MILFORD, Conn. -- The Subway restaurant chain has named Kent Yoder of Elkhart, Ind., as the recipient of its 2008 Franchisee of the Year award for single-unit owners from the chain's North American markets, during the company's recent convention in Las Vegas.
As a Subway Franchisee of the Year, Yoder is honored for his accomplishments in building sales and increasing profitability while also achieving excellent store evaluations. He was selected from among the chain's more than 12,200 franchisees across the United States and Canada.
"I am extremely proud," said Yoder. "Being named [image-nocss] Franchisee of the Year is a prestigious honor, especially when considering the number of excellent candidates that were being considered."
An operator of a small chain of convenience stores, Yoder, became a Subway franchisee in 1996 when one of the stores that he purchased had an existing Subway store inside.
"We were impressed with the Subway brand's ability to draw customers into our store and made the decision to rebuild and expand the Subway operation by 1,000 square feet," he said.
Yoder's Subway restaurant is located in Shipshewana, a town in a rural part of Northern Indiana known for being home to the third largest Amish community in the nation. The store even has a hitching post for their Amish customers. Continuing the Subway tradition, Yoder's goals for the future include building the business through great operations, marketing and providing excellent customer service.
"The franchisee is the heart and soul of the Subway family. We know that our success depends upon the initiative they take as individuals and their ability to work as a team. We take great pride in the hard work and effort made by the thousands of franchisees throughout the world and in the millions of customers that they serve," said Don Fertman, director of development for the Subway restaurant chain.
With more than 28,000 locations in 87 countries, including 587 in the state of Indiana, the Subway restaurant chain is the world's largest submarine sandwich franchise. Headquartered in Milford, Conn., the chain was co-founded by Fred DeLuca and Dr. Peter Buck in 1965.
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