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Thursday, January 29, 2009

Quizno's Shouldn't be in Business

This just in: toasted subs aren't cool anymore.

Toasted subs don't make you original, unique or different than anyone else. Customers aren't surprised and delighted by toasted subs anymore.....it's expected.

So Quizno's.....how the heck are you still in business? As far as I can tell you don't really offer anything special at all aside from the fact that your subs are toasted. Wow. Toasted Subs........a revolutionary concept (10 years ago).

As part of the $5 Showdown I went to Quizno's today to get a taste of their new Value Menu that offers 20 subs for under $5. Sounds like a good deal right?

Eh, not really.

They do have a variety of subs true, but all of the ones that are under $5 really aren't any good. The only ones that even sparked my interest was the meatball marinara and the 5 Meat Stack - which is the sandwich I ended up ordering. Sure it's affordable, $5 or cheaper for any meal is pretty reasonable but somehow with Quizno's it just doesn't seem worth it. To keep things simple, below is a list of reasons why Quizno's shouldn't be in business:

- The restaurant is dirty. Napkins and crumbs were scattered all over the floor, 90% of the tables weren't cleaned.
-Two words, "Angry Staff" which don't even begin to describe the attitude of the employees. Not since Red Lobster have I witnessed such pissed of workers. They made building a sub seem like a task out of hell.
-Options? Don't exist. Don't dare try and change a single thing from the menu description of the item....you will receive dirty looks from everyone. The lady behind me wanted to substitute ham for more roast beef....she finally got her way after arguing with two employees that it was "fair" for her to do it. The guy in front of me wanted more than just one kind of mustard....not allowed, honey mustard is the only kind that comes on his sandwich.
- There is nothing significant that they offer. Every sandwich shop on earth toasts their subs and they do it with bigger portions, similar prices and pleasant employees.
-It takes forever. The toaster in the middle of the line makes absolutely no sense. The employees on the other end of the toaster get backed up and the result is irritated customers who have been waiting in line for 10 minutes......for a sandwich.
- Pissed and Unknowledgeable....the employee at the cash register didn't know how much or what my sandwich was and when I asked him how much a medium drink was he didn't know (and it wasn't posted anywhere in store).
-No sweetener...this is personal preference however, I just have one simple request: if you're going to offer fresh brewed iced tea in your restaurant, make sure you have lemon and some form of sweetener. When I asked for a Sweet and Low the manager told me they were out! How can you be out of Sweet and Low!?!

Here's the summary: dirty restaurant, angry and unmotivated employees, poor ability to be flexible, and no unique or special feature about the restaurant. I've done the math and it doesn't add up: how and WHY are these people still in business?

The most mind blowing part? The line was out the door!

Maybe it's just me, but I have been to Quizno's three times in the past few years and every time was awful. Sure, I got a sandwich for $4.50 but who cares when the whole experience was as irritating and dirty as mine was.

So somebody.....anybody! Tell me - why do people go to Quizno's?!

Posted by Dan Holm at 10:18 PM
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19 comments:

  1. That's in sharp contrast to the Quiznos experiences I've had. Granted, I haven't been to one in Florida.. but the ones in Michigan are top notch. The prices are a little higher than I liked, but the food was always good, the place clean and the staff-- while hurried-- was still accommidating. Then again, that was years ago. I'm sure things change...
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  2. Dan,

    I must dissent. I love quizno's. I think their subs are bigger than subway and they offer better choices, and better quality of...meat (ugg I hate using that word). They are the only chain that has a good "prime rib" "steak" sandwhich out there. I've never seen a dirty store, and while the line is sometimes annoying, I feel its worth it. I once walked from one end of DTW airport to the other just to have quiznos. I think you are giving them a bad rap. If they shouldn't be in business, why is their line so long? And one last point, does any other sanwhich shop have commercials where their chefs are in full getup? I think not.


    however, NOTHING beats jimmy johns for a roast beef.
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  3. To be completely honest, I've always wondered about the Quiznos commercials with the 'full chef getup'
    Are they claiming that every quiznos employee is a chef? Or where those the 'executive chefs' of quiznos...the ones that come up with the sandwich "recipes". If that's the case, just...wow.
    That said, Florida must have really dirty Quiznos. While every subway I've ever been in has been virtually the same: clean looking, but with a sinking feeling that something in there is old or dirty (including truck stop subways), every quiznos I've ever been to has been decent.
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  4. With all of this said, maybe it is just me and my awful luck there. However, to be completely honest I just don't see how Quizno's is any different than any other sub place. They seem so below average when it comes to everything: taste, service etc.

    And Steph to your point - those are ads and I doubt that Quizno's has any "chefs" at all. Heck I'm sure all of us could come up with similar meat, cheese and veggie combinations for some sandwiches.
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  5. All is not well in Quizno's land -

