MEDIA COVERAGE “I was a kid from Hoboken with an idea that became my dream come true. I am proud and extremely thankful for all the people who love Blimpie and keep coming back time and time again for more.” — Founder Tony Conza with Michelle Charlesworth, WABC-TV
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M E D I A C O V E R A G E
“I was a kid from Hoboken with an idea that became my dream come true. I am proud and extremely thankful for all the people who love Blimpie and keep coming back time and time again for more.” — Founder Tony Conza with Michelle Charlesworth, WABC-TV
“Blimpie amounts to an American success story, one that proves that a great idea and perseverance can be more important than capital, or lack thereof.”— Peter Genovese, The Star-Ledger
“After briefly leaving their mom’s Patterson, NJ Blimpie store, Alvaro (rejoined brother Julio) and the two brothers retook the Blimpie training program; the store is now “a gold mine.”— Ian Mount, New York Times
Blimpie was recently featured by major National TV shows like Fox and Friends and Good Morning America LIVE. Those two hits alone reached more than 10 million viewers nationwide!
“Non-profit organizations are increasingly turning to franchising as a viable revenue stream. Non-profits are relying on social enterprise efforts with high-profile franchises like Blimpie to fuel their annual funding efforts.” — Dana Mead, Franchising World
7/24/2014
Blimpie, Tim Hortons extend 50th anniversary promotions
RELATED• Tim Hortons 4Q profit risesdespite unit closures• Blimpie debuts lighter menu• More quickservice restaurantnews
print | closeBlimpie, Tim Hortons extend 50th anniversary promotions
Mark BrandauWed, 20140409 16:28
Blimpie and Tim Hortons are making a big deal out of turning 50 by leveraging the golden anniversary into a
yearlong opportunity to reintroduce their brands while showing off new features and growth markets.
Last Friday, Blimpie commemorated its 50th birthday by offering its signature Blimpie Best sub for 50 cents
to the first 200 customers at each of its nearly 600 franchised units. Founder Tony Conza, who opened the
first Blimpie in Hoboken, N.J., with two high school friends in 1964, was on hand at a Blimpie location in
Jersey City, N.J., to unveil a 50foot sub made as part of a charity fundraiser during the day.Conza had filmed a news segment at that Jersey City Blimpie restaurant,
which is only a block away from where he attended grammar school, he
said, “which was a real walk down memory lane.”“I don’t often think too much about the roots of the company,” Conza
said, “so it’s been interesting for me the past few weeks, and I’m looking
forward to what we’re doing all year.”Blimpie’sinitiatives for
2014 include the Golden Giveaway contest, in whichevery customer who orders a combo meal receives ascratch card to enter to win several prizes, like avacation to Hawaii — the 50th state — or free tabletcomputers, free subs for a year or $50 Blimpie giftcards.
“We have high hopes for this year,” added SteveEvans, vice president of marketing for Blimpie, whichis owned by Scottsdale, Ariz.based Kahala Corp.“The goal is to reintroduce the brand, get more trialand awareness, and we think it gives us a greatstepping stone to build on. These types of[anniversary] things only set you up for success onlater promotions.”
Other major platforms for Blimpie this year include the eventual rollout of online ordering and a branded
mobile app that complements its Blimpie Run game for smartphones and tablets. The chain’s thirdquarter
limitedtime offer will pay tribute to Blimpie’s origins: the Hoboken Hero, which will be an Italian sub with
“Since its (pepper jack) promo began last month, sales of the cheese have doubled at Blimpie, VP of Marketing Steve Evans says. The key: Millennials love the stuff. ‘They tend to be more adventurous with what they put on a sandwich.’” — VP of Marketing Steve Evans with Bruce Horovitz, USA Today.
Blimpie has been featured by dozens of the nation’s leading news and restaurant publications, including USA Today, Huffington Post, T ime Magazine, QSR Magazine and Nation’s Restaurant News
“Nonprofit executive Bobby Calvillo and Blimpie area developer Alan Crites found their visions for a community impact could intersect in a powerful way. The two teamed up to establish a Blimpie unit in southern Texas that channels funds to Calvillo’s affordable housing organization.” — Carrie Schmeck, QSR Magazine
“Blimpie is hiring! They are looking for 1500 people between now and the end of the year. They’ve got a really great new program I want to highlight. It’s for veterans. If you want to be a franchise owner and you are a veteran, they will waive the franchise fee for you which is normally $18,000.” — Cheryl Casone, Fox Business Network
7/24/2014Franchise Players: From Blimpie Employee to Franchise Owner | Entrepreneur.com
http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/234474
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Image credit: I like | Flickr
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Even though Jitin Choudhury only became aBlimpie franchisee two years ago, he has beenworking at the sandwich chain for over adecade. Choudhury started out at Blimpie atage 16, working at the same shop thatemployed his mother. He worked his way upthe ladder as manager, gaining the respect andsupport of local customers. When anopportunity emerged to buy his own Blimpielocation, Choudhury jumped on it. Here's howhe's made the transition from employer toemployee.
“Another successful mobile game designed to boost sales and customer loyalty, Blimpie’s Blimpie Run, rolled out in mid-Septem-ber. After nine weeks, nearly 4,400 people had downloaded the Blimpie Run game, and it had generated an opt-in rate of almost 38 percent to Blimpie’s e-mail club.” — Christine Blank, QSR Magazine
“(Blimpie Owner) Jitin Choudhury says his first year is a success. Sales this summer were 15% to 20% higher than those in summer 2012. He projects sales of more than $300,000 in 2013.”— Sheryl Nance-Nash, Newsday
“What we kind of hang our hat on is our flexibility, which involves the menu items, as well as trying to work with the space that they have. It’s kind of our motto — if you’ve got a space and it’s a good-traffic location and you’re willing to add it, we’re going to make it work.” — Blimpie spokesperson with Angela Hanson, Convenience Store News
7/24/2014
How one QSR brand is taking advantage of the c-store resurgence | QSRWeb