How Port of Subs Is Turning Veteran Ownership Into a Growth Strategy

Opening a restaurant in a new market means building more than a customer base.

在新市场开设餐厅意味着建立的不仅仅是客户群。

Someone has to navigate unfamiliar real estate, assemble a team, establish local relationships, and turn a brand’s operating system into a business that works in that community.

必须有人在不熟悉的房地产中航行，组建团队，建立当地关系，并将品牌的操作系统转变为在该社区运作的业务。

Expanding across a region multiplies those responsibilities.

跨区域扩张会使这些责任成倍增加。

Port of Subs is approaching that challenge through veteran recruitment—and regional developers whose ambitions extend beyond their own restaurants.

Port of Subs 正在通过招募资深人士以及志向超越自己餐厅的区域开发商来应对这一挑战。

A 50 percent franchise fee discount helps lower the cost of entry for veterans, but the larger opportunity lies in pairing their leadership experience and market knowledge with the brand’s product, systems, and development support.

50% 的特许经营费折扣有助于降低退伍军人的进入成本，但更大的机会在于将他们的领导经验和市场知识与品牌的产品、系统和开发支持相结合。

For regional developers working in Coastal Virginia, Dallas and Denver, the Washington metropolitan area, and Arizona, military service provides a foundation.

对于在弗吉尼亚州沿海地区、达拉斯和丹佛、华盛顿都市区和亚利桑那州工作的地区开发商来说，兵役提供了基础。

Building a restaurant business still requires learning an entirely different industry.

建立餐饮业仍然需要学习完全不同的行业。

Their experiences show how veteran recruitment can become part of a market-entry strategy—not because military credentials guarantee success, but because the right candidates bring skills that can help move development forward.

他们的经验表明，退伍军人招募如何成为市场进入战略的一部分——不是因为军事资格保证成功，而是因为合适的候选人带来了有助于推动发展的技能。

For Kunal Suri, regional developer for Dallas and Denver, the appeal began with the sandwich itself.

对于达拉斯和丹佛的区域开发商 Kunal Suri 来说，吸引力始于三明治本身。

Meat and cheese sliced fresh in front of the customer gave Port of Subs a recognizable point of difference.

在顾客面前新鲜切片的肉和奶酪给 Port of Subs 带来了明显的差异化。

Open territory gave him a reason to consider the business beyond a single location.

开放的地域让他有理由考虑超越单一地点的业务。

“I did not want to buy into something where every good territory was already taken,” Suri says.

“我不想购买那些所有好地盘都已经被占领的东西，”苏里说。

“With Port of Subs, I saw an established brand with a long history, but also an opportunity to help build the brand in markets like Dallas and Denver.”

“通过 Port of Subs，我看到了一个历史悠久的知名品牌，同时也有机会帮助在达拉斯和丹佛等市场打造该品牌。”

Suri served in the Army Reserve from 2016 through 2026 as a cargo specialist while also building a corporate career.

2016 年至 2026 年，Suri 在陆军预备役部队服役，担任货运专家，同时也开拓了企业职业生涯。

Ownership offered a more direct connection between his decisions, his team, and the customer experience.

所有权在他的决策、团队和客户体验之间提供了更直接的联系。

Dan Hudson, regional developer for Coastal Virginia, arrived through a different connection.

弗吉尼亚海岸地区开发商丹·哈德森 (Dan Hudson) 通过不同的途径抵达。

He attended high school near Reno, where Port of Subs was founded, and continued visiting the brand when he returned home.

他在 Port of Subs 创立地里诺附近的高中就读，回国后继续关注该品牌。

But familiarity did not replace financial scrutiny.

但熟悉并不能取代财务审查。

“Port of Subs was not a brand I discovered in a franchise directory,” Hudson says.

“Port of Subs 并不是我在特许经营目录中发现的品牌，”哈德森说。

“It was part of growing up for me.

“这对我来说是成长的一部分。

That gave the opportunity an emotional connection, but both sides still had to earn the decision through due diligence.”

