to make it a dining establishment (stainless steel sinks, walk-in refrigerator, etc.). When your space is ready and you have your menu set, you need to plan your grand opening. You should probably wait to hire a staff until you see how busy you will be. A sandwich shop can usually be run by just a couple of people until word spreads. Post flyers about your grand opening around town and distribute coupons to get your first customers in the doors. Once they try your amazing and unique sandwiches, they will tell their friends and you’ll have to hire a full staff to handle the demand.

A Day in the Life of a Sub Shop Business Owner:

Your day will begin early as you will need to chop veggies and arrange meats and cheeses so they are easily accessible during busy mealtimes. Throughout the day you will prepare sandwiches and help your customers have a pleasurable experience. On days your shop is closed, you will distribute flyers and coupons around town and tell everyone you know about your new business.

About Your Customers:

Your customers will be hungry sandwich lovers looking for a new and exciting place to get a delicious sandwich.

What You Need to Start:

• Business plan
• Marketing plan and materials (flyers, take-home menus, coupons, etc.)
• Storefront with tables and chairs
• Sandwich items (bread, meat, cheese, vegetables)
• Other food items (chips, soups, etc.)
• Beverages
• Service items (plates, baskets, cups, napkins, etc.)
• Computer with finance software

The Good:

• A good sandwich shop is always very popular.
• Sandwiches appeal to health conscious eaters.
• Franchises are available to get you started.
• A casual sub shop is a fun and exciting work environment.
• You get to spend your days making delicious food and making people happy.

The Bad:

• The start-up investment is high.
• It can take some time for your marketing to produce customers.

Resources:

• National Restaurant Association
• Bureau of Labor and Statistics on Food Service Managers
• Wikipedia on Submarine Sandwiches

About The Author

---

Templateify

Praesent nec tortor quam. Quisque ac malesuada augue. Sed dignissim gravida odio ut bibendum. Cras fermentum euismod turpis. Nunc nec diam ante, et faucibus ipsum. Etiam imperdiet mattis elit et molestie. Nulla feugiat mollis leo vel egestas. Pellentesque convallis

- Twitter - Facebook - Google+