Interview with Rami Awada, Master franchisee of Which Wich Superior Sandwiches UK
Rami Awada is a Canadian entrepreneur and is the master franchisee and Managing Director of Which Wich Superior Sandwiches in the UK. He was born and raised in Beirut, Lebanon before moving to Montreal, Canada to pursue his studies in industrial engineering.
Rami worked in real estate and finance (investment banking) before pivoting to the food and beverage industry and venturing into food franchising. He introduced Which Wich Superior Sandwiches, a premium, American fast-casual brand to Europe, establishing its flagship location near Covent Garden, in central London.
Please tell us about Which Wich franchise
Which Wich Superior Sandwiches is an international sandwich chain best known for its customisable sand-wiches, creative ordering system and personalised sandwich bag.
Founded in Dallas, Texas in 2003, Which Wich quickly became a hit in the US market picking up many industry accolades as it grew, including recipient of Nation’s Restaurant News’ “Hot Concept” Award. Which Wich has 300 stores open or in development in the United States and internationally. In 2017, the Master Franchise rights for the UK were acquired, and the first location opened in London in 2018. The team has successfully adapted the offer and economic model for the UK market with both brick-and-mortar store and virtual kitchen formats.
Since 2018, Which Wich UK has amassed numerous successes, experiencing significant achievements across various fronts.
Catering offer
Our catering business has seen a remarkable increase of over 200% growth year-on-year across corporate catering marketplace channels as well as our direct channels. This growth has led to the emergence of a substantial catering segment within our brand, prompting interest from potential franchisees. Due to this success, Which Wich recently secured a prestigious long-term contract with the Commonwealth Secretariat to cater to high-profile governmental delegations in Central London for the next four years.
Industry accolades
Which Wich has also gained local and global recognition, consistently ranking in the top 10 globally in the quick service and fast casual sectors. . Forbes even ranked the brand #6 out of more than 3,000 food chains for “Best Franchises in America! In the UK, we have received prestigious awards, such as the gold award at the Sammies for two consecutive years in 2023 and recently in 2024 validating our brand as a top player in the premium sandwich market.
Urban model optimisation
One of our key strengths is the brand’s flexibility in the different operational models that we offer, but also in the different and diversified channels that we operate under.
Together with the US teams, we have optimised our Urban model and set it up for success, implementing state of the art solutions with speed of service as a key focus, including developing our own Grab n Go offering (which we call Quick Wich), kiosk ordering solutions, Click n Collect amongst others.
Menu offering
We've expanded our ‘all day’ menu offering to include an English breakfast, catering to diverse customer preferences and attracting partnerships with travel hub landlords and operators.
Overall, these accomplishments demonstrate our growth, adaptability, and leadership within the food industry.
Why did you choose to bring Which Wich franchise to the UK?
When I first stumbled upon Which Wich in the States, I was immediately drawn by the concept, the brand's culture and vibe and their creative ordering system; and after trying various sandwiches, I understood why they call them ‘superior.’ The menu offerings are unlike any other brand, and I knew right then that it was a concept that would work in the UK. At that time we had already been in touch and were exploring multiple different brands to bring over to London so we immediately got in touch with Jeff Sinelli (the Founder of the brand) and his team, and the rest is history.
What does the Which Wich UK franchise model look like?
Our stores are as uniquely styled as our concept. Which Wich is strategically positioned in the fast casual sector, the fastest growing segment of the restaurant industry. By design, we have eliminated most of the moving parts in typical restaurants. This proprietary system creates maximum efficiency, thereby controlling costs and improving the bottom line. Part of our brand flexibility includes our “Quick Wich” express display counter with our selected range of hot and cold favourite sandwiches for our “Grab and Go” customers. The highly adaptable Which Wich store design is ideal for a variety of location types such as:
- Urban & Suburban Locations
- Travel Hubs (Airports and Rail)
- Colleges and Universities
- Stand Alone
- Endcaps and Inline Retail
- Shopping Malls (Including a one year pop up in London’s Selfridges which was a huge hit and great for us in terms of brand exposure.)
