Lenny’s Heats Things Up: Introducing the Hot Italian Sub

National Sub Shop Franchise Rolls Out a Brand New Sandwich on November 1st

“I Love Lenny’s.” These three simple yet powerful words sum up the devotion of Lenny’s Sub Shop’s fanatical following, and explain why this 150-plus unit sub franchise has worked so diligently to prepare for evolutionary expansion in 2011. Lenny’s has made another addition to their menu proving innovation is what intrigues and keeps guests coming back.

What’s so exciting about a new sandwich? Well, Lenny’s new Hot Italian Sub, which hits counters nationwide on November 1st, is only the second new release ever since the creation of Lenny’s original menu back in 1998.

The Hot Italian Sub is a combination of four premium Italian meats, provolone cheese, onions and green peppers grilled to perfection and topped off with oregano, pepper, oil and vinegar. It is similar to the cold Italian Sub already on the menu, and many of Lenny’s loyal fans have mentioned the potential deliciousness of heating up this already very popular sub.



“Lenny’s has always thrived by sticking with what works and finding success in consistency,” said George Alvord, Lenny’s CEO. “But our main interest is guest satisfaction, and upon listening carefully to the feedback of both our guests and our franchisees, we’ve decided to take a leap of faith. And I think we’ll find the results to be pretty delicious.”

The first addition to Lenny’s original 1998 menu came last year, with the French Dip, a hot roast beef sub with au jus dipping sauce. The hugely positive guest response let Lenny’s know loud and clear that their loyal fans would not be scared away by a few positive changes, as long as their old favorites stuck around as well.

Even though they’ve upgraded the business, "people appreciate that our favorite items haven't changed since the beginning," said Alvord. "Our Authentic Philly Cheesesteak is still the most popular item, and our guests can still have the customized experience they love."

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 over 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.

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 Lenny's counter, you can watch while the Lenny's crew member slices your deli meat fresh to order. When you order one of Lenny’s authentic Philly Cheesesteaks it will be cooked fresh and served hot off the grill. 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 $8.50, 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.

“The key to Lenny’s expansion is just that—expansion,” Alvord said. “We are making additions without taking anything away. What could be better than that?”

Lenny's franchisee Bruce Longmore featured in Atlanta Business Chronicle

The Atlanta Business Chronicle recently published an article called “Dining outlook promising for Perimeter region.” This article discusses how Lenny’s franchise owner, Bruce Longmore, continues to succeed despite a down economy and what he’s doing to be a successful franchise owner. Longmore was Lenny’s Franchisee of the Year this year along with winning seven other awards at Lenny’s national convention. Longmore owns two Atlanta-area locations, in Alpharetta and Cumming, and hopes to open more locations in the future. Check out a portion of the article below or read the full story here:

Dining outlook promising for Perimeter region

Bruce Longmore won’t let people forget Lenny’s Sub Shop.

He hands out Lenny’s coupons at Walmart. His fully wrapped vehicle is a rolling Lenny’s advertisement. He even dons a Lenny’s hat while relaxing on his boat.

Along with his wife, Donna, the owners of two Lenny’s stores — in Cumming and Alpharetta, both acquired in 2008 — do what he calls “relentless promotion.” The above-and-beyond effort, in addition to a huge commitment to networking and community involvement, keeps the former sales executive on the go. (Read More)

Franchisee Profile: David Miller, Lenny's Franchisee of Austell, GA

Location: 4180 Austell Rd
Austell, GA 30106-8242
Store opened: April 2000, Miller took over corporate store in November 2003

View Larger Map

Q: Where are you originally from?
A: Hattiesburg, MS

Q: Before Franchising, what were you involved with?
A: I worked as an independent medical sales rep in Hattiesburg, MS before moving to Douglasville, GA (where I live now) about seven years ago.

Q: Are you a first time business owner?
A: Nope, I’ve been a business man all my life! The most notable is probably the protective products company I owned and operated with my brother. We made protective clothing for medical professionals.

