Did you ever wonder how the SUBWAY® restaurant chain became the world's largest submarine sandwich franchise, with thousands of
independently owned and operated restaurants spanning the globe? The story begins in Bridgeport, Connecticut during the summer of 1965. An ambitious 17-year-old high school graduate, Fred DeLuca, was working at the local hardware
store trying to make enough money to pay for his college tuition. He was determined to supplement the minimum hourly wage he was paid. The solution came at a backyard barbecue during a conversation with family friend, Dr. Peter
Buck. Dr. Buck, a nuclear physicist, suggested to Fred that he open a submarine sandwich shop. Dr. Buck pointed out that there was a successful sandwich shop in his hometown where everyone, including himself, enjoyed the
sandwiches. With a $1,000 loan from Dr. Buck, the partnership was formed. Pete's Super Submarines opened on August 28, 1965 in a remote location in Bridgeport, Connecticut, not far from the hardware store. In the early days, weekly
meetings were held in the DeLuca family kitchen. It was there, over bowls of homemade pasta, that the partners focused on ways to increase sales and overcome the obstacles they faced. The first year was a challenge and a learning
experience for the young entrepreneurs. At the time, they were not sure if they should proceed, but they endured. Upon opening their second location a year later, the two men realized that marketing and visibility were going to be
key factors in the success of the business. At this point, most of us would have thrown in the towel, but Fred DeLuca and Dr. Peter Buck decided to open a third shop. This time they opened a highly-visible location. Three was their
lucky number. The third store started making money and it's still serving sandwiches today. Additional changes to help increase the visibility included shortening the name from Pete's Super Submarines to SUBWAY® and
introducing the now familiar bright yellow logo. Their next step was to formulate a business plan that outlined the company's goals. In an effort to reach those goals, SUBWAY® restaurants began franchising, giving others the
opportunity to succeed in their own business venture. The first SUBWAY® franchise opened in Wallingford, Connecticut in 1974. A decade later, the first international SUBWAY® restaurant opened its doors in Bahrain. In
August 1995, the SUBWAY® chain celebrated 30 years of success and witnessed the opening of the 11,000th restaurant. We'll be up to 14,000 in 1999. As for that 17-year-old... he did complete his journey. He received a
Bachelor's Degree in Psychology in 1971 and became a successful businessman, serving as President of one of the world's largest fast food chains. He firmly believes in valuing the experience of the journey rather than only
visualizing the end. Today he shares the journey and success with thousands of SUBWAY® franchisees around the globe. |
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