Have you dreamed of starting your own business? It’s a concept that is both exciting and challenging at the same time. If you’re a foodie, or considering the food industry, you can learn how to open a sandwich shop and make the world happy with your unique and tasteful sandwiches. The sandwich industry is very strong, so it’s the perfect opportunity! There are very few barriers to enter the market and you can easily build repeat customer potential. Everyone loves a good sandwich shop.

Ready to learn more? Check out this entrepreneur’s guide and start planning for your sandwich shop franchise.

Why Open a Sandwich Shop?

When there are so many different restaurant and food options to choose from, why open a sandwich shop? The truth is this industry is worth billions of dollars. There are consistent consumer demands for fresh and customizable options and you have the convenience and flexibility to offer whatever sandwiches work for your space. Those sandwiches provide your clients with convenience, flexibility, and comfort. These are characteristics that make sub franchise shops a daily go to for every meal.

There are multiple reasons entrepreneurs tend to gravitate towards sandwich shops. Here are a few of them:

• Lower startup cost compared to a full-service restaurant
• Streamlined, menus, and simplified operations
• A wide target audience across different demographics
• A high potential for customer loyalty, and repeat visitors
• Multiple paths to ownership, including starting from scratch or joining a sandwich shop franchise

It doesn’t matter if you’re dreaming of a local deli or you’re just curious about joining one of the top 10 sandwich franchises available to you, your path to ownership starts with learning and planning.

Start By Defining Your Business Model

You’ve got a lot of important decisions to make. One of the first decisions necessary is determining what type of model you’re going to follow to open a sandwich up. Do you want to build your own concept? Or do you want to join a sandwich shop franchise? There are pros and cons to each of these choices.

When you build your own shop, you have full creative control. There may be unique local appeal because you can create your own brand. On the other hand, these do require a lot more groundwork because you will have to do your own branding, marketing, and menu development.

When you buy into a sub franchise, it comes with brand recognition and built-in support systems. These shops are franchised because they have a proven business model that works. The downside to franchising is you may have less creative flexibility, and there will be franchise fees.

There is not necessarily a right or wrong choice here. It’s just a matter of understanding the differences and determining which will work best for you and your goals.

Take Time to Do Some Market Research

It’s a good idea to truly understand your local market. So before you open a sandwich shop, tun at your local market. These are some things that you should look at:

• Demographics: who lives and works nearby? Is there a lot of foot traffic?
• Competition: what other sandwich or fast-casual options are already available?
• Demand: are there unmet food needs in the area, such as vegetarian, organic, and other specialty diets?
• Price sensitivity: what are people willing to pay for sandwiches and how will that impact you?

While you are analyzing and doing market research, take the time to check out your potential customer base. Determine who your most likely customers are,. For example, do you anticipate having tourists and families, or are you more likely to see a lot of college students and office workers? Each of these demographics have different expectations and dining habits.

Develop a Business Plan

Planning is your key to success. A solid business plan is absolutely essential. This is going to come in handy if you’re seeking any financing, or even just determining goals so you can stay on track. These are some of the details your business plan should include:

• An executive summary with an overview of concepts and goals
• A market analysis with your research findings and positioning
• A menu strategy detailing items, pricing, and sourcing
• A marketing plan for branding, promotions, social media, and outreach
• Operations plan detailing staffing, suppliers, layout, and daily procedures
• Financial projections to include a startup budget, a break-even analysis, and revenue forecasts

If you are considering a sub franchise, the franchisors often provide a lot of this detail for you. However, you are still going to want to develop a plan and tailor it to your location and goals.

Handle Permits, Licensing, and Health Regulations

As you get started in the food industry, you will need to get to know local and state regulations. There are multiple facets of these to open a sandwich shop. Here are a few:

• Business license and food service permits
• Health department inspections
• Sales tax registration
• Employer identification number
• Liability insurance

Get to know what is required and expected in the location that you want to open a sandwich shop. Keep in mind, you may also need signage permits, a certificate of occupancy, and fire safety approvals in order to open. One of the benefits of working with a sandwich shop franchise, is they already have these measures in place and they can help guide you through the process.

Hire and Train Quality Staff

One of your critical keys to success is going to be building a friendly and efficient team. You’re going to have multiple positions to fill. These are some key positions that are common and sandwich shops:

• Sandwich makers
• Line cooks
• Cashiers
• Managers and shift leaders
• Potentially delivery drivers
• Wait staff (if applicable)

Final Thoughts

If you want to open a sandwich shop, this guide provides you with some simple preparatory steps that you can follow to start planning and making decisions. Whether you choose a sandwich shop franchise or your own unique style, it can be an incredibly rewarding venture. All you need is a solid plan, a lot of passion, and persistence to keep going until you reach success. You got this!