Launched in Denver in the year 1981, the Quizno franchise has undoubtedly become a force to reckon. Their specialty is the famous toasted sub, although also served un-toasted according to customer’s preferences. This sandwich is very large and only the submarine sandwich surpasses it in size in the Northern American region. Currently, the franchise has over 4,000 shops all across the US, 300 in Canada and 100 worldwide. It has managed to have franchises in Europe, Middle East and Northern Africa.
However, it has not been smooth sailing for the empire because it is a moving target for lawsuits every now and again. This has led to approximately 1,000 of the Quizno franchises to undergo closure. Many people filed lawsuits against the company in a series of court cases that cost the company million of dollars. Plans of growing the chains back got under way with new tactics in place.
During the Super Bowl in 2002, Quizno launched a successful advertising campaign that got much airplay on TV. In the following years, they pushed more series advertisements with the involvement of other sports personalities. These included famous hockey commentator Don Cherry and Baby Bob. The most remarkable of this is when they pioneered the technique of advertising on the back of protestors’ placards. They did this with the famous San Francisco eccentric and foreign protestor Frank Chu’s sign.
In 2006, they set the pace once more with the engagement of actor Michael Duncan providing the voice-overs. It was the launch of the new slogan: “Eat Up” and “Love what you eat” that spring boarded them back to action again. In September the same year, one of the most aggressive advertising campaigns by Quizno franchise launched a counter attack on their nemesis Subway. Named the “prime rib cheesesteak challenge”, customers were to compare which sandwich had more meat, Quizno or Subways. They even offered a coupon for them so that the unsatisfied ones could mail it and get a free sandwich as compensation.
Other advertisements that came up also kept the rivalry theme alive. They showed Quizno competing with the fictional “wrong way” restaurant that had a logo resembling Subways. The competition took another turn when Coca –Cola, which was the soft drink supplier of the company, signed a deal with Subways. As counter attack, Quizno signed an exclusive deal with Pepsi, Coca Cola’s long time competitor. This deal was only ineffective in Canada and various campuses across the US.
Quizno has faced more lawsuits than other bigger franchises in the history of the food business in US. It then became the target because of the mistreatment of its Franchisees. An example of a lawsuit filed in New Jersey said that the amazing growth record of Quiznos is just but a sham. Quiznos claimed that it had sold 234 trade areas in the state and consequently harvesting $25,000 franchise fee. In contradiction to their statement, none of these restaurants ever opened. Recently, Quizno franchise announced a new working condition where entrepreneurs can lease the restaurants and own it from two to five years in an effort to boost growth.
