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Of course, a comeback will mean attracting investors to build new restaurants. To a degree, this too is a function of marketing, given the amount of reputation repair the company has had to do.
Phillip maintained that Quiznos is finding them already. “There are franchisees who had taken a break from the brand who are coming back,” he said. “Those folks are very important to brand decisions that are happening today. They’ve had a strong seat at the table.”
And, to make clear that this is not the Quiznos of old, he added: “Profitability of the franchisees is our No. 1 focus.”
Fair enough. But Bero is skeptical that enough franchisees will step forward to return the chain to major player status. Today’s Quiznos has “a slightly new business model and maybe it’s more attractive,” he said. “[But] if it’s such a good model, the franchisees would be running towards it—experienced franchisees—and they’re not.”
Not your father’s sandwich chain
If Quiznos 2.0 can prove to potential franchisees that it’s better than its predecessor, it’ll have to do the same for customers.
“They would need to establish clear points of difference in their offering to differentiate themselves from the competition,” Abratt said. “They need to add value for the Quiznos brand to resonate [again].”
Quiznos CEO Tim Casey seems acutely aware of this point. “When Quiznos first started, it was a disruptor in the sub/sandwich space, doing things no one else was doing,” Casey wrote on the Quiznos homepage. “And we’re committed to getting back to that. We’re bringing in new, innovative equipment, which will take the menu in a unique and special direction to further differentiate the brand.”
While headquarters is working on new store prototypes—including a drive-thru feature—the principal lure for guests will be higher-end sandwiches.
“One of Quiznos’ strengths in the future is chef-inspired recipes and flavors,” Phillip said. “We take global, unique flavors and put them into approachable sub forms” like a Kimchi Philly, Chicken Carbonara and a French Dip.
Time will tell if such measures move the needle. Gordon remains doubtful. “The fact remains that Quiznos is not cool anymore,” he said. “The problem is that it’s a faded star.”
Meanwhile, the Spongmonkeys will continue to evangelize for Quiznos for the foreseeable future. They may not be cool anymore, either, but Phillip believes they’ve always delivered the goods. From the moment they debuted, “they were ridiculous,” he said. “They made a splash.”
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