Lenny's featured in NRN

Lenny's was recently features in Nation's Restaurant News in an article titled "Restaurants counter payroll tax hikes with service boosts". In the article, Brent provided expert analysis about how people will see a difference in disposable income in 2013, but that would not create a marketing opportunity for coupons or deep discounts, since people will just seek more value when visiting  restaurants. Brent provided great comments about how the payroll tax component of the deal won’t change company strategy or dynamics.

Click HERE for the entire article or begin reading below.

Restaurants counter payroll tax hike with service boosts

By: Mark Brandau

Operators feel pressure to inspire loyalty as "fiscal cliff" payroll tax increase threatens consumer spending

Lost in the headlines that last week’s legislative resolution to the “fiscal cliff” would permanently freeze income tax rates for households earning less than $450,000 is the fact that a two-year-old payroll tax holiday expired, which operators worry could mean less spending at restaurants.

Yet while many restaurants roll out cyclical promotions related to value, operators said the response to the 2-percent increase in the payroll tax in 2013 should not be a price-focused marketing blitz but renewed efforts to inspire loyalty through customer service.

Lenny's Sub Shop featured in Nation's Restaurant News

Lenny's Sub Shop was featured in an article in Nation’s Restaurant News titled, “Growth Concepts: Restaurant executives share franchising, growth strategies,” that ran on Friday, March 2, 2012. In the article, Lenny's President Brent Alvord talked about the reason for the brand’s growth optimism is based the cash referral program offered, and with Boefly introducing franchisees to new lending banks. He also spoke about the quality return for an investor in the Lenny’s system, and even included the number of locations openings this year with projected growth number in the next few years. Click here to view the full article, or begin reading the Lenny's excerpt below.

Growth concepts: Restaurant executives share franchising, growth strategies
by Mark Brandau

Brent Alvord, president, Lenny’s Sub Shop
System size: 150 units
Growth targets: 10 openings this year, 20 next year, 30 to 40 every year following
Source for optimism: Internal referral program, franchise lending brokers

We extended a $10,000 cash reward to anybody who referred a franchisee who opens a store this year. We offered it to our internal people, our Facebook fans and all 120,000 members of our rewards card program. The biggest source of good leads typically is our customers in our restaurants, because they’re avid fans who love our food and talk to us when they’re thinking about buying a business.

(Read More)

Lenny's grabs guests with 3-D TV giveaway

Lenny’s was just featured in Nation’s Restaurant News in an article called “Lenny’s grabs guests with 3-D TV Giveaway.” The article goes in depth into Lenny’s latest Scratch N’ Win promotion and discusses how this has been a successful way to engage its guests with the brand. In addition to that Lenny’s saw a 5 and 6 percent sales increase during the promotion period with an 11 percent sales hike one week. Lenny’s is also reaching out to its guests through Facebook promotions, the new Substantial Rewards loyalty program and testing out mobile-phone apps too. Check out a portion of the story below or read the full article here.

Lenny's grabs guests with 3-D TV giveaway

When Lenny’s Sub Shop officials reprised last year’s Scratch & Win promotion this fall, they decided a contest prize consisting of a 3-D home entertainment center was the best way to reach out and grab customers’ attention.

“With technology evolving, 3-D TVs are the thing people want to have but won’t go out to get till prices drop,” said Brent Alvord, president of the 170-unit Memphis, Tenn.-based Lenny’s.

The home entertainment center, which replaced a $100,000 cash prize offered in 2009’s Scratch & Win contest, was one of several major tweaks that made the promotion a “fantastic success” its second year, Alvord said. (Read More)