Franchise FAQ

is subway franchise profitable

by Prof. Evert Schneider Published 1 year ago Updated 1 year ago
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In terms of fast food restaurant franchises, Subway had always seemed to be the franchise of choice. In fact, Subway’s profitable franchise model is what got many potential franchise owners to invest, leading to Subway’s boom in the United States and the rest of the world.

In 2021, Subway saw a 21.3% increase in revenue, growing from $634 million in 2020 to $769 million in 2021. Based on the average sales calculated above, at an average of a 15% profit margin, it will take approximately 7.3 years to recoup your investment, which is longer than most franchise opportunities.

Full Answer

Can you make money with a Subway franchise?

Well, becoming a Subway owner can bring the exact opposite. If you are planning to own a single-unit of a Subway franchise, unless you spend your time running the business, you will make very little money out of it. So you will need to be involved, and that means actively managing a business operation that is open 7 days a week, for long hours…not very appealing…

What is the average income of a Subway franchise?

There was a survey of several hundred owners performed by a Subway owners association that showed the average store profit is in the $28,000 per year range. Any loans taken to purchase the store (ave. store cost to build is in the $200K range) needs to be subtracted from this number.

How much money does Subway franchise make?

They generate an annual average of $422,000 sales per franchise unit. Statistically speaking, most franchises make only an average of 7.5% of their annual sales, which comes around to $31,000 profit. Is it worth it to buy a Subway franchise?

How much cash to open a Subway franchise?

  • Initial Franchise Fee – $15,000
  • Real Property – $2,000 to $12,000
  • Leasehold Improvements – $29,900 to $77,000
  • Equipment Lease Security Deposit – $4,500 to $7,500
  • Optional Security System – $2,450 to $3,550
  • Freight Charges – $3,000 to $4,000
  • Outside Signage – $1,600 to $8,000
  • Opening Inventory – $4,400 to $6,050
  • Insurance – $1,200 to $5,000

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How much does a Subway franchise owner make?

Average Sales / Revenue per Year They generate an annual average of $422,000 sales per franchise unit. Statistically speaking, most franchises make only an average of 7.5% of their annual sales, which comes around to $31,000 profit.

How much does an average Subway owner make a year?

Subway Salary FAQs The average salary for an Owner is $123,177 per year in United States, which is 35% higher than the average Subway salary of $90,583 per year for this job.

Is Subway a successful franchise?

Subway is one of the most ubiquitous and successful global fast-food chains. Those looking to franchise a Subway store can expect to shell out around $200,000 in startup costs plus a $15,000 initial licensing fee. Subway's franchise fees tend to be lower compared to its competitors.

What is the most profitable franchise?

Top 14 Most Profitable FranchisesMcDonald's. Units in operation: 39,360. ... Dunkin Donuts. Units in operation: 12,800. ... Taco Bell. Units in operation 12,800. ... Subway Franchise. Offers Financing: Yes. ... Anytime Fitness Franchise. Units in operation: 4,904. ... Sonic. Royalty: 2.5% - 5.0% ... Planet Fitness. Royalty 7.0% ... Orangetheory Fitness.More items...

What is the most profitable franchise to own in 2022?

Most Profitable FranchisesDunkin'7-Eleven.Planet Fitness.JAN-PRO.Taco Bell.Orangetheory Fitness.Great Clips.Mac Tools.More items...•

How do franchise owners get paid?

How do franchise owners get paid? Franchise owners can pay themselves a salary or depending on their business entity, they may be able to take a draw from their accumulated equity.

Can you make money owning a Subway?

In 2021, Subway saw a 21.3% increase in revenue, growing from $634 million in 2020 to $769 million in 2021. Based on the average sales calculated above, at an average of a 15% profit margin, it will take approximately 7.3 years to recoup your investment, which is longer than most franchise opportunities.

How much does a Subway earn?

The average Subway salary ranges from approximately £12,159 per year for Sandwich Maker to £32,151 per year for Area Manager.

What is subways franchise fee?

$10,000 - $15,000How much is the franchisee fee? The initial franchise fee ranges from $10,000 - $15,000* (US dollars) depending on your country.

Which franchise is the cheapest to own?

12 best low-cost franchises for aspiring business ownersCruise Planners. Franchise fee: $10,995. ... Fit4Mom. Franchise fee: $5,495 to $10,495. ... Chem-Dry. Franchise fee: $23,500. ... Jazzercise. Franchise fee: $1,250. ... Stratus Building Solutions. ... SuperGlass Windshield Repair. ... Mosquito Squad. ... Pillar to Post Home Inspectors.More items...•

Is buying a franchise a good investment?

