Comments on: A Post from “Elizabeth” About Failure with a Quiznos Franchise http://everyfranchise.com/blog/2009/03/26/a-post-from-elizabeth-about-failure-with-a-quiznos-franchise/ Thoughts about Franchises and Business Opportunities Thu, 29 Mar 2012 23:11:59 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: Frank http://everyfranchise.com/blog/2009/03/26/a-post-from-elizabeth-about-failure-with-a-quiznos-franchise/#comment-713 Frank Fri, 15 Jul 2011 06:20:07 +0000 http://everyfranchise.com/blog/?p=12#comment-713 I have an "opportunity" to put a Quiznos sub store in a busy gas station my family owns.  We get about 1100 customers a day, so the foot traffic is already there.  I have done much research on the franchise and it seems like a stand alone store would be very difficult to cash flow.  Also, the 15 year contract seem like a big gamble on this franchise.  The c-store model with a five year contract seems to less of a risk and I am buying all the equipment needed for pennies on the dollar from a landlord that inherited it from  franchisee that just locked up and left.  I haven't seen the contracts yet.  I do not want to lock my self in a potential liability but on the other hand  a national brand and good food will give the project a better chance to succeed. What are you thoughts on proceeding. I have an “opportunity” to put a Quiznos sub store in a busy gas station my family owns.  We get about 1100 customers a day, so the foot traffic is already there.  I have done much research on the franchise and it seems like a stand alone store would be very difficult to cash flow.  Also, the 15 year contract seem like a big gamble on this franchise.  The c-store model with a five year contract seems to less of a risk and I am buying all the equipment needed for pennies on the dollar from a landlord that inherited it from  franchisee that just locked up and left.  I haven’t seen the contracts yet.  I do not want to lock my self in a potential liability but on the other hand  a national brand and good food will give the project a better chance to succeed. What are you thoughts on proceeding.

]]> By: larry booker http://everyfranchise.com/blog/2009/03/26/a-post-from-elizabeth-about-failure-with-a-quiznos-franchise/#comment-648 larry booker Mon, 03 Jan 2011 16:05:52 +0000 http://everyfranchise.com/blog/?p=12#comment-648 I too had the same story with 2 stores in 05 & 06. I had extensive and successful previous track record in the industry. I am looking to communicate with past Quiznos owners moving forward to a bright future. larrybooker@live.com I too had the same story with 2 stores in 05 & 06.
I had extensive and successful previous track record in the industry. I am looking to communicate with past Quiznos owners moving forward to a bright future.
larrybooker@live.com

]]> By: wreck http://everyfranchise.com/blog/2009/03/26/a-post-from-elizabeth-about-failure-with-a-quiznos-franchise/#comment-484 wreck Sun, 22 Aug 2010 02:19:26 +0000 http://everyfranchise.com/blog/?p=12#comment-484 This is a completely honest account of how life is for most Quiznos operators. A friend lost 1/4 Million (2007)--and was lucky to get out in some way; but at the end the lease forced him to file BK. What Quiznos had been doing (I don't know how it is exactly in 2010) is milking their good name to no end. People had heard of how great Quiznos was and had been going in head first for many years. Quiznos kept on collecting the $25K or so for franchise fees and crowding stores within blocks of each other. Some were fortunate and actually made a profit as they sold and got out. I tried to get a franchise with Subway at this time, not because I knew better, but because I had figured that a Subway was smaller and would require less money to start. At the time I had not heard of Quiznos as a Franchise opportunity, and when my friend told me he was doing it--I was in awe. I truly believed everything he had heard, and I wished that my credit and savings would allow me this privilage. Subway turned me down because there were NO STORES AVAILABLE ANYWHERE IN VENTURA COUNTY available for at least years in the future. This is why Subway is successful: they are not greedy and protect (I'm sure it's only to a degree) their franchasees. When you see a Subway open, it's usually by an owner that has rights to that territory already. Good luck, to OP in the future. This is a completely honest account of how life is for most Quiznos operators. A friend lost 1/4 Million (2007)–and was lucky to get out in some way; but at the end the lease forced him to file BK. What Quiznos had been doing (I don’t know how it is exactly in 2010) is milking their good name to no end. People had heard of how great Quiznos was and had been going in head first for many years. Quiznos kept on collecting the $25K or so for franchise fees and crowding stores within blocks of each other. Some were fortunate and actually made a profit as they sold and got out. I tried to get a franchise with Subway at this time, not because I knew better, but because I had figured that a Subway was smaller and would require less money to start. At the time I had not heard of Quiznos as a Franchise opportunity, and when my friend told me he was doing it–I was in awe. I truly believed everything he had heard, and I wished that my credit and savings would allow me this privilage. Subway turned me down because there were NO STORES AVAILABLE ANYWHERE IN VENTURA COUNTY available for at least years in the future. This is why Subway is successful: they are not greedy and protect (I’m sure it’s only to a degree) their franchasees. When you see a Subway open, it’s usually by an owner that has rights to that territory already. Good luck, to OP in the future.

