It’s Awards Season, and Lenny’s North Atlanta Locations Take the Cake!

If it’s one thing I’ve learned over the years, it’s that you can’t be everything to everyone and it’s foolish to try. What makes a business successful in my opinion is honing in on a particular craft and feeding your passion to do it better than anyone else.

So we may never win “Most Romantic Dining Destination” and that’s okay—because that’s not who we are or what we want to be.

We’ve defined our strong suits as a reliable, friendly, delicious, fresh, convenient, family-oriented atmosphere that’s not only a great place to dine, but also a great place to work.

That’s right. A key component to happy customers is happy employees. I was both honored and privileged to bring my Cumming location’s manager Kris Dressel to the recent Lenny’s corporate “Summit” meeting where he was honored as Lenny’s Sub Shop’s National Employee of the Year out of 3,000 + employees.

I was flabbergasted to say the least when they called my name as the National Franchisee of the Year out of 80 franchisees! Who would have guessed both awards would go to the same store? They kept that surprise quiet from me until the very moment—not an easy feat. Nor was coming up with an off-the-cuff acceptance speech!

We also won a total of seven awards for our two stores including customer satisfaction, percentage growth, and sales growth. We ranked second in the country in catering sales and since we purchased our Cumming location, have moved it from the top 20 to the top 5 in weekly store sales.

All of these accolades within our organization is one thing and makes me proud of accomplishing our professional business goals. But what makes me feel even better is the community awards we’ve received for being what a business truly should be—a vital and intricate member of the community.

I’ll share our recent recognition with you so you can get a sense of where we place our efforts in North Atlanta:

- Small Business of the Year for volunteerism in Forsyth County

In a recent Forsyth County online survey, we won best lunch spot and best kid-friendly restaurant

- Taste of Forsyth, Winner “Best Tasting Sandwich” for our Italian Sub

I’m also serving the community through

- Forsyth County Chamber of Commerce Board

- Lanier-Forsyth Rotary Board, Secretary

- Lenny’s Corporate Advisory Board

- Business 400, Advisory Board Member

- Forsyth County Chamber of Commerce Small Business Roundtable sponsored by SCORE, Member

If your customers and fellow community members were to ask you, “What have you done for me lately?” Would you be excited to answer? What can your business do to give back to your community?

Bruce and Donna Longmore are the owners of two Lenny’s Sub Shops in Alpharetta and Cumming, Georgia . Lenny’s is a classic Philadelphia style sub shop with Authentic Philly Cheesesteaks & The Deli Fresh Experience!™ Come enjoy a delicious sub sandwich, salad, chip and fresh baked cookies!!! Lenny’s is a fantastic catering value including deli sandwiches and Philly Cheesesteaks served piping hot in chafing dishes all starting at $5 per person.

Alpharetta location: 5530 Windward Parkway, (770) 754-9280 - Next to LA Fitness / Cracker Barrel

Cumming location: 1040 Market Place Blvd., (678) 947-0336 - Next to Walmart, Home Depot and Pet Smart

Is your Business Delivering its Customers Consistency?

Of course, as a small business owner I like to support other local small businesses. One thing I’ve noticed that can be a detrimental oversight among small businesses is replacing consistency with creativity. Sure, it’s okay to try out new inventory or recipes on your customers—as long as you keep the base products that your customers seek available, consistent, and ready for purchase.

The importance of consistency is one that is often revered by larger corporations and lamented by small business owners. Systems and processes to achieve the same results each time can be difficult for small business owners, especially ones who do not rely on a hierarchy to dictate a supply chain and consistent processes the way places like McDonald’s or Target does.

Take, for instance, when my family finds a new pizza joint here in North Atlanta. It’s disappointing when we order the same thing we had during a previous visit, yet receive a pizza that’s burnt, under-sauced, or the pizza maker on duty that night places the toppings beneath the cheese instead of on top of it. Even the difference between the way they prepare the onions—diced or in long slices, makes a difference in our pizza-eating experience. The lack of consistency in execution can earn businesses the reputation of a “hit or miss” establishment where people may not be eager to gamble on a return.