这给了一个情感联系的机会，但双方仍然必须通过尽职调查才能做出决定。”

Hudson is developing his first Coastal Virginia restaurant while helping recruit and support prospective franchise owners across the region.

哈德森正在开发他的第一家弗吉尼亚海岸餐厅，同时帮助招募和支持该地区的潜在特许经营店主。

Veterans, transitioning service members, and their families will be a focus of that recruitment.

退伍军人、转业军人及其家人将成为此次招募的重点。

The 50 percent franchise fee discount matters when expenses accumulate before the first sandwich is sold.

当第一个三明治售出之前费用累积时，50% 的特许经营费折扣很重要。

For these developers, it also communicates something about the relationship they are entering.

对于这些开发人员来说，它还传达了一些有关他们正在进入的关系的信息。

“I love that Port of Subs is actively interested in veterans,” Hudson says.

“我喜欢潜艇港对退伍军人的积极兴趣，”哈德森说。

“The franchise fee discount is meaningful, but the bigger signal is that the brand recognizes the value veterans can bring in leadership, accountability, adaptability, and team-building.”

“特许经营费折扣很有意义，但更大的信号是，该品牌认识到退伍军人可以在领导力、责任感、适应能力和团队建设方面带来的价值。”

Bryan Denson, regional developer for Washington, D.C., Maryland, and Virginia, saw that commitment as evidence that veteran recruitment went beyond messaging.

华盛顿特区、马里兰州和弗吉尼亚州的区域开发商布莱恩·丹森 (Bryan Denson) 认为，这一承诺证明退伍军人招募不仅仅只是传达信息。

His interest also grew through conversations with Dave Liniger, whose business background and Air Force service prompted him to investigate the opportunity.

他的兴趣也通过与戴夫·利尼格（Dave Liniger）的交谈而增长，戴夫·利尼格的商业背景和空军服役促使他调查这个机会。

Still, an incentive cannot substitute for confidence in the concept.

尽管如此，激励措施并不能取代人们对这一概念的信心。

Arizona regional developer Lee Kroll places product quality ahead of the discount.

亚利桑那州地区开发商 Lee Kroll 将产品质量置于折扣之上。

His positive experiences eating at Port of Subs gave him confidence in the core offering.

他在 Port of Subs 就餐的积极经历让他对核心产品充满信心。

Together, those perspectives establish an important distinction: the incentive can help a qualified candidate get started, but the product, economics, and people must earn the investment.

这些观点共同构成了一个重要的区别：激励措施可以帮助合格的候选人开始工作，但产品、经济和人员必须赢得投资。

Hudson began as an enlisted Marine before serving as a Navy Submarine Warfare Officer and Navy Diver.

哈德森最初是一名海军陆战队员，后来担任海军潜艇作战军官和海军潜水员。

His subsequent career spanned engineering, data science, and technology leadership.

他随后的职业生涯涵盖工程、数据科学和技术领导力。

What carries into development is not a particular technical specialty.

进行开发的并不是特定的技术专业。

“What has translated most directly from the military is not a specific technical skill,” Hudson says.

“最直接从军队转化而来的并不是特定的技术技能，”哈德森说。

“It is learning how to make important decisions with imperfect information, build strong teams, stay calm when plans change, and keep moving.”

“它正在学习如何利用不完善的信息做出重要决策，建立强大的团队，在计划发生变化时保持冷静，并继续前进。”

For Suri, logistics provides a practical connection.

对于苏瑞来说，物流提供了实际的联系。

Staffing, inventory, deliveries, preparation, and equipment form an interdependent operation.

人员配备、库存、交付、准备和设备构成了相互依​​赖的运作。

A problem in one area affects the others.

一个领域的问题会影响到其他领域。

His leadership approach emphasizes clear expectations, repetition, and accountability—but also adapting communication to employees with different experience levels.

他的领导方法强调明确的期望、重复和责任，但也适应与不同经验水平的员工的沟通。

“You cannot hold someone accountable for something if you never clearly explained what good looks like,” Suri says.

“如果你从未清楚地解释过什么是好的，你就无法让某人对某件事负责，”苏瑞说。

Kroll similarly emphasizes prioritization and taking responsibility for the entire business.

