Maricopa Monitor > News
Maricopa resident takes shot at re-opening local restaurant
By BRETT FERA
Managing Editor
Published: Friday, August 13, 2010 6:11 AM MST
He signs the paychecks and pays the bills, works on marketing and filing city permits.
Chances are, too, he's also the one adding a couple of extra slices of tomato to that hot-and-toasted sandwich you just ordered. He'll even mop the floors when it calls for it.
"Whatever it takes," explains Rich Tigner, a Maricopa resident for the past six years and the new owner of the local Quiznos' Sub store, which re-opened early last month at its location in the Shops at Maricopa Fiesta, just north of Fry's Marketplace.
Tigner, a relative lifer in the restaurant business in some form or another, bought his franchise earlier this year to build his own success story and learn how the other side of the business operates.
But don't expect Tigner to be anything-but a hands-on owner, even if that means manning the refilling the lemonade dispenser or wiping the tables during the busy lunch grind.
"I had actually thought I was going to retire last year, and I couldn't stand being retired," he said. "So I looked around Maricopa seeing what I could do, or what had been opened and been closed. I did some research and realized this could be a good choice."
Considering this location had already once housed a Quiznos' and was ready-made for a rebirth – it had been open for about two years before closing in 2007 – Tigner, in his first foray as a restaurant owner, said his store has quickly risen to one of the top three Quiznos' stores in the state in terms of sales and traffic.
"It's something better and different than what we already had here," he said, adding that while his favors the multiple steak sandwich offerings, it's no surprise that Quiznos' signature menu item – the No. 1 "Classic Italian" sub – is the most popular at his store, like just about any other other across the country.
Tigner said the ever-evolving menu, including lighter, more economical options, and the ability to build anything and everything you might want on a sandwich or salad – or specifically that you might want to leave off – is easily part of Quiznos' appeal over other faster-food options.
At this particular location, Tigner noted that the dinner rush – notably Maricopa locals looking for a substantial, yet quick and affordable, bite after a long drive home from work up in the Valley – has been part of the store's success so far.
"Most Quiznos' are like 80 (percent)/20 lunch and dinner, we're about 60/40. We actually do a lot more dinner than other Quiznos'. That's where were picking up a lot of our sales, I think. We're steady the whole day," he said.
Tigner admits to checking out the competition on more than one occasion while he was in process of getting his store off the ground, if for no other reason than to observe and figure out what kind of traction his store might have in Maricopa.
"I did hang out there quite a bit," he says with a laugh of the local Subway store, located across the street adjacent to Basha's. "I hung out there a lot before committing to buy this place."
Tigner said that in determining whether he wanted a Quiznos' franchise for his first ownership foray, his profile – a sole proprietor, sole owner – fits that of what the Quiznos' corporate body wanted.
"It's hard to be an absentee owner and have everything run well when you're here and when you're not here," he added, noting that he's proud that he's been able to add jobs to the local economy.
Nearly his entire staff – 10 plus himself, in all – hail from Maricopa, "and me being here all the time … I live a mile from work. It's great."
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