So when can you go out on a limb with your customers? Offer them a sample of something new alongside their regular purchase and invite their feedback. If you are going to re-vamp an unpopular item, engage those who do order it regularly, asking them what you can do to make it even better. Rotate your features to give your customers exposure to different items, but always be in stock on what’s on your menu. It can be disappointing to experience inconsistency in services and products, especially in today’s climate where consumers are more cognizant of their spending and may not offer your business another chance.

Customers will rely on you to provide them with an experience they can count on. If you can’t provide that consistency, you can’t expect a consistent customer base in return.

What steps do you take to maintain consistency? When do you go out on a limb and try something new? Have you experienced disappointment when you’ve shopped for a particular item and found it out of stock or changed?

Bruce and Donna Longmore are the owners of two Lenny’s Sub Shops in Alpharetta and Cumming, Georgia. Lenny’s is a classic Philadelphia style sub shop with Authentic Philly Cheesesteaks & The Deli Fresh Experience!™ Come enjoy a delicious sub sandwich, salad, chip and fresh baked cookies! Lenny’s is a fantastic catering value including deli sandwiches and Philly Cheesesteaks served piping hot in chafing dishes all starting at $5 per person.

Alpharetta location:
  5530 Windward Parkway, 
(770) 754-9280
 – Next to LA Fitness / Cracker Barrel

Cumming location:  
1040 Market Place Blvd.
, (678) 947-0336
 – Next to Walmart, Home Depot and Pet Smart

FREE SUBS FOR A YEAR!!!

One Regular Sub Sandwich or Salad each week for a year!!!
Includes our delicious Deli sandwiches, Philly Cheesesteaks, Italian Meatballs, Hot Dog and Salads!!! Try something new each week!!!

The first 15 people in line on Saturday, July 24th, win FREE SUBS FOR A YEAR!!!

Next 20 people in line win free Lenny’s logo gear: coolers, coffee mugs, sports bottles, cozies, key chains, etc.

$4 subs and salads all day!!!

Everyone who dines on Saturday, July 24th, has a chance to win 5 more FREE SUBS FOR A YEAR (drawing at 4:00)!!! That’s 20 people winning FREE SUBS FOR A YEAR!!!

Here is when we are open:
Monday – Friday 10:30 a.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Saturday 10:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Sunday 11:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.

There are always rules:
Chips, Cookies, Drinks are not included
If a free sub is missed during one week that sub is lost
Non transferable
Store #78 Lenny’s Alpharetta on Windward Parkway is the only location this offer is valid

Two Best Events in Atlanta to Grow Your Business!!!

Lenny’s Sub Shop recently participated in two great community events. The first was Boulder Dash, a 5k run from Northside Hospital in Cumming to the Rock Quarry….one of only two Rock Quarry runs in the U.S.A. We gave away over 1000 Bruce’s sandwich samples!

Next was the new Flavors of Forsyth for United Way, hosted at the Avenues in Cumming. We had our newly wrapped Lenny’s car at the event, complete with Lenny’s logos and sandwich and catering pictures. There’s no way you could miss us! And that’s a good thing considering a staggering turn out that exceeded everyone’s expectations with 4,000 expected and 10,000 actual attendees. We sold over 1500 samples of food that evening and Lenny’s raised more than $700 for United Way!

The best part? Store sales on the day of the Boulder Dash were over $4,000, an all-time record. But wait—stores sales on the same day we served at Flavor of Forsyth topped $4,500, beating the record we JUST set and were #1 in sales out of 175 Lenny’s Sub Shops in the U.S.A.!

It’s thrilling to take my business out in the community, feel the excitement, introduce our product, and experience that immediate feedback. The drawback to serving food on the fly is it can be difficult to predict the turnout at events. You’ve also got to select the right menu items for the crowd. For instance, cold sandwiches were appropriate for the run. We selected turkey on wheat because it’s healthy and our signature Italian because it’s our most popular. At Flavors of Forsyth, we served up our hot faves, the Philly Cheesesteak, Chicken Cheesesteak, and Italian Meatball for their rich, savory flavors.

