A Day In The Life Of A Charley's Grilled Subs Franchisee

Posted on April 01, 2009 by Jon Clem

The Story of Charley
In the mid 80s, OSU student Charley Shin was in the midst of a family road trip to New York when a simple map mistake took them off course for a short stopover in Philadelphia. While there, Charley found something that would change his life forever: the Philly cheesesteak. It may sound like an exaggeration, and for the average person simply enjoying a hoagie piled high with thin-cut steak, sautéed peppers, and provolone cheese, it would be quite the exaggeration to say that it could change his life, but Charley was no ordinary person.

After enjoying a sandwich that he couldn’t get out of his head, he took the concept with him when he returned home to the Ohio State University campus, where he worked out his own recipe for Philadelphia’s signature sandwich. He experimented with ingredients and cooking methods for some time, testing each new variant on his college buddies, until he eventually concocted what he considered to be the perfect cheesesteak.

But he couldn’t stop there. In 1986, at age 22, Charley Shin opened the first Charley’s Grilled Subs across the street from the OSU campus, where he was still enrolled as a college junior. Intending "to honor God and strengthen his neighbors" though the development of his first business endeavor, Charley, his inaugural sandwich, and his small restaurant were instantly a local success. It wasn’t long before his friends and classmates were asking to join in the profits by opening Charley’s Subs franchises, and so the Charley’s Subs dynasty was born.

Today’s Charley’s Grilled Subs
Today, the franchising continues, bringing business opportunities to 360 franchise owners around the globe. In the 22-year lifespan of the company, Charley’s mission to "provide a great experience to every customer on every visit" has expanded across 40 US states, Guam, Puerto Rico, Canada, Japan, Korea, Germany, Italy, Great Britain, Kuwait, Venezuela, and UAE.

Charley’s flagship Philly cheesesteak sandwich has been voted #1 in the United States. Because the cheesesteak and all of Charley’s other subs are grilled and never fried, this fast casual food franchise has achieved popularity for taste, value, and health. Every sandwich at every shop is made with only fresh ingredients and is constructed right in front of the customer in 90 seconds or less, guaranteed.

Life for the Franchisee
Serving customers as well as possible is an essential part of being associated with the Charley’s Subs name, but that same service applies to franchisees as well. Whether located in an airport, mall food court, shopping center, college campus, or military base, franchisees are always fully served and supported by the corporate center. In fact, one of the core missions of the business is to "help franchisees succeed by providing a simple restaurant system and continuous improvement." From the get-go, the franchisor helps each franchise business along with 5 weeks of in-class and hands-on training for the franchisee and one staff member, site selection assistance, opening support, unrivaled pricing contracts, central marketing campaigns, and continuing on-site visits. And for those who can’t quite afford this business for sale, there is no direct lending, but the business does have relationships with third-party lenders who are more than happy to help. To Charley’s, helping franchisees means helping customers, and helping customers is the goal.

In the Words of Franchisees
To fully understand what life at Charley’s is like, the only reasonable place to go is straight to the source. Talking with franchisees about their experiences as part of the Charley’s family, there is no doubt that the generous and energetic spirit that began the chain carries through all of its locations still.

As in any exceptional business, the good Charley’s franchisee has the same heart for his employees and customers as his franchisor has for him, desiring personal satisfaction for each. The best part of owning a Charley’s restaurant, franchisee Jim Novak says, is "being able to help others through the franchise by employing people and doing charitable work. It’s definitely a rewarding experience to see happy customers and employees."

On a daily basis, that is the most basic intent of a Charley’s franchisee: helping customers as well as possible and "watching employees develop as people and professionals." Marketing Director Betsy Berman notes that "the restaurant business isn’t the same as working in an office; it takes a lot of stamina. You are on your feet all day, working a lot of hours. It’s hard work. When you watch others do it, it looks simple, but there is a lot to do from prepping in the morning to checking inventory. But for those who love the business, it’s energizing," because, ultimately, the work is all about the people. In the words of Novak, life in a Charley’s franchise is like being the head of a family: he recommends fellow franchisees to "treat your new business as you would treat your family; take care of it, and it will take care of you." Community was one of Charley Shin’s original purposes and passions in the creation of Charley’s Subs, and that goal stands as one of the essential elements of his franchised business to this day.

Customers enjoy the subs every day, and they are definitely considered an integral part of the business, but it’s impossible to know how good Charley, his mission, his restaurant, his franchisees, and their staffs really are without getting behind the counter and seeing it for yourself. If learning more about this big-time franchise with a down-home heart is something that interests you, seek further information from the franchisor. They would be more than happy to assist you and maybe even get you in on the action.