Charley's Grilled Subs

Listen to Our Interview With the Charley's Grilled Subs Franchise

Over the years, Franchise Interviews has discussed many great stories on franchising. On today's interview, it all started by a wrong turn made right. A gentleman named Charley was taking a family vacation when a missed exit brought him to South Philadelphia. His first encounter with a local delicacy, a Philly Cheesesteak, was love at first bite. Totally captivated, he brought his findings back home to Columbus, Ohio and began testing recipes on his college buddies.

After perfecting the recipe, Charley's fortune took another turn for the best. His mother let him borrow from her life savings to open the first Charley's on the Ohio State University campus. The 450 square foot, 16 seat restaurant featuring Philly Steak Subs, Gourmet Fries and Natural Lemonade was an instant hit. To keep up with customer demand, Charley began franchising in 1991. Locations began popping up all over the world, including mall food courts, strip centers, airports and even Army & Air Force Bases. You can now enjoy the award-winning taste of Charley's Grilled Subs in hundreds of locations, from Ohio to Hawaii to Alaska to Japan and beyond. Learn more by listening to the interview.  Click the play button below to listen to the show.