[RayB]

Hi Toronto - this section is not for dissecting a competitor - I don't want to have to delete this thread!

[admagic]

Originally Posted by RayB

Hi Toronto - this section is not for dissecting a competitor - I don't want to have to delete this thread!

The problem is ray, what is this thread here for at all?? if not to discuss strengths and weaknesses? - and if it cant, it is better that the thread does not exist.

I think the discussion on here is valuable and does not do other than ask questions that need to be asked.
If this were a fridge, and airline, a book or a restauarant...then discussion of this sort would be fine in te consumer arena

Because it is a franchise, everyone cowers! and the legal shotgun approach seems to preclude free speech!!

I for one dont want to read yet another whitewash on franchises

A business model which IMHO sucks.( for the franchisee) - and the more people that realise it, the less people will get shafted.

So I think a "cans and cants" statement needs to be made clear.

[toronto]

Originally Posted by RayB

Hi Toronto - this section is not for dissecting a competitor - I don't want to have to delete this thread!

Hi Ray.... i am maybe showing my frustration at some of the comments but then again what i have said, is the info i have been getting from the franchisees of subway.... these are people who have remortgaged homes to buy into subway only to be let down. You cannot pick up the phone and call America every time you have a problem, you have to go to the area development agents and these guys are not easy to work with. I was at an advanced stage of buying into subway, but i pulled out. The development agent asked me to go and do research into an area i was interested in, 2 months later i went back to him and showed him why i felt it would work. He called me the next day to say that the area had gone to someone else.... as it turned out the that someone else was Mr Development Agent himself

[saracen]

Thats the prob with subway being based overeas. Yes they have a regional developement manager but its not the same as speaking to the top person.

I can pick up my phone and speak to the directors any time of day or night.
They will come to me if i ask them to.
Both directors are based in this country.

What im so astonished at is Mr or Mrs Bloggs wants to be part of Subway, they think Hawick in the Borders is a possibility, id imagine the reigonal manager has scouted the area and said to them "yes it will sustain an outlet"

Rubbish ! i know and that person knows fine well it wont be sustainable but as that company has a goal to open 2010 stores by 2010 of course they will say its sustainable. Even if it shuts its doors in 12 months ( now thats being optimistic ) its still counted as one more towards subways goal.

If the potential subway franchisee has over 100k, more likely 110k to spend, speak to me i'll come to a discussion for my business which is very established plus other ideas being implemented which Subway wont do.

Dont forget subway are competing against some of the best award winning bakers in the town - not just me. These bakers also sell sandwiches, rolls etc....!

Subway wont last in Hawick, i've said that since the start of this forum.
There is more and more redundancies each day in the Borders, more so Hawick unfortunately and subway are aiming to charge what they do..... sorry but to the person buying into Hawick - Your onto the biggest losing streak ever. But then thats partially your fault for not thoroughly doing your homework. I could understand that if you dont hail from the Borders but if you do.... lmao.

What will work for you is during the evening you will get all the youths coming in, buying one large coke and asking for 5 or 6 straws so they can sit at your table and all share that one drink. Well depending on what you charge for a large coke that is. lol


Im really looking forward to them arriving as it will just augment how good my business really is

[RayB]

Originally Posted by toronto

Hi Ray.... i am maybe showing my frustration at some of the comments but then again what i have said, is the info i have been getting from the franchisees of subway.... these are people who have remortgaged homes to buy into subway only to be let down. You cannot pick up the phone and call America every time you have a problem, you have to go to the area development agents and these guys are not easy to work with. I was at an advanced stage of buying into subway, but i pulled out. The development agent asked me to go and do research into an area i was interested in, 2 months later i went back to him and showed him why i felt it would work. He called me the next day to say that the area had gone to someone else.... as it turned out the that someone else was Mr Development Agent himself

I quite understand - but another Forum had to pull their entire Franchising section after severe legal threats - I can't and won't allow that to happen here.

This Forum is not for slating a Franchisor

[saracen]

I remember that Ray on the other forum. Mind you some members where naming and shaming the directors - but - it was understandable as losing everything on hollow promises has to be gut wrenching.


However, my overall point in this thread is why is subway taking £000's for a franchise in a very difficult area deep in the Scottish Borders when subway / area manager must know fine well its not sustainable after scouting the area.

Here is the link to the shop they are taking, looking at the price of the rent then add a lot more for rates, oh dear - thats a lot of money.
What the rent alone is costing per annum, that equates to 3 years worth of rent AND rates for my shop.

