In comparison, Subway franchises are much more affordable to the average small business owners in the United States. Their licensing fee is at $15,000, much cheaper than other popular food brands like McDonald’s. The total cost of opening a Subway is estimated at $150,000 to $300,000.
Full Answer
How much does it cost to own a Subway franchise?
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. When purchasing your first Subway franchise, the initial non-refundable franchise fee is $15,000.
Why are Subway franchisees losing money?
These numbers have to do with the fact that more Subways are opening but are not earning as much thanks to the increased competition. While Subway is much more accessible to franchise than other fast food restaurants, it eats up a much larger portion of their franchisees’ gross sales.
Is subway a good business?
Subway sandwiches and the Subway business are both well-known, which helps Subway be a leading revenue producer in the fast food sandwich industry. As of the latest available figures from 2021, Subway had its strongest sales in that year since 2013. 7 How Many Subway Locations Are There?
Is Subway more expensive to own than McDonalds?
While Subway is much more accessible to franchise than other fast food restaurants, it eats up a much larger portion of their franchisees’ gross sales. Subway’s royalty fees are at 8%, which is twice of what McDonald’s charges its franchisees at 4%.
See more
Is owning a Subway franchise profitable?
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 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.
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...•
Do franchise owners set salary?
In some cases, to maintain uniformity or to take advantage of bulk purchasing, a franchisor may recommend its franchisees pay their employees using a particular vetted and approved payroll software. In other situations, franchise owners may have complete freedom to choose whatever payroll method they see fit.
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 did the subway franchise make in 2012?
In 2012, prior to Subway’s decline, the average Subway franchise generated $482,000 in revenue. By 2016, that had dropped to $422,500. These numbers have to do with the fact that more Subways are opening but are not earning as much thanks to the increased competition.
How much does it cost to license a subway franchise?
In comparison, Subway franchises are much more affordable to the average small business owners in the United States. Their licensing fee is at $15,000, much cheaper than other popular food brands like McDonald’s.
How much does subway royalty cost?
Subway’s royalty fees are at 8%, which is twice of what McDonald’s charges its franchisees at 4%. It’s a small number, but for small business owners it can mean significant thousands of dollars that could be the difference between profitability and loss.
How many subways are there in 2020?
As of 2020, there are over 41,500 Subways worldwide, all of them independently owned.
Why is the subway so fast growing?
Arguably, the reason for Subway’s fast growth and appeal to potential franchise owners is its low-cost high-return model.
How much does it cost to open a subway?
The total cost of opening a Subway is estimated at $150,000 to $300,000. In terms of franchising, that’s the cost of a less popular restaurant franchise. Yet, Subway’s popularity rivals the big names of the fast-food industry yet keeps its franchising costs low.
What is the subway's open kitchen?
Unlike other fast food restaurants like McDonald’s, you can see the fresh ingredients put into your sandwich and see to it that the Subway staff are making it according to your directions . This has allowed Subway to gain the “healthy” fast food advantage in an industry where health is a hard-to-reach advantage.
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!
How much does it cost to open a subway?
Initial costs for a store site include its real estate and construction expenses. For a Subway business, it is estimated the total cost for the initial restaurant site ranges from $150,050 to $342,400, much lower than other competing fast food franchises.
Why do entrepreneurs want to own a franchise?
With franchise ownership, franchisee entrepreneurs gain the benefit of licensing an established business's procedures and processes from the franchisor. These licensing benefits give the business owner numerous advantages, including an association with an established business and the benefits of an already established branding strategy.
How much does it cost to franchise a McDonald's?
An initial startup licensing fee of $15,000 is required to begin the business, compared with a $40,000 to $90,000 licensing fee for Dunkin' ( DNKN) or the $45,000 fee that Mcdonald's ( MCD) charges. Annually, royalty fees are also required. Subway royalty fees are 8% of annual gross sales, which are higher than the 5% and 4% that Dunkin' and Mcdonald's charge, respectively. Additionally, the franchisee is required to pay an ad fund fee that is 4.5% of total gross sales.
What are the benefits of franchise?
One of the greatest benefits of a franchised business is the ability to gain use of the company’s operational procedures, trademark rights, and branding. With these licensed business advantages, franchisees can primarily rely on the established marketing of the franchised business for its sales.
Is subway the largest fast food company?
In fact, Subway is the largest fast food company in the world in terms of store count. It is one of the most popular businesses to franchise and is also known to have among the lowest franchising costs. For 2020, it is ranked #107 on Entrepreneur Magazine's " Franchise 500 Ranking .".
Is subway a licensor?