- Food Courts
- Freestanding Kiosk
- Hospitals
- Virtual Kitchens
What are the main USP’s that allows Which Wich to stand out in the busy F&B market?
The brand’s concept is made-to-order food using fresh high quality, locally sourced ingredients coupled with being able to customise your own ‘WICH’ through a special ordering system that ultimately gives you a personalised sandwich bag. It’s basically curating a tasty food combo exactly to your spec, from tons of options for the base, filling, toppings and sauce or dressing, and freshly baked in front of you – so if you crave interesting; fill your boots.
Our key advantages include a comprehensive technology support system that seamlessly integrates online ordering, click & collect, delivery, point of sale, inventory management, purchasing, labour management, a loyalty program amongst others. All these functions are seamlessly integrated providing a ‘360 degree solution’ to our franchisee system, optimising sales forecasting, labour efficiency, purchasing, and waste management. We also provide a comprehensive internal 'Franchise system' that facilitates seamless Franchisor-Franchisee relations. This includes communication, training and visual assets, operational protocols, and everything in between.
Our excellent relationship with the top marketplaces enabled us to have preferred commission rates for delivery and thus maximising our brand’s profitability in delivery/online channels with a direct big effect on our bottom line. Our Quick WICH program caters to grab & go customers, while our extensive catering offering serves corporate offices and party need. supported by our direct channels and via partnerships with the main catering marketplaces, notably Just Eat For Business.
Additionally, Social and environmental responsibility has long been part of the key corporate objectives within Which Wich. We constantly investigate and implement new ways to reduce our carbon footprint and measure the environmental impact of the business operations on various fronts, some of these are listed below:
- Optimising the provenance of each and every one of our ingredients with our supply chain partners
- Optimizing the store set up by the use of energy efficient equipment and while adhering to LEED certification guidelines.
- Optimising our packaging solutions.
- We use a state of the art back-office and inventory management software that includes dynamic order processing and effective food waste minimization processes.
- We donate unsold products to homeless shelters.
- Finally, we operate under a strong set of values focused on our responsibilities and commitments to our local communities and environment. Core to our working ethos is Project PBJ, (projectpbj.org) which is our brand’s initiative to spread the love and help our guests give back and feed those in need.
What are your initial plans for expanding Which Wich across the UK?
Within the first three to four years, we are looking to franchise 30 locations in key towns and cities across the UK.
What type of partners are you looking for?
Which Wich is currently awarding franchise opportunities to passionate entrepreneurs who enjoy hospitality and who exemplify strong leadership and business skills. The best franchisees share our vibe and culture and are committed to delivering superior guest service and to creating the ultimate superior sandwich experience.
We are keen to speak to experienced F&B partners as well as those with a successful business track record in a non-food related industry.
What have been some of the challenges you have faced bringing the brand to the UK?
In the world of franchising, one of the primary hurdles lies in establishing a comprehensive and robust support system that extends across the entire franchised territory. From a supply chain standpoint, a major challenge in franchising is ensuring a cost-effective and efficient supply chain that aligns with the brand's economic model, but also to maintain it relative to the yearly increase in price index.
This was a key focus for us especially in the UK with the recent post-covid and post-Brexit macroeconomic conditions that had substantial effects on labour and food inflationary cost increases. This task would be particularly daunting for brands with a smaller footprint, lacking the direct economies of scale. Fortunately, our partnership with Sysco, our global suppliers, significantly alleviated this challenge for our brand.
What are your plans for Which Wich for the next 12 – 24 months?
Looking ahead, our future plans include expanding the Which Wich brand with qualified franchise partners across our UK territory and beyond while making sure that we are targeting multiple different formats (High Street, Travel, Kiosk, Mall etc) and through our many different channels. We are committed to continually innovating and enhancing the dining experience for our customers while fostering a culture of excellence and entrepreneurship within our franchise network. It is a great time for entrepreneurs who are looking to franchise to get in early before the territory is sold out. Those who want to #GetYourWichOn and interested in learning more about the franchise, additional information can be found below.
Interested and want to know more about Which Wich?
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