One thing I’ve learned through these events is that I need to buy a portable griddle. We use chafing dishes to keep our meatballs, chicken, and beef at the perfect serving temperature and are uncompromising on food storage and safety. The challenge comes in when serving food on demand away from the conveniences of the store’s prep area and kitchen. We need to arrive at events with the food prepared since we can’t run it through our slicer or grill it on the go. In the stores, we pride ourselves on freshness, cutting your meat and cheese and making your sandwich only after you place your order. We can’t respond that way at events, so we have to make sure our selections will appeal to the masses and hold up to travel and storage.

It’s fairly similar to preparing for our catering jobs, actually. Do you need large quantities of delicious food for upcoming events? Call ahead with picnic orders or let us know what we can do to service your office party, cater lunch meetings, or provide food for your summer get-togethers. As for our upcoming community events, we’d love to hear from you. Which sub would you like us to bring?

Bruce and Donna Longmore are the owners of Lenny’s Sub Shops in Alpharetta and Cumming, Georgia. Lenny’s is a classic Philadelphia style sub shop with Authentic Philly Cheesesteaks & The Deli Fresh Experience!™ Come enjoy a delicious sub sandwich, salad, chip and fresh baked cookies! Lenny’s is a fantastic catering value including deli sandwiches and Philly Cheesesteaks served piping hot in chafing dishes all starting at $5 per person.

Alpharetta location:
5530 Windward Parkway
(770) 754-9280
Next to LA Fitness / Cracker Barrel

Cumming location:
1040 Market Place Blvd.
(678) 947-0336
Next to Walmart, Home Depot and Pet Smart

Encore! Lenny’s Sub Shop Owner gets Specific about Networking Opportunities in North Atlanta

Boy, when you guys get a taste of something good, you just keep coming back for more, don’t you? You might think I’m referring to our delicious subs at Lenny’s Sub Shop (and that’s true, the amazing taste keeps our customers coming back time and again) but I am actually referring to this forum.

So many of you want to learn more about how the specifics of networking can help your business like it did mine and have asked me to go into further detail. I’m happy to share with you exactly what I do to keep business booming at our Cumming and Alpharetta locations.

Become an Answer to a Problem
I belong to Network for Success. It’s a networking group of about 35 professionals, each in a protected category. That means there’s only one person from every profession in the group.

When the manager of a local establishment didn’t show up a few times to let our group into his location for our early morning meetings, I offered Lenny’s Sub Shop as our meeting place. This put my store in front of my business associates and friends every week. While I joined networking to grow my catering business, a residual side effect has been an increase in Lenny’s lunch and dinner guests. It’s my contention that my fellow networkers’ familiarity with Lenny’s as well as their desire to support a local business owner is what drives them to invite their clients to Lenny’s for meetings.

In Sight, In Mind
I try to attend at least four events per week, from regular chamber meetings, to Business 400, and community functions like Taste of Webb Bridge and Flavors of Forsyth. I also join vendor days with the folks at HP, AT&T, Verizon, Phillips, ADP, and Ryder, or create “sample” days for local businesses, complete with food, menus, and coupons.

Community Support
You may see the Lenny’s name on the back of sports jerseys or in game programs around North Fulton and Forsyth. As an avid sports person, parent, and business owner, I believe I have a responsibility to give back to the community and encourage healthy activity in our youth. We are proud sponsors of numerous local teams, not just for the advertising aspect, but because it’s the right thing to do for our community.

Do these examples give you a better idea of what to do to get your business out there? Would you like to invite Lenny’s into your group or venue? Just give me a call or stop by one of our stores. We’d love to meet you!

Bruce and Donna Longmore are the owners of two Lenny’s Sub Shops in Alpharetta and Cumming, Georgia. Lenny’s is a classic Philadelphia style sub shop with Authentic Philly Cheesesteaks & The Deli Fresh Experience!™ Come enjoy a delicious sub sandwich, salad, chip and fresh baked cookies! Lenny’s is a fantastic catering value including deli sandwiches and Philly Cheesesteaks served piping hot in chafing dishes all starting at $5 per person.

