Why Quiznos believes it is on the cusp of a turnaround

Can fries fix Quiznos? This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive features Mark Lohmann, the president of Rego Restaurant Group, which owns Quiznos as well as its sister chain Taco Del Mar. Quiznos has gone from nearly 4,700 U.S. restaurants in 2006 to just 200 now, plus fewer than 300 internationally, a 90% reduction in total unit count that is unprecedented in restaurant industry history. These days the brand is trying just about everything to stop that decline. That has included a new prototype featuring a new menu that includes grilled steak, subs featuring eggs and even French fries. Those are all made by new fryers and grills that Quiznos previously didn’t have. Lohmann talks about that plan and what it means for the chain’s future. He also talks about some of the chain’s other strategies, such as its new prefabricated prototype it is testing elsewhere as well as other changes. He talks about Quiznos’ unique advantages and why he believes the chain is at an Inflection point.