Premium sandwich specialist Which Wich is looking to reach the 100-site mark within the next six or seven years, UK managing director and master franchisee Rami Awada tells MCA.
The US-based chain, founded in Dallas in 2003, has a restaurant in Covent Garden and a delivery kitchen in Shoreditch. It also has c227 sites in the US and international locations in the Middle East.
It is looking for franchise partners across the country as it aims for 30 locations within three years.
“Covent Garden was our pilot store – we worked on the look and feel, the design element, the ordering process, the pricing strategy,” Awada says. “We wanted to set future franchisees up for success.”
The brand placed its bricks-and-mortar development on hold during the pandemic, but opened a pop-up at Selfridges in 2022 and has also grown its catering and delivery business, both forming a substantial proportion of revenue. It is soon to open another delivery kitchen in London.
“We have a great product for delivery,” Awada adds. “We’ve been growing our corporate catering volumes over 200% year-on-year and retaining big clients.”
Which Wich initially grew in Texan suburbs before branching out to city centres, but Awada explains the brand will prove its success in city centres first when it comes to the UK.
Travel hubs and service stations are a key target, as well as traditional high street locations.
“We established the brand in London and took our time to nurture it,” he says. “We’ve set it up for success in a difficult environment.
“We’re targeting a nationwide rollout because we’ve got that support system for franchisees. We’re a customisable sandwich brand, so any tweaks to the product or pricing strategy are easy to make.”
While footfall in office areas remains lower than pre-Covid, Awada notes that sales between Tuesdays and Thursdays are higher than they used to be.
“You have to make sure you stay relevant from a menu perspective and that the economic model is healthy enough.”
Some aspects of the brand make it a strong contender for a wide variety of customers, particularly its grab-and-go offer for workers, which sits alongside the customisable made-to-order offering.
“The ‘quick wich’ is not core for us but a great market to tap into, especially in city centres,” Awada adds. “We’re also looking to kick off click-and-collect.
“Catering is a great income stream that will help us sign franchisees, while cloud kitchens are a great complementary addition for our huge catering business. They’re also a good way to test new markets for us.”
The flexible format ensures the brand can operate from sites between 500-3,000 sq ft, while the product is geared for an all-day offer, with a breakfast menu featuring poached egg muffins and more indulgent items such as the Philly cheese steak for late night trade.
The senior team has also been built to support growth, including former Mitchells & Butlers managing director Kevin Todd as non-executive chairman.
“We’ve got a fun, vibrant brand,” Awada says. “A lot of variables affect the numbers, but we can get to 100 or more in the next six to seven years.
“We’re gearing up to hopefully make a bit of noise on a national level.”
