Foodservice Equipment & Supplies

JAN 2016

Foodservice Equipment & Supplies magazines is an industry resource connecting foodservice operators, equipment and supplies manufacturers and dealers, and facility design consultants.

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24 • FOODSERVICE EQUIPMENT & SUPPLIES • JANUARY 2016 a pro you should know We don't specifcally target any group but try to stay involved in our communities by supporting little leagues, band, grammar schools, high schools and sports teams. FE&S;: When did you frst join Jersey Mike's? MM: I worked for Peter Cancro in the late '70s. Pete had worked at Mike's Subs, a small sub shop in Point Pleasant, New Jersey, when he was just 14 years old. Then at 17, when he was a senior in high school, he was able to buy the shop for $125,000 using money he was loaned from a former football coach who was the local banker. Peter would sit in a few classes, then run back to the shop for the lunch rush, and then go back to school. I went away to the Marine Corps and when I came back in 1985 Peter had named the shop Jersey Mike's and started franchising. I've been there ever since — he's a great man to work for and has done a lot of charities around the coun- try and always looks to give back. FE&S;: Jersey Mike's has been steadily growing over the past several years. Does the chain have any more expan- sion plans? MM: We opened 35 stores in the frst 3 years in the '80s and have since grown to over 800 locations in the last 7 or 8 years, primarily as a result of our existing franchisees. We've stopped growing and recalibrated and started up again over the years. This year we opened about 190 stores for a total of 1,040 locations in 43 states, from Seattle to San Diego, and Texas and we even opened a location in Bozeman, Mont. Last year we opened about 150 stores and 60 percent came from our existing franchisees. Next year we plan to open about 200 stores and we're in the middle of a décor change. FE&S;: How does Jersey Mike's work with its franchisees? MM: We're very fortunate to have a strong group of franchisees. Before someone signs on to be a franchisee we have a more informal interview process involving a meeting with myself, the president, the owner and other execu- tives before we sign off on the person. We look at the people plan more than the fnancials and the experience. FE&S;: What's your job like on a daily basis? MM: As COO my priority is food safety, supply chain and operations. Our company is pretty well aligned with the fundamentals of the business — we've been operating the same way for the last 20 years, becoming more effcient. FE&S;: With the growth of the fast- casual sector, you seem to be at an advantage having already been doing the customized sandwich thing for a long time. How do you continue to play in that game? MM: That's fortunately the category we think we've always been in — our brand Michael Manzo, Chief Operating Offcer, Jersey Mike's Subs By Amelia Levin, Contributing Editor

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