Mini-series will provide insight into franchising. 

Subway is pleased to announce it will appear on BBC One’s The One Show for a special mini-series on franchising.

Airing during The One Show broadcasts on Monday 1 – Thursday 4 April, the four-part series follows new franchise owner, Kareemaa Musa as she embarks on her journey of joining the world’s largest sandwich franchise. From initial franchise training, managing the store fitout, recruitment of her team, through to the very first day of opening her new store, the series details the highs and challenges faced when becoming a franchise owner.

The series comes at a time when the UK franchise industry is flourishing. There are now nearly 50,000 franchise businesses collectively contributing over £17bn and 710,000 jobs to the country’s economy.

Colin Hughes, Country Director for Subway UK and Ireland, commented: “Franchising is a tried and tested formula – it allows entrepreneurial individuals to start their own business, but with the support of a well-known brand behind them. All 2,500+ Subway stores in the UK and Ireland are individually owned and operated by our franchise owners – they are the ones on the front-line serving our guests every day, alongside their teams of Sandwich Artists, championing the brand.  

“The One Show series will provide a real insight into what it takes to become a franchise owner for Subway, as well as showcase the first-class training and support offered throughout. Franchising continues to be a growing industry – we hope the series inspires others to explore the opportunities out there and realise their franchise dream, just as Kareemaa has done.”

Kareemaa’s store is located in Barnsley, where she lives with her two children, aged 13 and nine. She and her late husband, Hamid, sold their convenience store business in 2014 when they decided it was time to fulfil their ambition of joining a well-known franchise brand.

As with all new franchise owners, Kareemaa worked closely with the Subway Business Development Agent for the region, Rachana Pancholi. Business Development Agents have specific experience in opening and developing Subway franchises and offer support and assistance to franchise owners with everything from site selection, leasing, operations and much more.

From the initial meeting through to the eventual store opening, Rachana was a mentor for Kareemaa and guided her through her franchising journey. Starring alongside Kareemaa in The One Show series, Rachana played a crucial role in supporting Kareemaa to realise her franchising ambition.

Kareemaa commented: “It has been a real privilege to have shared my journey of becoming a Subway franchise owner with The One Show. It has been a very emotional journey, and I hope it inspires viewers at home who may have thought about venturing into franchising to take that step.

“It takes a lot of hard work and determination to become a franchise owner, but that shouldn’t put anyone off exploring their dream of becoming their own boss; there is so much reward that comes with it as well. I’ve built a really strong team around me, and that, along with the support from the brand, Rachana, my family and friends, I am really proud to say that I am now a Subway store owner.” 

Kareemaa’s Subway store is located at The Peel Centre, a retail park in Barnsley, serving up a variety of fresh Subs, flatbreads, wraps and salads. The store also features the brand’s new Fresh Forward décor, offering guests an enhanced brand experience, with a bright new colour palette, clean lines and customer-focused touches, such as digital menu boards and a revamped fresh veggie display.

With more than 2,500 Subway stores open across the UK and Ireland and over 43,000 stores in over 110 countries, Subway is the world’s largest sandwich franchise. Worldwide, all Subway stores are individually owned and operated by franchise owners.

Subway has ambitious plans to grow and is keen to hear from hard-working, entrepreneurial individuals, like Kareemaa, who have the ambition and drive to build their own business and would like to join one of the largest and most popular franchise brands.

The One Show series on franchising will be aired from Monday 1 – Thursday 4 April at 7pm on BBC One