Franchisers put a Subway on Adams Avenue

Raul and Laila Said

Not content to own two Subway restaurant franchises — one in City Heights and the other in North Park — Laila and Raul Said have opened a third restaurant at 3540 Adams Ave. in Normal Heights. And they have no qualms about saying that if business warrants, they would be interested in operating more. “If the opportunity arises, we want to continue to grow,” says Laila.
The couple, who moved to San Diego six years ago from Mexico City, just held a grand opening at the Normal Heights location, a 1,250-square-foot restaurant that will employ 15 servers throughout its 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. operating hours, seven days a week. It’s the 200th Subway franchise in San Diego County.
The Said’s opened their first franchise in August 2006 on El Cajon Boulevard and their second one in November 2008 on University Avenue. “This was our first opportunity to build our own store,” said Laila. The space was formerly occupied by an art gallery. The two other locations were already operating as Subway restaurants when the couple took them over.
Laila said she and her husband chose the Subway brand after spending several months researching franchising opportunities. “We looked at different restaurants, different food options and chose Subway because we like the product,” she said. “We wanted to be in something we believed in. We like to eat healthy. And financially, it was something we could afford.”
According to the Said’s, the Subway chain was named the No. 1 franchise opportunity for 2009 by Entrepreneur magazine in its annual “Franchise 500” rankings. The chain now has more than 30,000 locations in 87 countries and territories.
The couple — Laila is 47 and Raul is 55 — have previously owned and operated businesses in Mexico. They also owned and operated a hotel in Acapulco.
Before being accepted into the Subway franchise business, the couple underwent a two-week training program in Connecticut. They split their time between all three of their franchises, which are in neighborhoods that they especially like. “I like the interaction with people,” said Laila. “You get to know the community well. And it’s a great brand — everybody seems to like it.”