sandwichking

Hi Herb, When my partner Mike and I were developing the concept, we realized that the operations side of the business would be very complex. So our plan focuses more on getting the operations tight and putting a fantastic team together, and I mentioned earlier that we have been busy hiring great people and refining our systems. We’re close to the point at which our systems will be robust enough to expand to a new city, and our future expansion will depend on how quickly we learn lessons from that expansion, and how well we learn them. We’ll base our location decisions on demographics, real estate, and our instincts. To build on that, when I had my plans for a fast-casual sandwich joint (all written up and everything!), I thought I'd want to limit it to the Northeast for phase 1, then perhaps California for phase 2, then perhaps the rest of the country eventually. Have you made similar plans regarding how to target your growth geographically (highest density vs. fastest growing vs. distribution network-based) and as to ownership model (franchise versus corporate versus combination)? Also, how soon do you think operations will have been standardized such that you feel comfortable expanding to Philadelphia and elsewhere? ←

We wanted to include high-quality (and some eccentric) ingredients that we were familiar with from our years of restaurant industry experience, and that other restaurants weren’t using. At this point, we have enough choices to keep our customers satisfied, so we don’t see a need for more. However, we constantly monitor which ingredients are ordered by location and season. We have done consumer research, and we also monitor the results from our online surveys. As we expand, we will continue to track which ingredients are consumer favorites.

Kansas City, here we come!

Hi Judy, The good thing about choosing cities is that there have been so many advancements in statistical analysis of demographics that companies can now make much more informed location decisions. The demographics play a large part in location decisions, but you also have to use your instincts, and that's our formula. Over the next two years we will continue to focus on the Northeast, especially New York, Boston, and DC. We will assess future growth plans after that. As for the Steve Shaw, I’m not quite sure about the complete ingredient list, but it will definitely feature bacon.

Hi Jason, Actually, we ended up not rolling out the smart card as a response to our customers. When we were designing the concept, we felt that consumers would come in and create their own salads and sandwiches, and consistently order the same thing. We have found, however, that our customers are continually creating new recipes. Few people order the same thing time after time, so the smart card was not as useful to our customers as we had predicted. With the exception of the smart card, the concept, including the vast selection of ingredients, has stayed consistent from day one. As the resident technologist and cynical bastard on the team, I said the following: There was much spirited argument afterwards. Now, two and a half years later, it looks like some of what I predicted came to pass. You ditched the smartcards (or rather, chose not to introduce the technology for the same reasons for which it was originally intended -- you use them for other purposes now instead, such as tracking usage of Wi-Fi and Phone Chargers, Fax Machines and Photocopiers) you added 8 specialty sandwiches and 8 salads (all of which are very good, by the way -- I love the shortrib and soft shell crab!) but you kept the ingredient card. Why did you finally decide not to use the Smart Cards for sandwich preference tracking and quick ordering? For the reasons I outlined above? Or for some other reasons? Was the implementation more complex than originally thought? Perhaps its on hold? I originally had my doubts about Starwich's long term viability, but it seems like you guys have adapted to fit actual business realities and are now doing very well -- It's always a hard choice to make those changes when you have strong emotional and philosophical ties as the business founder and so wanted to make those things work. I salute you and respect you for doing so and modifying your convictions and concept rather than doggedly persuing a bad strategy, which many new businesses end up doing and folding as a result. ←

Hi, Steve. The key to starting up a multi-part chain is having people who worked with you in the past who understand your culture, and hiring well-enough in advance to give new managers time to grasp the systems, ambiance and culture before going to another restaurant. I can’t emphasize enough the importance of being system-oriented. We focused on building these systems into the first restaurant, and we have been refining them as we grow.

We actually do toast the sandwiches for delivery. We wrap them and convey them in a way that keeps them warm for a period of time. I'm looking forward to being here next week to answer questions.

Just to let you know we opened a Starwich location at 63 Wall street downtown; for more information go to www.starwich.com