If you're a fledgling entrepreneur or a seasoned business person wanting to diversify your holdings, you've probably wondered, “Are franchises a good investment?” The simple answer is yes, especially if a great opportunity presents itself. There is an obvious appeal to starting a business via buying a franchise.

Which franchise is best in 2022?

Franchises provide a strong corporate and management framework, plus marketing, merchandising and production support....Bluevine Business CheckingDunkin' ... Anytime Fitness. ... Planet Fitness. ... Orangetheory Fitness. ... Primrose Schools. ... Kiddie Academy. ... Kumon Math and Reading Centers. ... Ace Hardware.More items...•

Who is the CEO of Subway?

John Chidsey (Nov 2019–)Subway / CEOJohn Walker Chidsey is an American businessman and attorney who has served as CEO of Subway since November 2019. He was formerly the executive chairman and CEO of Burger King Corporation. He is a director and member of the audit committee for HealthSouth Corporation. Wikipedia

How much is the founder of Subway worth?

Not merely famous for his net worth, he is best known as the founder of Subway, one of the most successful fast food franchises on the entire planet....Fred DeLuca Net Worth.Net Worth:$2.8 BillionProfession:Entrepreneur, BusinesspersonNationality:United States of America2 more rows

How much does a Subway owner make in Canada?

The average salary for a Franchise Owner is $38,733 per year in Canada, which is 33% lower than the average Subway salary of $58,368 per year for this job.

How much does it cost to open a Subway in Canada?

What Does a Subway Franchise Cost? To buy a franchise with Subway, you'll need to have at least $40,000 in liquid capital and a minimum net worth of $80,000. Franchisees can expect to make a total investment of $150,050 - $328,700.

Why is subway franchise bad?

They didn’t have territory protection. So that’s why you see sometimes where you have one franchisee or one Subway franchise, located on one corner and then down the block, you have another Subway franchise. This is a big issue for franchisees because this leads to sales cannibalization. Where one store negatively impacts the sales of another store. And this decreases the sales for both stores.

What is the difficulty of a subway operator?

Another difficulty in the Subway operator or Subway franchisee is there’s high employee turnover. Like many food services, and businesses, there’s a lot of employee turnover. They work for a short amount of time and then they leave. And so as an owner or an operator, you need to keep finding people, constantly finding people, and train them.

Is subway a bad investment?

Our opinion is quite definitively that it is a bad investment decision, a bad franchise to invest in the U.S. at this time. And there’s a number of reasons for this. A brief summary is that Subway was founded in 1965 in Bridgeport, Connecticut by Fred DeLuca and Peter Buck. Since then, Subway has become one of the largest franchises in the world, in terms of the number of units with over 44,000 units worldwide.

Can foreigners own subways?

And one of the biggest issues for someone looking to do a Subway franchise investment is if you’re a foreign national looking and doing E-2, L-1, or EB-5 investor visa. Subway does not allow foreign nationals as franchisees in the U.S. The person needs to be a green card holder or be an American citizen. Which means it’s not even an option for someone looking to do an investor visa like the E-2,L-1, or EB-5. I hope you found this insightful. Again my name is Jack Findaro. I’m the finance director at Visa franchise. And if you’d like to learn more, please visit our website www.visafranchise.com. Thank you.

How much do subway franchises have to contribute to the total sales of the franchise?

Subway franchisees are required to contribute 12.5% in gross total sales each week to cover the costs of royalties (8.5%) and advertising (4.5%).

How much does it cost to franchise a subway?

Subway is one of the cheapest restaurant franchises to enter. Total initial investment can run between $150,000 and $328,000 for a traditional location (and $89,550 to $209,400 for a non-traditional location), assuming you lease your equipment from Subway, according to the Franchise Disclosure Document. As a comparison, McDonald's charges a franchise fee of $45,000 and startup expenses can cost up to $2.2 million, according to the McDonald’s Franchise Disclosure Document. A Subway restaurant, on average, generates $422,000 in sales annually, compared to $2.6 million in average annual revenue for McDonald's restaurants, according to QSR magazine.

How Do You Become a Subway Franchisee?