Alpharetta location:
5530 Windward Parkway
(770) 754-9280
Next to LA Fitness / Cracker Barrel

Cumming location:
1040 Market Place Blvd.
(678) 947-0336
Next to Walmart, Home Depot and Pet Smart

Lenny’s Sub Shop Alpharetta and Cumming Restaurants to Test New Catering Software

 

I’ve recently shared with you what I consider to be the best networking events and opportunities out there in North Metro Atlanta. Now, what to do with all of that business we’re drumming up? Much of it comes in the form of catering. Catering is a BIG deal to restaurants and something we want to get right every time.

One thing I’ve done as of late is to convince Lenny’s corporate office to allow me to install catering software, or CRM (Customer Relation Management) solution. This software will do everything I don’t have time to do and act like a proficient and knowledgeable secretary.

Restaurant Catering Systems http://www.restaurantcateringsystems.com has a tremendous catering “knowledge base” stored inside of it. It will flag us when it’s that time of year to target our advertising to a certain segment of the business world, such as accountants. The software produces pre-written letters that aggressively recruit customers from this target base.

The software will help us schedule catering services for overnight inventory teams when local retailers like Macy’s or Dillard’s run their quarterly inventories. It will also keep track of buying patterns and quantities and even personalized information to help us better serve our customers.

The frustrating part? The red tape. As part of a franchise, I need to abide by corporate procedure and that means instead of purchasing and installing the software today, I have to wait for the powers-that-be to give me the green light. Change can be slow if you are part of a franchise. But I am excited that we’ll be able to implement it later this spring.

Follow along as our Lenny’s Sub Shop become two of seven total test stores for Restaurant Catering Systems. If it is successful, you may see it roll out to all 164 Lenny’s franchises. I’m going to put a lot of effort into making it successful.

What have you done for your business that is outside the box? I’d love to hear from you! Please stop in, call, or write!

Bruce and Donna Longmore are the owners of Lenny’s Sub Shops in Alpharetta and Cumming, Georgia. Lenny’s is a classic Philadelphia style sub shop with Authentic Philly Cheesesteaks & The Deli Fresh Experience!™ Come enjoy a delicious sub sandwich, salad, chip and fresh baked cookies! Lenny’s is a fantastic catering value including deli sandwiches and Philly Cheesesteaks served piping hot in chafing dishes all starting at $5 per person.

Alpharetta location:
5530 Windward Parkway
(770) 754-9280
Next to LA Fitness / Cracker Barrel

Cumming location:
1040 Market Place Blvd.
(678) 947-0336
Next to Walmart, Home Depot and Pet Smart

What Is The Best Networking Event In Atlanta?

A dear friend called the other day and asked which area networking event really makes a difference in growing our business.

I thought hard about his question. Which networking event is the most effective? Is it closed networking? Open networking? Chamber of Commerce? Business After Hours? Lunch and Learns? Community events? Rotary? Linkedin? Facebook? Twitter? Which one networking event generates the most business for Lenny’s Sub Shop?

It could be Network For Success (NFS) which is a closed networking group that meets every Wednesday morning. This small group of 35 dedicated entrepreneurs generates 70-120 leads every week. NFS is one of the best, if not the best, closed networking groups in Atlanta with members that have been there for years and are committed to effective and efficient networking.

It might be Business 400 (B400) which meets the first Tuesday of every month at the Metropolitan Club in Alpharetta and is dedicated to enhancing business opportunities up and down the Georgia Highway 400 corridor. B400 is an open networking group that brings in 250-450 networkers…40% of whom are new each month. Talk about wide and new exposure.

Maybe it is the Chamber of Commerce: Cumming Forsyth, Greater North Fulton or Johns Creek? Between the Lunch and Learns, Business After Hours, InForum, Alliance and Eggs & Enterprise there are dozens of excellent networking opportunities every month…all with the potential of new relationships and business.

We did have great success at the Tastes of Forsyth and Webb Bridge! Taste of Forsyth had hundreds of folks from Fulton, Forsyth, Dawson and Hall Counties and Lenny’s was lucky enough to win the best tasting sandwich…great publicity there! The Taste of Webb Bridge event included an intimate group of residents close to our store and really generated increased retail sales.

The more I think about it, perhaps Social Media is our networking winner. I have 935 connections on Linkedin which has led to multiple catering events and new retail customers. I’m just getting started on Twitter but already have 1,374 followers and am receiving tons of positive feedback and at least a few new customers. It’s too early to tell about the effectiveness of Facebook but with 529 friends and tons of interaction it is bound to pay off soon.

