Franchise Update Magazine Issue III, 2016 | Page 18

ANATOMY OF A BRAND
BY CHRISTINE SPECHT

IN WITH THE NEW!
Cousins Subs reboots for future growth

T

he fast casual space is one that continuously evolves to meet consumer
demands. From restaurant design to
ordering methods and digital advancements
both in-store and online, brands are continually undergoing changes to keep
their dynamic guest base happy…
and full. We at Cousins Subs are
no exception. But before I introduce you to the reinvented Cousins
Subs, I must first set the stage as to
how we got here.
Who we are
For those not familiar with Cousins Subs, our journey began in 1972 when
my father Bill Specht and his cousin Jim
Sheppard brought their favorite style of
sub sandwich from the East Coast to their
new hometown of Milwaukee. Setting out
to serve “Better Bread. Better Subs.” they
began a legacy of meticulously crafting the
finest sandwiches possible. Driven by a belief that “there is no substitute for quality,”
they used bread baked daily, ingredients
sliced deli fresh, and grilled subs made to
order—a cuisine philosophy we are proudly
known for today.

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Setting the stage for change
Now that I’ve introduced you to our Midwest
sub shop, let’s talk about its reinvention. In
May, we announced that we are rolling out
a streamlined look and feel across all of our

restaurants as we seek to expand our footprint further into the Midwest. This will be
accomplished through a new in-store and
exterior design concept, remodeling of all
existing locations, and rebranding of key
brand attributes. However, the road to a
revitalized Cousins Subs has been years in
the making, and the journey did not come
without its hurdles.
We first had to take a step back to ask
ourselves, “Why are we doing this?” The

answer? Because we “Believe in Better”
through the continual improvement in everything we do. That is our mission at Cousins
Subs. We believe our guests deserve a better
product, served in a