Q: How did you learn about the brand?
A: I’d often visit my cousin in Greenville, MS, and one day he said, “Let me take you to this great little sub shop!” It was, of course, Lenny’s, and I had the Philly Cheesesteak there and thought, “Wow, this is great!” So we kept going back, and I got to know the Greenville manager and he told me Lenny’s was a franchise, so I went to Memphis, where Lenny’s home office is, and I went right upstairs and met Len Moore, the Lenny, founder of Lenny’s Sub Shop, and spent a few hours with him. Then I talked to my daughter, who was about to graduate from Southern Miss, and told her about it and she said “Oh yeah, I love Lenny’s!” and I learned then that there had been a Lenny’s in my own home town of Hattiesburg, MS all along, but I was working so much I didn’t even know about it! So with my daughter on board and my two younger sons, still in college, saying they were interested too, Len suggested that we take over a couple corporate stores in Atlanta, so we checked them out, liked them, and packed up and moved! We took over 2 stores—the Austell location and another in Morrow, GA, at Southlake Mall. My daughter and her husband ran the Southlake store and did a great job for years until Chick-Fil-A came in and got them to work there. So now my youngest son, Kevin, who majored in hotel management and hospitality, runs the Southlake store, and is doing a great job! I call him my “mini-me!” He really cares about the customers and the people and has been with me through all the economical ups and downs.

Q: How do you see the brand connecting with your local community?
A: We have a great relationship with the Cobb County police department. We help sponsor and feel the Explorers, a program they do for young people, getting them to stay away from things like drugs and gangs by building positive relationships with local law enforcement. We used to sponsor all the high schools, feed the football team, but that got very expensive so we had to cut back when the economy got rough.

Q: What are your future goals? Development plans?
A: We do plan on opening more stores someday, but we’re waiting on the economy. We had a turndown in 2007 and things stayed down in 2008 and 2009. We’ve had some improvement this year but I’m going to wait until things are a little steadier before opening up another store.

Lenny's featured in the Wall Street Journal

The Wall Street Journal recently featured Lenny’s Sub Shop franchisee Bruce Longmore. Longmore discusses with WSJ reporter Julie Bennett how strategies he picked up in corporate America have helped him achieve success as a franchise owner and operator. Longmore owns two Lenny’s locations. One in Cumming, GA and the other in Alpharetta, GA. He was recently recognized with seven awards for his achievements in 2009-2010 including Franchisee of the Year at Lenny’s national Summit. Check out the full article below!

Franchisee Profile: Lynn Hiller of the Two Overland Park Lenny's Locations

Today we are highlighting Lynn Hiller. Lynn is the Lenny's Sub Shop franchisee of the two Overland Park, Kansas locations.

Locations: 9343 W 87th Street, Overland Park, KS; 8327 W 135th Street, Overland Park, KS


View Lynn Hiller's Lenny's Locations in a larger map

How Lynn Hiller Got Started with Lenny’s…
Lynn and her family are from Memphis, Tennessee, where Lenny’s is based. She is a long time friend of Lenny’s President, Brent Alvord and has witnessed firsthand the potential of Lenny’s success when her brother, Louis, opened a Memphis location in 2001. Soon thereafter, Lynn and her husband were transferred to Overland Park, Kansas and realized there were no Lenny’s in the Kansas City area and Lynn decided to leave her job of eight years at State Farm Insurance to open her first Lenny’s location in 2006. With the vast success of her first location, she opened her second location in Overland Park three months later.

What Intrigued Lynn Hiller about Lenny’s…
With her personal connections to Lenny’s, the success of her brother Louis’ location and the success of the Lenny’s brand throughout Memphis, Lynn was confident that this could be replicated in the Kansas City metro area. She credits Lenny’s superior guest service and large portion sizes to Lenny’s success as well as catering to local businesses and schools in the Kansas City area.

