When you see a young man sweeping the floors of the restaurant, it can be hard to picture him as the eventual owner of the store. But this is exactly what happened to franchisee Jitin Choudhury.  Jitin started at Blimpie when he was just 16, and with hard work, grit and determination, he moved up until he had the opportunity to buy his very own shop. Jitin bought his store when he was only 27, and now, fresh out of his twenties, he owns and manages a successful Blimpie and Surf City Squeeze® co-branded location in East Meadows – a success story that was recently featured by Newsday^TM.

Jitin began at the bottom of the career ladder – a teenager cleaning the Blimpie in Westbury, New York. As he swept and mopped, he was learning the ins and outs of running a Blimpie store, including the day-to-day management work that went on behind the scenes. When he was 21, he finally got the chance to cut his teeth as manager of the East Meadow Blimpie. He spent several years learning the ropes and honing his management skills, and when the opportunity arose in 2012, he bought the store from the retiring owner.

Jitin quickly found that being owner came with a unique set of challenges, especially since he had worked alongside much of the staff he was now leading. He confronted challenges to his leadership early in his time as owner – situations that required a lot of focus and communication to resolve. Employees had to get used to working under their former co-worker, while Jitin himself was learning how to set people’s expectations so his leadership and goals wouldn’t be questioned.

Progressing so quickly in his career forced Jitin to learn a lot on his feet. The biggest lesson he learned, was that owning a business involves a huge shift in perspective. An owner must have a big picture view of things, because everyone from his employees to his family are relying on him to make decisions that will grow the business and keep it relevant. Things that were never Jitin’s concern suddenly had to take center stage, like human resources, marketing and area competition.

Now, Jitin has been in business for nearly two years. He has seen enough that the new challenges he faces don’t scare him, but every day is still a new surprise. After seeing incredible growth in his first years as a business owner, he is excited for what the future holds. He looks forward to continued growth, and he hopes to help those who are starting where he did grow into potential future owners!

For more information on Blimpie franchise opportunities, please visit www.blimpiefranchise.com.

Blimpie is an iconic sandwich company and our legacy spans decades. However, we also pride ourselves on being on the cutting-edge – constantly coming up with new innovations in terms of flavors, marketing and in-store designs. While our brand reputation for delicious subs continues to be our key differentiator, our pioneering spirit still endures and we are still committed to creativity – especially when it comes to unique real estate buildouts for new and existing franchisees.  Here are some of the most interesting and innovative store buildouts we have in our system.

Two franchisees in Richmond, Virginia built the first ever quadri-branded store, setting themselves apart both in number and in appeal. In addition to a Blimpie sub counter, Ritesh and Zeel Patel have a Cereality® Cereal Bar and Café, an NrGize Lifestyle Café® and a Samurai Sam’s Teriyaki Grill®. The four brands make up the cafeteria within the Chippenham Hospital^TM of the CJW Medical Center. And while they aren’t the only ones with the idea to co-brand — Kahala Brands® is the parent company of dozens of QSR concepts, so it’s easy for franchisees to build out an addition to their stores — they are the first to do it so broadly!

The QSR and convenience store trend quickly caught fire in c-stores around the country and Blimpie has capitalized from the very beginning! Today, you’ll find dozens of stores that co-brand with convenience stores and gas stations.   However, when fast food and QSR co-branding first became popular in the early 2000s, Blimpie franchisees like Dave Deddens were ready to take the lead. Co-branding with a convenience store put our name in front of customers in a more “convenient” way than ever before! Now, no one has to go out of their way to find a Blimpie store and our signature sandwiches are introduced to people who are looking for the perfect “on-the-go” snack after filling up their car!

Some franchisees aren’t in business just for the money. Rather, some have found that using a franchise as a source of funds for their nonprofit organization is an ingenious way to solve the issue of low funds or donations. Franchisees like Bobby Calvillo use their business acumen to earn money for nonprofit organizations they lead. Bobby is the director of Affordable Homes of South Texas^®, and the additional revenue stream generated from his community sandwich shop allows him to build more homes for low-income families in his area. Delicious subs with a side of social responsibility. Sounds like an awesome combination!

After 50+ years, Blimpie continues to innovate and these unique stores are a perfect illustration of that! We are inspired every day by the creative and ambitious ideas of our franchisees. Visit one of these stores for yourself, and see the difference a unique store buildout can make.

For more information on Blimpie franchise opportunities, please visit www.blimpiefranchise.com.

On November 7^th, Blimpie, America’s Sub Shop, introduced three hot heroes to help customers stay warm over the holidays.   As part of this limited time offer, all Blimpie guests can enjoy the new Cuban, featuring a mojito aioli, as well as menu classics like the Meatball Parmigiana and Sicilian grilled on ciabatta bread.

As the weather begins to turn, restaurant media members are actively seeking new menu items to bring their readers up to speed on “what’s trending now.”   These hearty heroes certainly fit the bill, so the press jumped at the opportunity to share more about Blimpie’s “Hot Heroes.” Two major stories featuring these sandwiches included:

QSR Magazine™: “Blimpie’s New Hot Heroes Celebrate the Holidays”

Nation’s Restaurant News™: “Menu Tracker: New Items from Arby’s, Chopt, Peet’s Coffee, More”

Blimpie looks forward to finishing 2016 with a bang as all local franchise owners help their customers warm up with these delicious hot subs.

For more information on Blimpie franchise opportunities, please visit www.blimpiefranchise.com.

In the most recent Blimpie Subs Franchise Show podcast, New Jersey-area developer Mike Sarao joined host Graham Chapman to discuss the area developers role in the success of Blimpie franchisees.  Also, as the area developer who has helped Constantine and Gary, our guests for the last podcast, build toward success, we ask for his perspective on why franchisees like them are so successful.   Listen in to hear more about Sarao’s journey and how he and all other area developers work together to help all local Blimpie franchisees elevate their game.

For more information on Blimpie franchise opportunities, please visit www.blimpiefranchise.com.

We’re heading into winter and Americans are craving warm and hearty comfort food to keep them warm as the temperatures drop.   And to help Blimpie franchisees deliver what their customers crave, Blimpie has rolled out their all-new, zesty take on a Cuban sandwich. This sandwich has a tasty pretzel bread base and is loaded with ham, pulled pork and Swiss cheese. The whole delicious concoction is topped off with mustard and Blimpie’s very own Mojito aioli.

This new Cuban sandwich is a trendy way to enjoy a meal. Cuba is featured more and more in mainstream media, and Americans are craving bold and exciting flavors from our Caribbean neighor. As the US smooths political ties with Cuba, it’s high time Americans started exploring Cuban culture and flavors.

In recent months, Cuban culture has wound itself into America’s pop culture. Cuban food in particular has taken Hollywood by storm. The hit movie Chef centers around the adventures of a Cuban food truck. The story follows Chef Carl Casper, played by Jon Favreau, as he quits his position at a high-end Los Angeles restaurant and sets out to re-ignite his passion for cooking. Casper ends up in Miami and joins forces with his ex-wife, played by Sofia Vergara, to open a food truck specializing in Cuban food. Americans couldn’t get enough of the exciting story line. The new-found enthusiasm for Cuban food has spilled over into the restaurant industry.

Blimpie is one of many restaurants in the US to capitalize on this Cuban food craze. The difference is Blimpie’s Cuban spin features incredibly fresh and tasty ingredients.   Capitalizing on a tasty food trend with an LTO that is a perfect fit for the upcoming winter months?  Just one more way Kahala is providing unparalled support for all Blimpie franchisees.

For more information on Blimpie franchise opportunities, please visit www.blimpiefranchise.com.