Lenny's was recently featured in the Commercial Appeal!

Memphis sandwich-maker Lenny's is saturating local market
By Toby Sells

When a new Lenny's Sub Shop opens at Main and Peabody Monday, the Memphis sandwich-maker will have nearly saturated its hometown market.

The new store at 153 Main will open in the spot formerly occupied by Blues City Pastry. The high-traffic corner is the end of the Main Street Mall, sits right on the trolley line and is a gateway to the South Main and Beale Street entertainment corridors.

The new Lenny's is opening less than a mile from a current Downtown location at 22 N. Front.

"It's right in the heart of Downtown and is an extremely high-traffic area," said franchise co-owner Lawson Fisher. "The timing was right, and it's just a great location." (Read More)

Franchisee Spotlight: Tripp Williams and Lawson Fisher

Each week, Lenny's will highlight a franchisee. This week, Tripp Williams and Lawson Fisher are our spotlight franchisees.

Franchisees Since: January 1, 2008
Franchise Locations: Memphis, TN; Millington, TN; Little Rock, AR

How Lawson and Tripp Got Started With Lenny’s Sub Shop…

The idea to become Lenny’s franchisees was on a completely random day for Lawson and Tripp. These best friends since sixth grade were casually dining at a local Memphis restaurant when they starting talking about their desire to become entrepreneurs. At the time, Tripp worked at Fed Ex and Lawson, at a company that sold telephone systems. Both were stable in their jobs and satisfied, but had a passion to run their own business.

Lawson and Tripp had many experiences with Lenny’s growing up in Memphis as Lenny’s was founded in Memphis and a local Memphis favorite. The two friends immediately thought about franchising Lenny’s in Memphis as a result of their nostalgia for the brand.

Lawson and Tripp engaged in conversations with the executive team at Lenny’s in September 2008 and four short months after beginning the discussions, Lawson and Tripp were operating their first four stores: two in Memphis, one in Millington and another in Little Rock, AR.

Now, about two years later, the best friend franchisee team is opening their fifth location in a coveted downtown Memphis location in one of Memphis’ most historic buildings where the original hardwood floors are still intact and customers can enjoy outdoor seating overlooking Memphis’ downtown.

What Intrigued Lawson and Tripp about Lenny’s…

Lawson and Tripp whole heartedly believe in the product, the food. All the meats and cheeses are freshly sliced and each sub is made to order. It’s also in the way that the product is delivered to the guests that excited Lawson and Tripp. Lenny’s delivers a unique experience to each guest called the “Lenny’s experience,” in which every guest is greeted, their hot food is delivered to their table, and Lenny’s team members clean up afterwards.

Something Interesting About Lawson and Tripp’s Story…

Lawson and Tripp have been best friends since 6th grade. Both attended the University of Memphis and are young entrepreneurs at 33 and 32 respectively. Lawson is married to his wife, Christi with a baby on the way. Tripp is engaged to his fiancé, Cris.

Lenny's Opens New Location in Downtown Memphis!

Total Market Saturation: Lenny’s Sub Shop Brings Mouth-Watering, Mile-High Stuffed Subs to Unique Downtown Memphis Location
Equipped with a Fanatical Following and Plentiful Portions, Sub Shop Franchise Plots 24th Location in Memphis

Memphis, Tennessee – Armed with a fanatical following full of folks often expressing their deep admiration of Lenny’s Sub Shops with three powerful words, “I Love Lenny’s”, the now 157-unit sandwich specialists, is opening a new Memphis location. In a coveted downtown spot in one of the city’s most historic buildings, Lenny’s is continuing to dominate the sandwich sector in Memphis, and the new location brings Lenny’s to a total of 24 Memphis locations, 30 throughout the Mid South, which marks complete market penetration for Lenny’s in the Mid South region.

The prime location downtown will open April 19 at 153 South Main St. To keep the historic appeal of the building intact, the new location boasts the original hardwood floors and provides this Lenny’s location with a new look and feel. In addition, it will offer outside seating overlooking downtown.

Opening their fifth Lenny’s location at only 33 and 32 years old respectively, Lawson Fisher and Tripp Williams, are Memphis natives who grew up in Memphis and attended the University of Memphis. Their desire to develop multiple Lenny’s locations came from their nostalgia of the locally-based brand, and their vision of being successful business owners. Fortunately for the two young entrepreneurs, the Lenny’s system has set up a solid foundation for success.

“The fanatical fans, the customer experience and the quality of the food are the reasons for our decision to continue expanding Lenny’s in Memphis,” said Lawson Fisher, who, along with his business partner and best friend, Tripp Williams, own five locations in the metro Memphis area and Little Rock, AR markets.

Part of the brand’s allure is its commitment to its fans. Not all sandwich shops are created equal, unfortunately for the competition, Lenny’s has proven that. That's why hungry people across the nation are talking about the quick-casual restaurant serving fresh meats on generously-portioned subs for over a decade (the Authentic Philly Cheesesteak 15-incher weighs about a pound). Unlike those serving processed meats, Lenny's high-quality steak is from Philadelphia and is trucked twice per week to its locations across the country.

“Our fans have given us every reason to keep growing in Memphis,” said Fisher. “Tripp and I have plans to keep developing Lenny’s. We’d like 10-15 stores total.”

Lenny's stands a step above the competition by offering dining services that other quick-casual restaurants don't. For instance, when you place your order at the deli case, you can watch while the Lenny's crew member slices the meat and cheese fresh to order. Employees are frequently seen in the dining area asking if you're enjoying your food or if you need a drink refill. The average combo meal including chips and a drink costs about $8.70, and refills are free. Don't look for a garbage can on the way out; a Lenny's staff member will clean off the table for you.

“Exceptional service has always been a staple to our guest experience. I think Social Media has widened that scope of demand even deeper. Positive word of mouth now spreads electronically throughout our Social Media footprint, and it is vital for us to maintain that positive buzz,” Brent Alvord said. “Our commitment, across every part of the restaurant, can be seen in the way our fans rave about our brand.”