Fred DeLuca – The Student Who Started Subway

While eating a Veggie Delight at Subway, have you ever wondered about the journey of a modest product like a Submarine Sandwich to a brand which has around 34,000 stores around the globe? However easy it appears, building a bridge of trust is not easy, specially, when you are a student. It takes considerable time to win the hearts of your customers. Conventionally, when your product is in the category of eateries, it becomes really difficult to survive in the market. But, Fred DeLuca, co-founder of Subway adhered to the philosophy of serving nutritious and low-priced sandwiches to customers and that made all the difference.Fred DeLuca wanted to become a doctor. His family had meagre finances and could not support his dream. This 17 year old guy needed money to get into a good college. DeLuca thought of making some by opening a small food joint. So in 1965, he borrowed $10,000 from Peter Buck, a family friend and started a “submarine” shop in Bridgeport on Peter’s suggestion. It was tough for DeLuca to meet the challenges in the first year, but later, with considerable marketing and visibility, things started working smoothly as they opened the 3^rd store. As they expanded horizontally, they became experts in understanding the expectations of their customers.

Having achieved the former, the main goal of Subway was shifted onto opening 32 stores in 10 years. Franchising became one of the most lucrative plans for generating revenue and for branding Subway. At the same time, they focused on keeping their customers happy, to the extent that the guy who makes a Submarine for you is always spotted smiling.

Apart from franchisees, Subway is socially active. They have a huge fan following on Facebook and the team even contributes to organizations. By the time you end up eating your Sandwich, an urge surfaces up to buy one more. Thanks to Fred DeLuca for he believes in serving the most delicious and nutritious sandwiches at the lowest prices possible.The story of Subway teaches us that if an entrepreneur walks the extra mile to see that their customers are satisfied then in the long run, one shall be benefitted. Also, by exploiting the opportunities for expansion at the right time, entrepreneurs can embrace success.

Author credit: Mohita Adhvaryu