The Subway restaurant chain announced during the company’s recent convention in Las Vegas that it has named Raghu and Rohit Marwaha of Los Angeles as the recipients of its 2008 Development Agent of the Year award.
From the ranks of franchisees themselves and chiefly responsible for building and managing a geographical territory, the Marwaha brothers, as Subway development agents, or DAs, provide their local franchisees with the necessary support and expertise to help them run a successful business.
Subway Development Agents of the Year are honored for their accomplishments in developing the Subway brand within their territory, the level of service and support provided to their local franchisees, and their ability to communicate and cooperate within the parameters of the Subway franchise system.
“Being named DA of the Year means a great deal to us. It recognizes the fact that we have successfully met our responsibilities of ensuring that our franchisees are provided with the necessary guidance and tools required to become successful entrepreneurs,” say Rohit and Raghu. “When we first joined hands to go after our business plan, we wanted to make our work as much fun as watching a football or basketball game. We figured, if we can have fun with our profession, we will always want to play more. Even after many years, we still look forward to playing this sport.”
In 2005, Rohit and Raghu became development agents for the Subway chain. Their territory presently includes 325 Subway restaurants in Santa Barbara, Ventura, San Luis, Obispo, San Diego, and Kern counties in California. Their goal for the coming years is to increase their personal store ownership to 100 locations and to grow their Subway development territory to 500 locations.
“One of the many groups that play an important role in moving the Subway business forward is the development agent. They have set records in franchise sales, leases signed, and restaurants opened time after time. They also work tirelessly to implement the programs and initiatives that are helping our franchisees grow their businesses,” says Don Fertman, the Subway restaurant chain’s director of development.
The brothers also own and operate a total of 60 Subway restaurants in Los Angeles, San Diego, Ventura, and Santa Barbara counties. Although they are still in their twenties, the Marwaha brothers have had a long history with the Subway sandwich chain. In 1994, a family member gave them jobs as closers at a local Subway restaurant in Gardena, California, and at about the same time, their father, Ravinder, purchased his first Subway franchise, in Hawthorne, having the brothers join him in 1999. By 2001, Raghu and Rohit became franchisees themselves.