Lennys Grill & Subs Celebrates Brand Momentum at Annual Summit

The premium sandwich franchise recently honored outstanding franchisees and announced plans for strategic brand growth

This summer, franchisees from across the Southeast met in Lennys Grill & Subs’ hometown of Memphis, Tennessee to celebrate the highlights of the previous year, build upon best practices with fellow operators and discuss plans for improved customers service in the future.

With record attendance at the summit, the Lennys Grill & Subs leadership team was able to connect with its operators to share the brand’s vision and goals for the rest of 2017 and 2018. This included updates on the rollout of the new POS system, announcements of upcoming launches of online catering and ordering and continued progress on the brand’s system-wide reimage.

“The annual summit provides an opportunity to share best practices and provide brand plans for the upcoming year,” said Lennys Grill & Subs CEO Kevin Martin. “We are constantly looking for ways to improve our system in ways that will help franchisees enjoy more success. We know that the success of our brand is dependent upon the success of our franchisees.”

The brand’s growth strategy was communicated by VP of Franchise and Market Development Jennifer Benjamin who joined the Lennys team earlier in 2017. In an effort to reach the aggressive goal of 200 restaurants across the system within the next five years, the brand plans to grow through a density strategy. Rather than adding locations across the entire country, Lennys plans to add locations where there is already a strong brand presence and legacy. This includes markets like San Antonio, Knoxville, Louisville as well as in states like Florida and the Carolinas.

“We’re looking to build the brand in established markets with the help of single and multi-unit operators as well as existing franchisees who want to grow,” said Benjamin. “This will allow us to further our foothold in key markets and ensure that we’re taking the right steps to maintain brand quality as we develop.”

In addition to the exciting announcements shared during the summit, multiple franchisees were honored for their outstanding work.

Andy McGee, who has been a franchisee with the brand for more than a decade, was recognized as Franchisee of the Year out of nearly 100 operators. McGee started as a grill cook at a Lennys location in college and purchased his franchise location in Daphne, Alabama at the age of 24. Now, 11 years, a wife and four kids later, McGee still runs daily operations of his Lennys location and plans to open another in the upcoming year.

Additionally, franchisee Brian Allen from Cape Coral, Florida was crowned champion of the first ever Philly Cheesesteak Cook-Off after beating his fellow franchisees in four rounds of competition at the summit.

“Right now is an exciting time for the Lennys Grill & Subs brand,” said Martin. “With same-store sales trending upward and re-imaged restaurants seeing increased profitability, we look forward to building the momentum from the annual summit to continue growing across the Southeast.”