Since its founding by two former firefighters nearly 30 years ago, Firehouse Subs has grown to more than 1,200 locations across the country.
Its success has created opportunities for its franchise owners, including Natalie Bosworth and Chris Morris. Although not all franchise owners have experience as first responders, Chris is a past firefighter of 14 years — providing an authentic touch to their restaurants. They opened their first Firehouse Subs in early 2019 and now own nine restaurants across Idaho and Utah, with three more planned in the next few years.
Natalie and Chris share insights on the restaurant industry and how small business owners can scale their ventures.
What do you want people to know about your small business?
“We’re passionate about upholding the Firehouse Subs mission statement- to carry on our commitment and passion for: Hearty and Flavorful Food, Heartfelt Service, and Public Safety. We’ve been able to grow due to the support and loyalty of our awesome employees who represent our brand’s values. We couldn’t do this without them. Our sons absolutely love helping out in our restaurants. They are fantastic at taking care of our lobby and chatting with our guests.”
“We’re proud of our solid menu, which includes items such as the nation-wide best seller, the Hook & Ladder, as well as our popular items such as the Beef and Cheddar Brisket, Turkey Bacon Ranch, and our Five Cheese Mac & Cheese. We also provide catering for everything from family events to work meetings.”
What drew you to owning a Firehouse Subs franchise?
“We researched many different franchises and Firehouse Subs stood out because of its strong ratings for customer satisfaction and growth. After visiting Firehouse Subs restaurants in Utah to sample their food and learn about their community involvement, we reached out to their corporate headquarters and applied to be franchise owners.”
“We didn’t have any past restaurant experience and we were evaluated not only on our financials, but also on how we aligned with Firehouse Subs’ culture and values. It was a rigorous interview process, but we were approved by the company’s CEO and received the training we needed to open our first restaurant.”
How does your small business stay competitive in your local market?
“Customer service is a key factor because negative experiences travel a lot faster than good experiences. It’s critical to help each employee deliver a memorable experience to our guests. We are in the customer service industry just as much as the food industry, and it’s important that our teams all understand that.”
“Customers will remember the feeling they leave with more so than anything else, so we encourage our employees to have genuine conversations with our guests and remember individual names. Going the extra mile to make our guests feel important makes a huge impact in the food industry.”
“Part of the reason we have been able to scale as quickly as we have is because of our outstanding managers. We encourage them to bring their ideas to the table and invest in the growth of their restaurant. When we take care of our leadership team, it trickles down and helps them to create happy work environments for their teams.
Firehouse Subs is known for its philanthropy. How do you give back to the community?
“We are part of Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation, which helps provide lifesaving equipment and resources to first responders and public safety organizations. A portion of every purchase is donated to the foundation, and guests are also asked if they’d like to round up to the nearest dollar when they visit us. Pickle buckets can be purchased for $3 each, with 100% of the proceeds going to the foundation. It’s amazing to see the impact that everyone’s spare change can make.:
“To date, the foundation has awarded $581,498 in Idaho and more than $1 million in Utah to provide lifesaving equipment and support public safety.”
“We also look for ways to help our local first responders. After a volunteer fire station in Firth, Idaho, had some damage from a fire that broke out in the middle of the night, our Idaho stores donated 100% of their sales for an entire day to help the fire department rebuild. We were able to donate a total of $22,189. Our teams were excited to be part of such a much needed donation, and even though it was an insanely busy day, everyone stayed upbeat and worked hard the entire day.”
Why did you choose to work with Zions Bank and how has it helped your small business?
“We have an incredible relationship manager at Zions Bank who was instrumental in our growth. He helped us access capital and provided a very smooth banking process for our small business. His support helped us meet a wide variety of our financial needs — everything from bank deposits to loans.”
Looking for a bank that’s invested in your future and can help you reach your financial goals? Zions Bank’s team of relationship managers can provide small business success strategies as well as funding options, including U.S. Small Business Administration loans. Visit a local Zions Bank branch to learn more.