Something Interesting About Lynn Hiller’s Story…
Lynn was the first to bring Lenny’s to the state of Kansas and her two locations are over 150 miles away from the next closest Lenny’s location in Springfield, MO.

Where Specifically Did Lynn Hiller Learn about Lenny’s?
Lynn was introduced to Lenny’s by Brent Alvord, Lenny’s President, and her brother Louis, franchisee of Lenny’s in Collierville, TN.

Franchisee Profile: Michael Timbes, Franchisee of the Fayetteville and Bentonville, AR Locations

Today we will be highlighting Michael Timbes, the franchisee of the Lenny's Sub Shops in Fayetteville and Bentonville, AR.

Locations: Fayetteville, AR; Bentonville, AR

How Michael Timbes Got Started With Lenny’s Sub Shop…
Michael, a 30-year veteran of the telecommunications industry, decided to escape the corporate culture and start his own business. To begin his search for his own business, Michael attended a franchising conference to get a better feel for his business options, as he knew he wanted to become involved in a franchise concept. After hearing the presentation on Lenny’s, Michael fell in love with the brand and knew that Lenny’s was a perfect fit for him. Michael began researching and found that none of the competing franchises were held to the same standards as Lenny’s Sub Shop in guest experience and freshness of food. Michael fell in love with the product; both the taste and portion size of the sandwiches and saw the success of Lenny’s in Memphis and knew that this success could be achieved in his home state of Arkansas. Soon thereafter, Michael opened his first location in Fayetteville, which was a huge success, just as he thought, and Michael is now opening his second location in Bentonville.

What Intrigued Michael Timbes about Lenny’s Sub Shop …
Michael was attracted to the superb guest experience including the personal relationships employees establish with customers by remembering their names and their specific orders. He also noted that all of Lenny’s Sub Shop locations are immaculate and held to high cleanliness standards.

Something Interesting About Michael Timbes Story …
Alongside operating his Lenny’s locations, Michael is also an Operations Manager for AT&T Wireless. To help him handle the work load, his youngest son, Kyle, and wife, Karen, are managers of his original Lenny’s location. His family-owned business will continue when he opens his second Lenny’s location in Bentonville, as he plans on making his son, Kyle, a general manager of the Bentonville location.

Where Specifically Did Michael Timbes Learn about Lenny’s Sub Shop?
A colleague of his informed him that there were franchising opportunities available for Lenny’s Sub Shop and sent him an invitation to a conference at the Hyatt Hotel in Memphis. Listening to Lenny’s Sub Shop’s presentation, Michael saw the potential for Lenny’s in Arkansas and immediately became attracted to Lenny’s Sub Shop.

With the vast success of his Fayetteville location, Michael is opening a second location in Bentonville.

Lenny's Sub Shop Featured in Biloxi Sun-Herald

Lenny's Sub Shop was recently featured in the Biloxi Sun-Herald entitled "Two Coast Lenny’s tops in customer satisfaction". The article focuses on the fact that both stores, located within a 20-mile radius of each other, placed in the top 5% of all Lenny’s Sub Shops nationwide for Guest Satisfaction. It also tells how the Ocean Springs restaurant was ranked No. 1 for speed of service and the Pascagoula restaurant was ranked first for overall atmosphere. To view the original article click here.

Two Coast Lenny’s tops in customer satisfaction

Lenny’s Sub Shop in Ocean Springs and in Pascagoula have been recognized for placing in the top 5 percent of all Lenny’s for guest satisfaction, according to the company.

Out of 170 Lenny’s Sub Shops nationwide, only seven placed in the top 5 percent.
Doug Wood is owner of the Ocean Springs restaurant and Steve Brady owns the Pascagoula store.

Also, the Ocean Springs restaurant was ranked No. 1 for speed of service and the Pascagoula restaurant was ranked first for overall atmosphere, according to the company.

(Read More)