There are no company-owned Subway franchises. Like the original owners, you don’t have to be a sandwich artist or have owned a restaurant to become a Subway franchisee. There are financial requirements, which include having liquid assets between $30,000 to $90,000 and a net worth between $80,000-$310,000. You must, however, participate in a two-week long training course that teaches business concepts, methods of operation, and basic management skills. The training time is spent in a classroom and on-site at a local Subway franchise for a "hands-on" experience. At the end of the two weeks, each potential franchisee must pass an exam to become a Subway franchisee.

What Are Some Other Sandwich Franchise Alternatives?

If you are interested in owning a quick service franchise, but don’t believe that a Subway franchise is right for you, fortunately there are many other options available. The quick service food franchises listed below are all award-winning brands that have been rated highly in FBR franchisee satisfaction surveys.

How many checkers and rally restaurants are there?

With more than 900 restaurants in 29 states and Washington, D.C., the 30-year-old Checkers & Rally’s brand stands out thanks to its black, white and red checkered design. Milkshakes, burgers, chicken wings, and seasoned fries make up the menu, and customers can choose between eat-in, drive-through, and delivery options. Buildings could include stand-alone restaurants, converted spaces, or non-traditional locations, giving franchisees leeway to lower their real estate investments, according to the Checkers & Rally’s website. A recent Franchise Business Review survey shows it ranked among one of the best opportunities for franchising by its franchisees, citing it as “very good” for training and support, financial opportunity and general satisfaction.

What do you need to sell on a subway?

As a Subway franchisee, you are required to sell six-inch and foot-long specialty sandwiches, salads, wraps and other food items. You must also offer a breakfast menu that offers egg sandwiches, bacon, sausage, muffins, coffee and juice if you operate your franchise in the United States, according to Subway’s Franchise Disclosure Document.

How much is subway worth?

It’s brand value is in the millions worldwide: $18,766 according to Statista.

Why are subway franchisees unhappy?

Unhappy franchisees: Just google it and you will find a lot of information about franchisees who are struggling and extremely unhappy with their Subway franchise! The reasons are very diverse, from the low margins mentioned before in this article, to the aggressive expansion of the system (creating competition among franchisees), questionable marketing tactics that squeeze owner profits, and so on.

Why do people want to become a subway owner?

Undesirable Lifestyle: many of the people we talk to want to become a business owner in order to achieve a better lifestyle, have more personal time, and ability to dedicate more to their families. Well, becoming a Subway owner can bring the exact opposite. If you are planning to own a single-unit of a Subway franchise, unless you spend your time running the business, you will make very little money out of it. So you will need to be involved, and that means actively managing a business operation that is open 7 days a week, for long hours…not very appealing…

What is the highest royalties in the food industry?

One of the highest royalties charged in the food industry: Subway charges 8% royalty fees of their franchisees!! That’s one of the highest royalties charged in the food franchise industry! McDonald’s for example, charges 4%, and most other food franchises will range between 4 and 6%. When you take into account that 8% is being charged out ...

How much is subway marketing fee?

Super high marketing fee: Subway charges, in addition to 8% royalty fee, a 4.5% marketing fee. That again is charged on top of your gross revenue. So you are leaving 12.5% to Subway off the bat, and that’s not yet even discounting all the other costs you will incur (cost of goods, rent costs, employees, licenses, taxes, and more).

How much is the average gross revenue per store in 2016?

The system is showing signs of decline – per unit sales are declining: In 2016, the average gross revenue per store was U$422.5K. As compared to 4 years before, average sales per unit were U$482,000. That’s a decline of U$60,000 per store. It has been reported, in 2017, that location traffic has fallen over 25% during the past 5 years. For an inexperienced business investor, looking at the gross revenues number, it may still sound appealing, but first, you don’t want to invest in a system with declining revenues (as this is a bad sign), but also, when you consider all your costs (super high fees, rent, employment costs, cost of goods, taxes, etc), and on top of that the fact the product cost is super cheap, with very low gross margins, how much really is left for the owner…hum…no wonder why so many stores have been closing, huh!?

How many subways are there in the US?

Subway was founded in 1965 by Fred de Luca and the concept was franchised in 1974. Currently they have 25,835 locations in the US, plus 18,317 locations in 98 countries! Yes, this has been a very successful business for Fred de Luca, even though as you will see in this article, the system is showing very concerning signs of an incoming crash (for example, over the past 2 years, hundreds of stores closed each year). Even though the corporation has been successful, that doesn’t mean that for you, the aspiring franchisee, this would be a great business as well.

Is subway keeping up with new demands?