I do hope the potential franchisee discovers this thread in time, will save you a lot of money

[ParentsforPlay]

There are three subways in Oldham. There is one in the town centre, one off a main road and a small one at a petrol station. I just can't see them all surviving imho.

Sarah

[RayB]

Originally Posted by saracen

Here is the link to the shop they are taking, looking at the price of the rent then add a lot more for rates, oh dear - thats a lot of money.
What the rent alone is costing per annum, that equates to 3 years worth of rent AND rates for my shop.

I do hope the potential franchisee discovers this thread in time, will save you a lot of money

It is the responsibility of a franchisee to conduct due diligence, the same as any other type of business - lack of due diligence can never be blamed on the Franchisor.

Hence, I'm having a "here we go again" moment - I don't want to pull this Franchising Section - but will if it proves to be troublesome, as has happened elsewhere

[saracen]

Ray if anyone makes noises about my thread then tell them to contact me, i'll take fully responsibility.

But just to tidy up regarding scouting locations for potential outlets. Its not all down to the franchisee, or my own opinion is that is shouldnt be.

To back up what im trying to put across, here is my point.

When i wanted to join Baguette Express i had 2 locations in mind. One is the town where i live ( 8 miles from where my shop is just now ) i put it to the directors and they immediately said no because it would not work - period.


Me second location i mentioned ( peebles ) to the directors they said yes immediately. Firstly because they know the town. Not only that, just to be 100% sure myself and one of the directors went to that town 3 times on 3 different days over a 2 week period. We stayed for 3 or more hours at a time doing our homework.

Our only problem was there were no units available, that was over 12 months ago and still there is non vacant to this day.

I asked the director if Carlisle ( 65 miles south ) would be a good location. We decided to scout the area. Twice we went and spent the whole day there on each visit looking around etc etc....doing our homework. Not only that we nipped up to Dumfries ( 1 hours drive north west ) and scouted there. It also immediately ticked all the right boxes.

The moral to my story is the directors for the company im involved with makes sure the locations i present them with tick all the right boxes so that the business im buying into will work immediately. The director/s accompany you, infact they pick you up and go in their vehicle.

The responsibility of making sure the business is in the correct location lies with the directors, they want "us" to be succesful. Thats how it works with BE.

It defo doesnt look like thats how others operate.

Dont forget the important issue - im a borders man born and bred, i know the area. I've been in the food trade long enough now to know what works and what doesnt.
I know subway will not work out in this borders town. If i was going to open a subway i'd be looking in the Edinburgh area. Location and population for a purchase of that size.


But good luck to the franchisee.

[toronto]

Originally Posted by saracen

Ray if anyone makes noises about my thread then tell them to contact me, i'll take fully responsibility.

But just to tidy up regarding scouting locations for potential outlets. Its not all down to the franchisee, or my own opinion is that is shouldnt be.

To back up what im trying to put across, here is my point.

When i wanted to join Baguette Express i had 2 locations in mind. One is the town where i live ( 8 miles from where my shop is just now ) i put it to the directors and they immediately said no because it would not work - period.


Me second location i mentioned ( peebles ) to the directors they said yes immediately. Firstly because they know the town. Not only that, just to be 100% sure myself and one of the directors went to that town 3 times on 3 different days over a 2 week period. We stayed for 3 or more hours at a time doing our homework.

Our only problem was there were no units available, that was over 12 months ago and still there is non vacant to this day.

I asked the director if Carlisle ( 65 miles south ) would be a good location. We decided to scout the area. Twice we went and spent the whole day there on each visit looking around etc etc....doing our homework. Not only that we nipped up to Dumfries ( 1 hours drive north west ) and scouted there. It also immediately ticked all the right boxes.

The moral to my story is the directors for the company im involved with makes sure the locations i present them with tick all the right boxes so that the business im buying into will work immediately. The director/s accompany you, infact they pick you up and go in their vehicle.

The responsibility of making sure the business is in the correct location lies with the directors, they want "us" to be succesful. Thats how it works with BE.

It defo doesnt look like thats how others operate.

Dont forget the important issue - im a borders man born and bred, i know the area. I've been in the food trade long enough now to know what works and what doesnt.
I know subway will not work out in this borders town. If i was going to open a subway i'd be looking in the Edinburgh area. Location and population for a purchase of that size.


But good luck to the franchisee.

Just to change the topic completely saracen how have you found BE to work with? What are your views on the expansion of the company, especially when it takes off in England?