When the Sorensen brothers opened the first Firehouse Subs® in 1994, it was all about a passion for great food and exceptional service, and making that very first restaurant the best it could be.
Over time, Robin, Chris, and their partner Stephen Joost, have developed a core of 30 company-owned restaurants, located primarily in Jacksonville, Gainesville, and Ocala, Florida. In the beginning, franchising the concept wasn’t part of the dream. But after spending the first six years building a foundation of company-owned restaurants, the decision was made to focus on franchise development as the primary means of expanding the brand in new markets. Since then, Firehouse Subs® has expanded successfully into 14 states.
We develop our markets using a two-tiered system of Area Representatives and Franchisees. The Area Representative purchases the rights to service a Territory (typically an entire television market) and owns and operates the first "training" restaurant in that market. We conduct an in-depth study of each market to determine the optimum number of restaurants to be developed, and this number becomes part of the Area Representative Agreement (a development schedule is also built into the agreement). The Area Representative identifies franchisee candidates who will develop the balance of restaurants in the market. The Area Representative is responsible for training the franchisee, and provides local support for all of the key areas of the business (e.g., site selection, marketing, and on-going operations).
The Area Representative is uniquely-qualified to provide on-the-ground support to franchisees (unlike our franchisees, we only consider experienced restaurant industry professionals for our Area Representatives). The typical AR candidate will possess multi-unit management skills, and have a diverse background in real estate, construction, marketing, restaurant administration, and profit center accountability. We also look for a dynamic personality; someone who can work well with others; provide leadership at the market level; and has experience working within a franchise system.
The Area Representative (AR) assists us in identifying qualified franchisees to own and operate the restaurants in the AR’s Territory (in fact, we will only enter into franchise agreements with candidates who have come to us through the Area Representative). In most cases, the Area Representative is seeking franchisee candidates who have the ability to develop multiple locations (we consider five restaurants to be optimum, though this will vary based upon variables such as geography, demographics, and the individual talent and resources of the franchisee candidate).
In contrast to our Area Representative candidates, you do not have to have restaurant industry experience to qualify for a franchise. We prefer, however, that the candidate has a solid foundation in business management. But the most important requirements are a great attitude and work ethic; a passion for food and serving people; a willingness to listen, learn and lead; and a desire to make their Firehouse Subs® Restaurant the very best it can be, each and every day.
I am interested in becoming a Firehouse Subs Area Representative or Franchisee.
