Penn Station East Coast Subs, the award-winning sandwich chain known for its deli classics, hot grilled subs, fresh-cut fries, and fresh-squeezed lemonade, is adding to its footprint in Nebraska with new locations coming to Bellevue and Papillion. The franchisee group currently operating stores in West and Central Omaha signed a two-store development agreement to expand its portfolio after impressive performance in the state’s largest market.

“We couldn’t be more excited to grow the Penn Station brand with these new locations,” says Kieran Fetter who leads the ownership group. “We have been pretty overwhelmed by how strong the Penn Station following has already become. Customers drive from an hour away because they’re familiar with the brand and want to experience it again. And new customers just introduced to Penn Station are impressed enough to switch brand loyalty.”

Fetter, along with his father Todd and business partners John Gerbus and Steve Wagner were initially attracted to franchising with Penn Station by their experience as customers, as well as talking with the brand’s franchisees. While plans for building out the Omaha market were slightly slowed by the pandemic, this agreement to add the Bellevue and Papillion locations is a sign of success in the first phase of their plans for the area.

“We’re thrilled to be back in growth mode, bringing more locations into an already diverse food industry in the Omaha metro,” Fetter says. “Penn Station offers a great product but also a great employment opportunity to our community, and that’s something that’s really important to us.”

Part of that employment opportunity extends to managing owners. The partners attract and retain high quality staff through profit sharing, helping to avoid some of the staffing issues others in the industry have experienced.

“We allow individuals to essentially operate their own business. They make money when the stores make money,” says Fetter. “We offer a path to a career, not just a job.”

Fetter and his partners have noted the top-down support as a major factor in their decision to grow their partnership with Penn Station. The corporate team offers support in various areas through operations, training, marketing, IT, and online ordering.

“We felt we were in really good hands,” Fetter says. “They aren’t there just to make money or to mandate how we handle our business. They are there to support and assist us on the path to success.”