Which ONE event is the best networking event? Which ONE event really makes a difference?

Unfortunately for those searching for the best networking event, there isn’t one. The only effective networking event is a bunch of them. I can’t be an effective partner at our NFS group without networking elsewhere looking for connections I can bring back to my NFS partners. I rely on my B400 members to network elsewhere so they can provide leads at B400 events…and so on. There are no short cuts in networking. There is no ONE event. Successful networkers have a strategy that includes a blend of closed and open groups, Chambers of Commerce, community events, social media and more.

What networking events do you find the most effective? What is your networking strategy? How much time to you spend networking?

Answering the Five W’s about Sound Marketing Strategies

Anytime I’d write a paper in school I had to answer the “who, what, when, where, and why” questions. I learned those truly are the pressing questions people care about so I thought I’d share the five famous W’s as they relate to business marketing. The reasons I’ve had success thus far? It’s because I hit these principles hard—and I would encourage you to do the same.

Who? When marketing in the community, the answer to who is YOU. I think one of the biggest mistakes a franchise owner can make is tying himself up too long on the front line without hitting the pavement to expose products and services and drive traffic through the doors. You don’t need to go all “out-of-touch” like those business owners profiled on the television show “Undercover Boss.” But it is very easy for a small business owner to encounter the opposite problem and not remove himself from the operation long enough to tend to extraneous matters that are important to the business, like marketing.

What? Reminders and incentives. I carry business cards, coupons, and menus with me everywhere I go. You should be a walking billboard without being obtrusive to people you meet. Offer an invitation and express value when someone asks you what you sell or do.

When? All day, every day my friends. That’s right. Entrepreneurship is not a 9 to 5 job. Wear your logo or nametag when you stop at the grocery store or do your banking. Be “that sub guy” (as in my case) or whatever identity best suits your business.

Where? Everywhere. Create an Internet presence, drive a car wrapped with company information, help out at community events, and set up shop at expos, business shows, and networking events. Pipe up as a solution in community meetings or volunteer venues. Be seen—everywhere.

Why? People need repetition. They need reminding that you are there. They need prompters about how to use your business in other ways. For instance, people who regularly come to Lenny’s for a lunch meeting may be interested in having us cater their next business function. Help your customers think bigger, more often, and of who else might be interested in what you offer.

Don’t be a stranger! If you are reading my blogs or implementing any of these ideas, please tell me about them through this forum or stop by either Lenny’s location and see what all the fuss is about! And by the way—what have you done to promote your business today?

The Top Five Marketing Strategies in Franchise Ownership

Today, I’d like to take a serious look at one of your biggest concerns. Many of you ask, “Where should I put my marketing time and money, especially when I am limited in both?!”

That is a great question and a tough decision for a business owner to make. You may wonder what makes me qualified to answer it. Given the store closings, consolidations, and general tenuous state of retail this past year, I think the solid increase in sales we’ve experienced lends the strategies I use some credibility. Here’s what implementing these tactics has done for us:

My wife and I purchased our Lenny’s Sub Shop franchise in Alpharetta in 2008 and grew sales by 24% that year and an additional 17% in 2009. We purchased the Cumming location in 2009 and grew sales by 27%, moving it to the #5 position in the company nationwide (of approximately 164 stores).

I have categorized my branding and marketing efforts in five ways:

Traditional Media
This ranges from the slicks that corporate sends out to the local mailers, billboard and television spots, hotel directories, and calendar coupons I utilize to drive business in the doors. Even our vehicles are advertisements—put your business out there!

Networking Venues
From weekly leads’ groups and Rotary, to monthly chamber meetings, Leadership Forsyth and Business 400, it is essential to personally expose your products and services to people who are in an environment where they want to help each other succeed.

Social Media and Online Forums
If you are reading this, I likely don’t have to explain the power of social media! LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and blogging are where people are focusing their attention and it’s essential to be located where your customers are looking.

Foot Marketing
It’s imperative that you meet your neighboring businesses and appear at events to offer them incentives to try your products. I physically bring food (edible brochures) and menus to many surrounding establishments to build good will and prompt their cravings for our food!

