Last Updated on July 23, 2012 by DeanR
Charley’s Grilled Subs Franchise
Charley’s is a franchise for submarine sandwiches. In 1986, Charley Shin was taking a vacation with his parents. On a long trip, he insisted on taking a break. They took a turn going to Philadelphia. It was then he discovered the Philly Steak Submarine Sandwich.
He enjoyed it so much that he took his passion for it home. He tested recipes on his friends until he found the perfect one. His mother let him borrow money from her savings and was able to put up the first Charley’s inside the Ohio State University campus. It instantly became a favourite amongst students and professors alike. The Philly Cheese Steak, Gourmet French Fries and Lemonade made it all. It has been in business for 21 years now.
It currently has 370 locations 40 of which are in 40 states in the US. Worldwide, they are in Canada, Japan, Germany, Great Britain, Korea, Italy, Venezuela, UAE, and in Kuwait.
What makes Charley’s different is that it’s grilled and all sandwiches are made to order in 90 seconds or less. You are assured that each sandwich is made fresh. Charley has made it Charley’s trademark to have the grill facing the customers and with this, you will see everything made fresh right in front of you.
With Charley’s, another that sets them apart from the others is not just being a business but also creating relationships with everyone. In 2007, one of their franchisees donated to the Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Ohio on their grand opening. It’s all about sharing.
In 2008, a boss in one of the Utah branches of Charley’s donated his kidney to his 16 year old employee. They are not expecting you to do the same but it just goes to show that it’s not just a business but that this company has established a good moral among themselves. A good environment for employees also equals to a good business.
What food is served at Charley’s Grilled Subs
What’s in the menu? Besides the famous Philly Cheese Steak Sandwich, Gourmet Fries and Lemonade, they also have Bacon 3 Cheese, Philly Steak and Bleu, and Steak Sicilian with steak, pepperoni, and provolone. Additions to their menu are the Chicken, Deli, and Grilled Salads. For chicken, they have Chicken Teriyaki, Chicken Parmesan, and Chicken Cordon Bleu. For Grilled Salads, you can choose between Grilled Chicken, Grilled Teriyaki, or Grilled Buffalo.
Costs involved with a Charley’s Grilled Subs Franchise
What are the requirements to become a franchisee? Net worth requirement is $300,000 with a total liquid asset of at least $100,000. Total investment is at around $152,500-$575,000 with franchise fee of $24,500. Royalty fee is 6%. This is for a renewable 10 year term agreement.
What’s included in the franchise package?
Training at the headquarters would be for 5 weeks then there would be onsite training at your location for 7 days. Parts of the on-going support are the newsletters, a toll-free phone line, assistance in the grand opening, internet access, setting up of security and safety measures, purchasing of goods, and marketing support. Included in the marketing support is access to a community website for all franchisees.
Contacting Charley’s Grilled Subs
You may reach them at
Phone: (800)437-8325/ (614)923-4700
Address: 2500 Farmers Dr., #140 Columbus, Ohio 43235