Penn Station East Coast Subs grew in both sales and units in 2021.

Overall systemwide sales increased by more than 21 percent in 2021. Penn Station’s comparative same store sales also remained strong, increasing by 20 percent in 2021, after having increased by almost 5 percent in 2020.

“2021 brought new challenges to the restaurant industry with an extremely difficult labor market and unprecedented supply chain issues,” says Craig Dunaway, president of Penn Station. “Restaurants that were able to pivot and stay ahead of these challenges had a huge opportunity for growth. We are very proud of our franchisees and general managers for working so hard and leading from the top to help the brand succeed in 2021.”

Additionally, Penn Station onboarded Ammy Harrison as VP of Development and Strategy and overhauled its development department in 2021 to support future growth.

“As a brand, we decided the time is right to further expand our brand into new markets and to increase our unit count in more mature markets as well.  We are very excited about the progress we have made in just a few short months and our franchisees are excited about the growth opportunities and growing their business to the next level,” Dunaway adds.

Deals have already been signed in Knoxville and Nashville, Tennessee; Canton, Cleveland, Columbus and Dayton, Ohio; northern Kentucky; Charlotte and Winston-Salem, North Carolina; and St. Louis, Missouri.

Penn Station is targeting areas like Atlanta, Georgia; Chattanooga and Memphis, Tennessee; Chicago, Illinois; Charlotte, Raleigh, and Winston-Salem, North Carolina; Richmond, Virginia; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Omaha, Nebraska; and Kansas City, Kansas for future growth.

Penn Station also continued its support of local Down syndrome organizations and the National Down Syndrome Adoption Network (NDSAN) this year. Penn Station, Inc. donated $60,000 to NDSAN, and the restaurants hosted a roundup campaign in March, raising $146,000 for organizations across the country.