克罗尔同样强调优先顺序和对整个业务负责。

Those habits matter in a restaurant, where ownership means answering for everything from team performance to the finished order.

这些习惯在餐厅中很重要，因为所有权意味着对从团队绩效到完成订单的一切负责。

Denson spent 23½ years in the Air Force, retiring as an intelligence officer, and previously managed a busy Burger King.

丹森在空军服役了 23.5 年，以情报官员的身份退休，此前曾管理过一家繁忙的汉堡王。

Even with that background, he recognizes the learning required in leases, construction, permitting, financing, and franchise operations.

即使有这样的背景，他也认识到租赁、建筑、许可、融资和特许经营业务所需的学习。

His Laurel, Maryland, restaurant is approaching opening—not an established operating success.

他在马里兰州劳雷尔的餐厅即将开业，但经营上还算不上成功。

He sees it as a potential proof of concept for a broader ambition: more than 70 locations across his region over 10 years.

他将其视为实现更远大目标的潜在概念证明：10 年内在其所在地区开设 70 多个分店。

Proximity to Fort Meade, government activity, and defense employers informs that strategy.

靠近米德堡、政府活动和国防雇主为这一战略提供了依据。

Denson sees catering opportunities in meetings, training events, ceremonies, and working lunches, alongside customers from schools, hospitals, universities, and local businesses.

Denson 看到了为学校、医院、大学和当地企业的客户提供会议、培训活动、仪式和工作午餐的餐饮机会。

That connection to military communities also extends to the brand’s expansion onto bases.

这种与军事界的联系也延伸到了该品牌向基地的扩张。

Port of Subs recently opened a restaurant at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, specifically to serve the servicemen and women stationed there.

Port of Subs最近在古巴关塔那摩湾开设了一家餐厅，专门为驻扎在那里的军人提供服务。

Another location is planned for a food court in Oceana, Virginia, with several additional locations under development around the country.

另一个地点计划在弗吉尼亚州奥希阿纳建立一个美食广场，全国各地还有几个地点正在开发中。

Alongside veteran recruitment, these openings give the brand another path into new markets while bringing its offering directly to military customers.

除了招募退伍军人外，这些空缺职位还为该品牌进入新市场提供了另一条途径，同时将其产品直接提供给军事客户。

“What I’m really trying to do is take what Port of Subs already knows how to do well and combine that with what I know about this market,” Denson says.

“我真正想做的是利用 Port of Subs 已经知道如何做好的事情，并将其与我对这个市场的了解结合起来，”丹森说。

“I think that’s where the real opportunity is.”

“我认为这才是真正的机会所在。”

Support helps bridge the gap between transferable skills and restaurant-specific knowledge.

支持有助于弥合可转移技能和餐厅特定知识之间的差距。

Suri points to assistance with site development, training, and ongoing operations, especially access to people who have encountered a problem before.

苏瑞指出，他们在网站开发、培训和持续运营方面提供了帮助，特别是帮助以前遇到过问题的人。

The next challenge is building leadership capacity alongside restaurants.

下一个挑战是与餐厅一起建立领导能力。

Denson wants employees to see a path from team member to management and potentially ownership, with veterans and military families participating throughout the organization.

丹森希望员工看到一条从团队成员到管理层和潜在所有权的路径，让退伍军人和军人家属参与整个组织。

That is where the growth strategy becomes larger than recruitment.

这就是增长战略比招聘更重要的地方。

Experienced leaders can help develop new owners, build teams, and connect an expanding brand with local communities.

经验丰富的领导者可以帮助培养新的所有者、建立团队并将不断扩张的品牌与当地社区联系起来。

The work remains ahead, but the ambition is clear.

工作仍在继续，但目标是明确的。

“For most of my adult life, somebody else gave me the mission,” Denson says.

“在我成年后的大部分时间里，都是别人给了我这个使命，”丹森说。

“This time, I get to choose it.”

“这一次，我必须选择。”

Learn more about regional development opportunities by visiting Port of Subs website .

请访问 Port of Subs 网站，了解有关区域发展机会的更多信息。