These licensing benefits give the business owner numerous advantages, including an association with an established business and the benefits of an already established branding strategy. In the fast food industry, Subway is an extremely well-established licensor of its sandwich stores. In fact, Subway is the largest fast food company in ...
Is subway a privately owned company?
Subway has a long history in the fast food business. It is a privately owned company that opened its first restaurant in Connecticut by founder Fred DeLuca in 1965 under the name "Peter's Super Submarines.". Its deep roots have allowed the company to build a strong strategic brand around its sandwiches and ...
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.
How does the subway business impact the franchisee?
However, there are a number of other factors that negatively impact the business case of a Subway franchise owner. High employee turnover and long store operating hours require the typical franchise owner to be very active and spend many hours working in the business. Additionally, the relatively high royalties and advertising fund that Subway charges its franchisees, at roughly 8% and 5%, respectively, further deteriorates the business case for its franchisees by making it much harder to earn a high profit. With not enough profit to support a full-time manager, many Subway franchisees are forced to spend long hours working within their Subway unit. This has caused many franchisees to refer to a Subway franchise investment as “the best way to own your own minimum wage job.” Clearly, the multitude of issues that a typical Subway franchise owner faces should make any potential franchisee think twice before considering investing in a Subway franchise of their own.
How much does it cost to own a subway?
While the total investment cost for a new Subway franchise unit can be anywhere from $115,000 to $260,000 depending on the size and location of the unit, the investment can actually be significantly higher. The primary reason for this is the very common need for a Subway franchisee to own multiple Subway units in order to generate enough income to support the cost of a full-time manager. Otherwise, a single unit operator might need to work 70+ hour weeks within their restaurant in order to generate any sort of substantial profit. Owning multiple units greatly increases the investment cost to hundreds of thousands of dollars. If a Subway franchisee needs to own multiple Subway units in order to generate enough profit to support themselves not needing to work all the time in their Subway restaurant, then it negates the whole purpose of investing in a franchise business in the first place.
Why is the subway oversaturated?
Subway’s oversaturation due to its deeply flawed development model has led to many issues for its franchisees. As an established franchise, the fact that Subway continued to grow with such a large amount of units over the years might have functioned as a strong indicator to potential franchisee investors that Subway was a “good” or “relatively safe” franchise investment. However, this is no longer the case. Subway has developed too many units in the vast majority of markets in the U.S. It is well known within the industry that the biggest competitor to a Subway franchisee is another Subway franchisee located nearby. The term for this is “sales cannibalization,” and it occurs when the sales of one unit or product decrease the sales of another unit or product. Due to the shear amount of Subway units, Subway franchisees end up competing with each other in a zero-sum game where unit economics deteriorate to the point that almost all of the units in a given area are no longer economically viable. This has led to many owners putting up their units for sale as well as, what we strongly suspect, many more owners that would sell their unit given the chance and the right price.
Why is the subway failing?
One can say that the issues plaguing Subway are a result of the success it has had in expanding to become the fast food franchise with the most units in the U.S. Changes in taste , oversaturation of the market , a flawed development model, inability to innovate, and a grueling business model with high employee turnover are all primary reasons for why Subway has begun to fail as a franchise system. Recent mass closures and the multitude of existing Subway units currently for sale are evidence of these systematic issues that Subway faces.
What is a visa franchise?
Visa Franchise is the trusted advisor of clients from all over the world when it comes to helping them find the business opportunity that best meets their investment and immigration goals. Visa Franchise takes into consideration their capability, experience, and size of investment to ensure that they choose the best possible option for their unique, individual situation. Visa Franchise is based in Miami, Florida with offices in Orlando, Florida and São Paulo, Brazil.
Does Visa Franchise make financial representations?
Note: Visa Franchise does not make any financial performance representations other than provided by franchisors
Is subway food healthy?
The tastes and desires of consumers change over time. In the 1990’s and early 2000’s, Subway gained prominence as a “healthy” fast food option. Customers would go to Subway in order to have a fast, lower calorie meal that would complement their busy lives. Subway’s “Eat Fresh” motto really connected with consumers that were looking for a fresher fast food option. However, as time has passed what society considers “healthy” food has changed from just low calorie and fresh meals to higher quality ingredients. Many consumers are now making much more conscious decisions in relation to their dietary habits. These consumers require transparency in the ingredients of their food and actively seek out brands such as Chipotle that offer transparency and higher quality of ingredients, even if the price point is a little higher than what they would pay at Subway. As a franchise brand with over 26,000 units worldwide, Subway is structurally unable to change what their franchisees offer in order to meet the new tastes of the market. This has left Subway with a product that appeals to a lesser number of consumers, which has led to decreased sales for many Subway franchisees.
