Thread: Looking to buy existing Subway shop, help in evaluating the price

Did not read all the replies so if this was covered sorry,But DO NOT BUY IT! I was in the Food Biz for 15 years owned a number of small independent delis,Diners,Pizzeria etc.After the sale of my last one Wife has a video of me saying "I will never do another food business" In order to make a living you have to live IN the business.
Just my two cents!

The arguments are pretty convincing that these shops run too thin. I mean, how else could they if they are selling $5 footlongs? So I won't go into that again.

But I wanted to comment on the management aspect. I wonder if the OP has management experience. Maybe he stated it in the thread somewhere, but I don't recall. If not, have you ever managed people? If you've managed people, what kind of people? Skilled team players, or unskilled, inexperienced people?

And if you've managed people before, have you ever managed managers? I've done both. (Not at a Subway shop LOL). Actually, I've done all of the above. Managed both skilled an unskilled, laborers as well as other managers. I have to say that directly managing people is easier than managing managers. Especially when they compete.

Managers feel like they are in a position to make decisions. Their egos inflate, and they try to make decisions that really their managers should be making. Hands-off doesn't work. You cannot manage anything in absentia.

Therefore, I'd take a pass on the Subway shop for that reason alone. Even if the bottom line was fat, I would think very carefully about spending my Monday morning at the Subway shop. And my tuesday, and my weds, thurs, friday, saturday and sunday... either doing the round-up, counting inventory or filling in on the front line. Oh man... what a drag.

That's why I say it's better to come up with something creative and start it from the ground up. That way every single aspect of it is interesting and real. I'd be on the front line of my dessert bar helping customers and also simultaneously thinking about how I can make a better dessert, streamline my process, give the customer a better experience, cut waste, lower prices but increase profit, etc etc etc.

If I were at my subway shop on the front line, I'd be saying, "Why didn't that friggin GERALD come in to work today? That bastard. That bastard. That bastard." I would not be thinking about, "How can I improve this meatball sub?"

Two totally different states of mind. I don't think this Subway idea is conducive to happiness. I think it's a setup for misery. Sorry to be so harsh, but that's my opinion.