]]> By: Heidi Pichler http://everyfranchise.com/blog/2009/03/26/a-post-from-elizabeth-about-failure-with-a-quiznos-franchise/#comment-479 Heidi Pichler Tue, 10 Aug 2010 21:08:36 +0000 http://everyfranchise.com/blog/?p=12#comment-479 Thank you for posting and warning me about this franchise. Thank you for posting and warning me about this franchise.

]]> By: Ex Quiznos Owner http://everyfranchise.com/blog/2009/03/26/a-post-from-elizabeth-about-failure-with-a-quiznos-franchise/#comment-422 Ex Quiznos Owner Wed, 14 Apr 2010 19:57:13 +0000 http://everyfranchise.com/blog/?p=12#comment-422 Owning a Quiznos store is failure waiting to happen for the vast, vast vast majority of us that took the bite. I closed my store in Nov 2009. In our city we had 12 stores in August 2009. In April 2010 (now) there are 2 remaining. Oh, and if you like the Smash Burger ownership idea ---- DON'T. That is owned by the Schaden boys (Dad and son) who own the Quiznos corporations. It is a shell game for those two and you have almost no chance of winning the game. You're better off buying a low yielding CD than owning anything that has the name Quiznos on it. Owning a Quiznos store is failure waiting to happen for the vast, vast vast majority of us that took the bite. I closed my store in Nov 2009. In our city we had 12 stores in August 2009. In April 2010 (now) there are 2 remaining. Oh, and if you like the Smash Burger ownership idea —- DON’T. That is owned by the Schaden boys (Dad and son) who own the Quiznos corporations. It is a shell game for those two and you have almost no chance of winning the game. You’re better off buying a low yielding CD than owning anything that has the name Quiznos on it.

]]> By: Michael http://everyfranchise.com/blog/2009/03/26/a-post-from-elizabeth-about-failure-with-a-quiznos-franchise/#comment-358 Michael Thu, 29 Oct 2009 12:19:17 +0000 http://everyfranchise.com/blog/?p=12#comment-358 It is very sad to hear of cases where businesses have gone wrong. It is even worse if the fault can be largely blamed on incompetent franchisors who are ill-prepared to guide their franchisees to success. Sometimes it is something like the "<a href="http://www.everyfranchise.com/blog/index.php/2009/08/26/looking-for-a-franchise-watch-out-for-the-churners/" rel="nofollow">churning</a>" referred to in another post, but usually it is just plain inexperience on the part of the franchisors whose ambitions exceed their capabilities. Thanks for sharing these stories, Gary. Michael It is very sad to hear of cases where businesses have gone wrong. It is even worse if the fault can be largely blamed on incompetent franchisors who are ill-prepared to guide their franchisees to success.
Sometimes it is something like the “churning” referred to in another post, but usually it is just plain inexperience on the part of the franchisors whose ambitions exceed their capabilities.
Thanks for sharing these stories, Gary.
Michael