Community Presence
Get their backs! The backs of their sports uniforms, that is. Establishing a presence in your community and giving back is what will encourage people to support a local business owner versus the national chain.

Of course the greatest part of our success is consistently delicious, fresh food and friendly service we offer along with exceptional and value-priced catering. Without it, all of the marketing efforts in the world would not bring people back through our doors.

Next month I’m going to get into the specifics with you about who, what, when, where, and why these work. In the meantime, come see me at Business 400 at the Metropolitan Club on Windward Tuesday evening, March 2nd. See a franchisor in action and introduce yourself. Try Lenny’s famous Authentic Philly Cheesesteaks and cookies at our display table, I’ll be sure to save you one!

Questions? I’d love to hear from you.

Bruce and Donna Longmore are the owners of two Lenny’s Sub Shops in Alpharetta and Cumming, Georgia. Lenny’s is a classic Philadelphia style sub shop with Authentic Philly Cheesesteaks & The Deli Fresh Experience!TM Come enjoy a delicious sub sandwich, salad, chip and fresh baked cookies! Lenny’s is a fantastic catering value including deli sandwiches and Philly Cheesesteaks served piping hot in chafing dishes all starting at $5 per person.

Alpharetta location:
5530 Windward Parkway
(770) 754-9280
Next to LA Fitness / Cracker Barrel

Cumming location:
1040 Market Place Blvd.
(678) 947-0336
Next to Walmart, Home Depot and Pet Smart

Five Important Lessons in Franchise Ownership – Lenny’s Sub Shop

Well, now that I’ve shared with you how I became a franchise owner, I’d like to talk a bit about lessons learned along the way.

The most crucial component I learned about running a successful franchise it to learn how to run it, and not let it run you.

What I mean by this is you can’t let yourself get stuck behind the proverbial counter doing tasks that you should have a competent, reliable, and well-trained staff in place to do. Now there is nothing wrong with digging in, and there truly is no job too small for any business owner to perform him or herself. But there are smart ways to spend your day to drive business forward versus simply maintaining it by manning the lines. That is why you need exceptional managers to run your daily operations.

One of the first things I did as a new business owner was reach out to my community. Without our communities, we wouldn’t survive. We should be as important to our communities as they are to us. That means truly giving to others without pulling out the measuring stick to estimate our “ROI,” or return on investment, at every turn.

Next, I learned to go above and beyond the franchise program set in place. Take for instance, our marketing plan. I introduced myself to local businesses by giving them box lunches, menus, coupons, and a word about our catering program. This door-to-door touch keeps Lenny’s Sub Shop in front of people who may not otherwise find us. It reminds them we are delicious, convenient, and terrific for catering or ordering in to treat their employees.

When at Lenny’s, I try not to micromanage the process or make a pest of myself. I trust the people I employ and I value their feedback. I try to make my stores a fun place to be and I think that reflects in employees’ attitudes toward Lenny’s customers.

Also while on site, I play “celebrity chef” by greeting customers at their tables, ask questions on why they come to Lenny’s and how can we get better and view our end product in their hands. This allows me to keep my fingers on the pulse of operations and implement changes quickly if I start to sense any problems, thereby being proactive instead of reactive.

I’ve definitely learned there’s a lot to making a franchise successful, and I look forward to sharing more with you. In the meantime, Do you own a franchise or are you thinking of purchasing one? Do you have success stories or challenges overcome? I’d love to hear from you

Bruce and Donna Longmore are the owners of two Lenny’s Sub Shops in Alpharetta and Cumming, Georgia . Lenny’s is a classic Philadelphia style sub shop with Authentic Philly Cheesesteaks & The Deli Fresh Experience!™ Come enjoy a delicious sub sandwich, salad, chip and fresh baked cookies!!! Lenny’s is a fantastic catering value including deli sandwiches and Philly Cheesesteaks served piping hot in chafing dishes all starting at $5 per person.

Alpharetta location:
5530 Windward Parkway
(770) 754-9280
Next to LA Fitness / Cracker Barrel

Cumming location:
1040 Market Place Blvd.
(678) 947-0336
Next to Walmart, Home Depot and Pet Smart