Consumer habits are changing, and Subway is not keeping up to new demands: this applies to all the mature fast-food concepts out there. The new generation of consumers are much more informed on the true nutritional value of products, and are coming with many new food habits and demands. More and more you see people looking for healthier food choices, with fresh and organic ingredients, and demands such as Vegan menu, gluten free, lactose free, etc. All restaurants with a healthy appeal, or farm-to-table concepts, tend to be always packed and very successful. Keep in mind that when you sign up for a franchise, you sign an agreement of 5 or 10 years term, and you should think about what should happen to consumer habits and market trends over this time frame and how this could impact your business. When it comes to businesses such as Subway, McDonald’s or Pizza Hut, this is an area of concern!

Background

Subway is the world's largest submarine sandwich chain. The company has more than 40,000 locations globally. Its becoming ta leading choice for people seeking quick, nutritious meal options that the whole family can enjoy. From the beginning, Fred DeLuca has had a clear vision for the future of the Subway brand.

Support and Training Offered By Subway

On-The-Job Training 20 hours Classroom Training 80 hours Additional Training Training available in Australia, China, Germany, India, Montreal, Canada & Miami Subway also offers in-house and third-party finance options

2022 Franchise Requirements Needed to Own a Subway Franchise

Veteran Incentives: A veteran's franchise fee waived if opening on a military or government funded location. Additionally, they'll receive 50% off the franchise fee if opening a non government location with government financing

Franchises Similar to Subway

The International Franchise Professionals Group (IFPG) is an internationally recognized membership-based franchise organization. IFPG Franchise Consultants guide aspiring business owners through the process of identifying and investing in franchise businesses. The IFPG represents more than 550 franchises.

Is it better to buy a house in a down market or a down market?

It is important to note that property values can fluctuate significantly. It is generally better to buy in a down market, when properties are currently cheaper but will rise in value later. That said, this 16% loss is only on paper. If you intend to hold the property for several more years, the property value matters less in the short-term. You still netted $44,000 that year ignoring property depreciation. A return of 44%.

Is unsophisticated investing beating the stock market?

As I wrap up this write-up, I want to touch back on a specific phrase I used near the beginning. I said unsophisticated investors are beating the stock market. It's true. The thing is, a lot of amateur real estate investors do not understand the concept of financial leverage. Fortunately, real estate investing is not rocket science.

Should the minimum wage be raised?

Minimum wage should definitely rise but it should be tiered. 16–18, 18–21 and over 21. Kids don't need a living wage Adults do. over 25 might make more sense that 21.

What does it mean when a subway has thousands of locations?

It means they have thousands of locations -and that means that you will very likely have a competing Subway store very close to your own. Then I ask if they have previous food service experience. Most don't.

How much does it cost to open a subway?

Your total investment to open a new Subway franchise will range between $150,000 to $328,700. Be prepared for a $200,000 plus investment on average. Your payments to Subway will include 8% of your total gross sales as well as 4.5% of your gross sales that will be allocated to advertising. There are other fees including your local rent/license fee, equipment leases, software maintenance call us for specific details.

What is franchise city?

Franchise city helps aspiring investors find profitable franchises. We'll tell you the good and the bad and work with you to identify and research option best suited to your operational preferences, business goals, market demand, exit strategy and other criteria. We work with several food franchises that can compare against Subway. There is no charge for our service, just like your real estate agent, and your franchise will never cost you more by using a broker. Learn more by clicking the link above.

How many subway stores were closed in 2016?

2. Store Closures and Corporate Decline. Subway had about 357 store closures in 2016, the first time ever. 864 stores closed in 2017. For the past 6 years we have been cautioning Subway investors on what appeared to be a potentially over saturated and overheated market. Despite all the red flags people are still lining up to buy this big name. It is an interesting phenomenon

Is there a massive influx of investors who throw money at a supposedly "incredible opportunity"?

and you see this type of behavior in real estate speculation, cryptocurrency, as well as in stock market investing. Right before the decline, at the height of public popularity, there is a massive influx of investors who throw money at a supposedly "incredible opportunity". But the opportunity only looks incredible because everyone else is doing it. And you can't blame investors as they see franchises everywhere and assume that equates to success - when all it really means is intense competition.

Is subway legal?

Needless to say Subway has a very active legal department. Of course there are Subway franchise owners who are successful. Most of those are pioneers who invested long ago. Often those who choose to join early with emerging brands will have the most success.

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