While broader growth goals aim to reach states outside of Wisconsin and the Midwest, Cousins Subs is grounded in Wisconsin and takes great pride in that heritage. Part of the answer, said Cousins Subs Vice President of Development Joe Ferguson, is recognizing that a larger part of that growth comes from the physical layout and design of the location itself.
While Cousins Subs previously had locations in the Wausau area, things are different this time around. Instead, we specifically look for sites that are more visible and have drive-thru capabilities. While freestanding or end-cap locations are typically a larger investment, Ferguson says it is necessary to get the proper return on investment.
This includes three quarters of comp sales growth in during the Covid pandemic. In recent years, Cousins Subs has expanded their corporate investment by more than doubling their corporate-owned unit count to 34 locations through acquisitions of existing units over the past several years.
Its loyalty program launched in November , and the concept has gained , members through the pandemic. Drive-thru stores, which make up roughly 35 percent of the system, saw sales grow 15 percent in There were three main keys to meeting increased volume.
The first two are obvious—ensuring execution of procedures and staffing each shift appropriately. The third is a piece of technology that allows Cousin Subs to determine the location of cars spot-by-spot as they move through the line, starting with the spot behind the speaker box.
Cousin Subs is a big believer in the future of drive-thru. It dates back 10 years to when the chain initiated a rebranding strategy. Cousins Subs plans to host job fairs to actively recruit employees in markets that are hardest to staff. Certainly, there are options where that does make sense. The million-dollar question, Westhoff says, is how to retain all those customers who tried Cousins Subs for the first time during the pandemic. Part of that is solved by offering a unique product.
Westhoff is also aware customers are attracted to speed and accuracy. He attributes that to the increased drive-thru volume, but suggests migrating customers to other channels like curbside, third-party delivery, and ordering inside may help with the volume. And we're working with our POS partner to try and make sure that our ticketing system within the stores prints the easiest possible ticket for our sandwich makers. Popular chains like Taco Bell and Firehouse Subs are holding job fairs to hire thousands of workers.
Still though, Westhoff estimates Cousins Subs is about 10 percent sort of its desired workforce. The employment situation is materially different from store to store, depending on the community, mandates, and how parents feel about their kids going to work. Now they're starting to come back. Cousins Subs will host job fairs to actively recruit in markets that are hardest to staff. Cousins Subs is working on version 2. The chain started franchising about 25 years ago, so many of its franchisees are Baby Boomers who are on the tail end of owning stores.
As a result, the brand purchased roughly 15 stores from franchisees in the past three years. The chain is buying out entire franchise markets; it acquired Sheboygan and Green Bay, Wisconsin, which are two of the five largest markets in the state.
McCoy holds a bachelor's degree in communications from Cardinal Stritch University. Grube began his career at Cousins Subs in as the Director of Finance. He also enjoyed a five-year finance career at SABMiller, during which he continued consulting for restaurant companies. His breadth of experience gave him the perspective and knowledge needed to successfully implement reporting structures to better advise leadership team members of financial opportunities as well as new reporting systems to improve the management of restaurant food cost and labor.
In , Grube named Vice President of Finance, overseeing the finance team and supporting corporate operations. In , he was promoted to Vice President of Finance and Operations. In this role, he evaluated and renewed existing franchise agreements and worked to exit those franchise partners who did not meet brand standards.
Palmert is consistently engaged in the expansion of Cousins Subs into new Midwest markets through multi-unit franchise development.
He works with franchise candidates to identify if Cousins Subs is the right investment opportunity and select the ideal territory for development. Additionally, he works with existing franchise partners to develop new locations, acquire existing locations, or sell their locations.
He holds a bachelor's degree from University of Wisconsin—Milwaukee. Alan Lundeen started with Cousins Subs in April as the Director of Corporate Operations in which he spent 13 years overseeing a team of Area Directors and 40 corporate restaurants.
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