Veteran Finds Career Satisfaction Through Lennys Grill & Subs Franchise Opportunity

Lennys Grill & Subs Franchise provides top quality career opportunities for veterans as it continues to grow in untapped markets

For many veterans, the transition to life after the military can be difficult. But, it doesn’t have to be. The franchise industry can help veterans leverage proven leadership skills and the ability to follow systems into opportunities for small business ownership. The franchise industry’s efforts to provide these opportunities to veterans have been enormously successful. Today, one in every seven franchisees is a veteran.

Lennys Grill & Subs is leading the charge to help America’s veterans to find a prosperous life after their service. Franchise Business Review recently named Lennys as a top franchise opportunity for veterans and the premium sandwich franchise has found rapid success with veteran franchisees, particularly in fast-growing locations with strong military populations, like San Antonio. The FBR award was given to franchisors that provide quality training, ongoing support and financial opportunity for veteran franchisees. It surveyed more than 25,000 veteran franchise owners representing more than 250 brands, ultimately naming Lennys Grill & Subs as one of the top brands on the annual list.

Christopher Alford can attest to finding strength and satisfaction from being a franchisee with Lennys Grill & Subs after leaving the armed forces. Alford, who was a United States Marine for six years, a United States Border Patrol Agent for three years and a Federal Air Marshal for two years, struggled to find complete happiness with his career once leaving the military. He worked in the corporate world for about a decade after leaving the military but was always determined to find a more suitable career.

“I didn’t have a very strong grasp of what the franchising industry was all about before I got first-hand experience with Lennys,” said Alford, a multi-unit franchisee in San Antonio. “Even though it’s a lot of work, being a franchisee is a real labor of love. It has given me the opportunity to be my own boss and work for an amazing brand, which is what I’ve been looking for in my professional career.”

While running a sandwich shop is significantly different than being a Marine or an Air Marshal, Alford has found a few similarities in the industry culture among the Lennys team. The dedication the corporate team has for its franchise network and the commitment franchisees have for each other helps the business to feel like a well-oiled machine.

“There are so many franchisors that disappear after getting a new franchisee to sign, and that is definitely not what Lennys is about,” said Alford. “The corporate team invests time, energy and dollars into every one of its locations to ensure that their franchisees are successful.”

Franchisees also support each other in the Lennys system. When Alford opened his first location, Bob Orrison, an experienced franchisee in the area, also helped train Alford to ensure his success with the brand. Soon after, Orrison and Alford decided to join efforts and open a joint location in San Antonio.

“When I started off, Bob gave me sound business advice, and that was a priceless experience for a new franchisee like me,” said Alford. “Having two franchisees teaming up to do something like this is a great way to grow the business.”

While franchising was never something Alford thought he would be doing with his life, it has turned out to be the perfect fit.

To learn more about franchising opportunities with Lennys Grill & Subs, visit https://lennysfranchise.com/