    http://www.recreatingtampa.com/eatingtampa/2009/01/21/quiznos-franchisees-suing-quiznos/
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  6. Quiznos here in Utah is EXACTLY as you described. ALWAYS dirty! And I hate that I have to plan a good 40 minutes for lunch there since its SO slow!! The only thing I like there is the flatbread sammie- but they are a rip off for what you get!
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  7. must be where you live. all the subways here are dirty and disgusting. they use cheap meat and crappy bread, i can't stand it. the quiznos on the other hand are really clean and they actually have a lot of good deals for their sandwiches. some of their best sandwiches are on their deals (like the classic italian.)
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  8. Subwat is better than Quiznoes, i honestly don't know how they stay in business.
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  9. all fast food and quick service is garbage. Even if it tastes good it's lacking in quality. I would suggest supporting restraunts that buy locally grown meats and produce as much as possible, and who don't support the big farms that are polluting and killing us. it might cost more today, but it will cost less tomorrow because the consumer controls the market, or at least can if they so choose.
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  10. u live in the ghetto or something? the quiznos where i live are fantastic.... much, much better than subway.
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  11. Just so you know, a Quiznos (no apostrophe since 2002) is only as good, meaning well-run, accurate and clean, as its owner lets it be. Bad owner, bad Quiznos. Florida is in the Bible Belt, which is rife with self-righteous yet regulation-flaunting franchise owners who will cut every corner because they believe it is their divine right.
    That's why accounts of franchise cleanliness and employee attitude differ so much between regions.
    As to the question of Quiznos employing actual chefs: yes, they do.
    I'm not writing this in defense of the company as a whole, per se, but to swat away the more ignorant speculation so that you may perhaps start asking the RIGHT questions about Quiznos.
    For instance, why is the owner of your local Quiznos so mad at corporate he/she/they won't train and motivate the employees better?
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  12. I have seen three Quinos go out of business in the last couple of months in So. Cal. - I personally like it better than Subway but it is just perference. I hear their business plan is bad - hate to see businesses fail.
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  13. Agreed with the above. As of the last year or two, the ones around me that have not gone out of business have taken a big turn for the worse. Out of everything, dirty, substitute cups/ingredients.

    The franchisees may be getting a raw deal from the top.

    The food is awesome when you get to a store at the top of its game like most were in 2005.
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  14. there is a proplem with every franchise, blam the owner of the franchise, and this is how franchise owners lose business and profits.
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  15. my family owned a franchise before and now i own a few quiznos in fl area. It is up to me to keep my stores in top shape. We have better quality and better service than subway. what do u really get at subway for you $5 bucks lettice. you get less the 10% of meats in a sub. i have seen bad quiznos , thats bad owners.
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  16. I'm a NewYorker.I worked as a field tech for Verizon.Word gets around where to eat.As a woman I generally eat lite.But we always shared where's the best place to get lunch.No one ever said Subway,Blimbies or Quizno's.But then again there was one Quizno's on Central Ave, White plains. Saw their commercial on TV. Prime rib with cheese on a toastie whatever.I tried it not bad. But the point I will make is I watched the Indian Geru measure exactally 4oz. of meat and a piece of cheese they considired as a whole 4'by4' cut diagonally into a triangle was a peice of cheese.I said, Are you kidding? I asked them to butter the bread b4 running thru the toaster..Oh we don't do that. #$&^#&??? WHAT!WHY?When you work outside in the dead of a cold winter-hot soup,hot sandwich hot bbq chicken will do for me...My thought to you my friends outside of Dan is for the price we pay for food today should be something substantual. Any commercial I've seen w/subway,blimbies or quizno's doesn't friends when you go to buy..Ex. Subway shows you a nice meaty meatball sandwich commercial. Again with the Indian geru's there too make meatballs the size of quail eggs..Go figure..Pizza places give you a meal you can take home after eating half..There's a big lawsuit going on with Quizno's based throughout the country..The one I went to didn't even last 2yrs.Florida apparently is doing ok..But in general in NY, we love our hot sandwiches in winter time...Hot meatball, Balboa's, saugage and peppers, hot roastbeef with onions and gravy..chicken cutlets..Florida doesn't need hot sandwiches..And as far as Subway and blimbies their tuna is disgusting..And if you're a stock watcher check the market b4 you make a statement...That's what Cramer would say...Hoohyaa!!
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  17. To the above post I want to add a situation at first hand..I was in Colorado about 13 maybe 14yrs ago..Denver...Because I love chicken. My boyfriend and I went to Boston Market and ate their one night..The chicken was outrageous and huge!!! When I cam back to NY..I had to find my own Boston Market in my area..I did...Their food is outstanding..I love their creamed spinach, mashed potatoes, stuffing, corn muffins..Any side dish is excellent..But to my dissapointment,I found the chicken look like it ran a race and finished first..It was skinny and salty..and apparently the chickens up here run to many marathons..My point to make is, it depends where you live and what choices you make about eating...Today after shopping for Christmas whatever..I was hungry..I generally won't eat at fast food places..I decided..Oh, what harm would it do me to go to Burger King... big mistakooooo!..I came home with a tummy ache because I ate a junior cheeseburger and small fries..I generally don't eat fried foods..The last thing I ate about 4months ago was at Wendy's..didn't do to well their either.. As far as Subway and Blimbies..you will never see me there..And Quizno's wasn't bad but it definitely wasn't worth the dollar.. Eat on and eat on healthy my friends... :-)
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  18. quizno's is way better then subway no doubt but aside from that stop being so negitive and judgmental you just sound ugly and jaded about couple bad expeances at he same place doesnt give you the right to trash the whole franchise there i said my two cents
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  19. The reason employees are angry are because the franchisee's are angry. The franchisee's are angry because the Quizno's coorporation is evil. Do a google search on Quizno's franchise, and you'll read what I'm talking about. Most franchisee's lives are literally ruined by this corporate monster. EVIL.
    ReplyDelete

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