]]> By: garryK http://everyfranchise.com/blog/2009/03/26/a-post-from-elizabeth-about-failure-with-a-quiznos-franchise/#comment-357 garryK Thu, 29 Oct 2009 11:43:33 +0000 http://everyfranchise.com/blog/?p=12#comment-357 If you were buying a business the first thing you would do Is asked to see 'the books' or a certified accountants report of the business. In the UK this is how buying a business is done. I made the mistake of buying into a franchise that didnt deliver so I walked away from a 5yr agreement after just 18 months. In total I lost about £15000. I am still paying this back to my bank via the 10 yr term personal loan I took out in 2003. My brother in law has just lost everything after going into the takeaway sub franchise in the UK. Two things we have in common: We both didnt listen to the advice given by family members, we both lost money, in my brother in laws case he will lose his house. Only ever buy a business that has been established, is trading well and is up and running. Steer well clear of new start up opportunities unless you want to be the next guinea pig for the business oportunity that can't fail If you were buying a business the first thing you would do Is asked to see ‘the books’ or a certified accountants report of the business. In the UK this is how buying a business is done.
I made the mistake of buying into a franchise that didnt deliver so I walked away from a 5yr agreement after just 18 months. In total I lost about £15000.
I am still paying this back to my bank via the 10 yr term personal loan I took out in 2003.
My brother in law has just lost everything after going into the takeaway sub franchise in the UK.
Two things we have in common: We both didnt listen to the advice given by family members, we both lost money, in my brother in laws case he will lose his house.
Only ever buy a business that has been established, is trading well and is up and running. Steer well clear of new start up opportunities unless you want to be the next guinea pig for the business oportunity that can’t fail

]]> By: Sherlock http://everyfranchise.com/blog/2009/03/26/a-post-from-elizabeth-about-failure-with-a-quiznos-franchise/#comment-216 Sherlock Thu, 26 Mar 2009 16:19:16 +0000 http://everyfranchise.com/blog/?p=12#comment-216 Thanks for your kind words, Allen. :-) Thanks for your kind words, Allen.
:-)

]]> By: Allen Taylor http://everyfranchise.com/blog/2009/03/26/a-post-from-elizabeth-about-failure-with-a-quiznos-franchise/#comment-215 Allen Taylor Thu, 26 Mar 2009 04:45:13 +0000 http://everyfranchise.com/blog/?p=12#comment-215 Nice writing. You are on my RSS reader now so I can read more from you down the road. Allen Taylor Nice writing. You are on my RSS reader now so I can read more from you down the road.

Allen Taylor

]]> By: Sherlock http://everyfranchise.com/blog/2009/03/26/a-post-from-elizabeth-about-failure-with-a-quiznos-franchise/#comment-214 Sherlock Thu, 26 Mar 2009 04:08:47 +0000 http://everyfranchise.com/blog/?p=12#comment-214 I am never sure whether to publish stories like this one. It is a sad tale to be sure and I believe it to be genuine. I have seen it posted in other areas of the 'Net, but in the interests of showing both sides of the franchise story, I believe it is appropriate to have it here as well. If you search the 'Net for Quiznos you will find plenty of criticism against the franchisor. They are more reasons, if any were needed, to be extremely cautious before investing your life savings into a business. Any business. I am never sure whether to publish stories like this one. It is a sad tale to be sure and I believe it to be genuine. I have seen it posted in other areas of the ‘Net, but in the interests of showing both sides of the franchise story, I believe it is appropriate to have it here as well.
If you search the ‘Net for Quiznos you will find plenty of criticism against the franchisor.
They are more reasons, if any were needed, to be extremely cautious before investing your life savings into a business. Any business.

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