Since being brought on board last year, new CEO Steve Heeley has been trying to implement a growth strategy for casual restaurant chain Earl of Sandwich. Billed as makers of “The World’s Greatest Hot Sandwich,” the Earl of Sandwich chain expanded heavily in 2012 and introduced new, buzz-worthy items to its menu. Although food is served quickly, Heeley hates for Earl of Sandwich to be referred to as a fast-food restaurant.
The chain, with headquarters in the Orlando area, has a combination of around thirty corporate and franchised stores, and even a location at Walt Disney World in Downtown Disney. It is actively expanding thru franchising, with seven restaurants added in 2012 alone. In the competitive market of casual dining, carry-out lunches, and fast sandwiches, Earl of Sandwich has to have a master plan to compete effectively.
The Earl of Sandwich Difference
To stand out in the highly competitive sandwich market, Earl of Sandwich focuses on hot sandwiches that are not subs or paninis, but rather fresh-baked sandwiches with the very highest quality ingredients. Its signature hot sandwich is The Original 1762, a fresh-baked concoction of roast beef, sharp cheddar cheese, and horseradish. The 1762 is in homage to the alleged inventor of the sandwich in 1762, the 4th Earl of Sandwich, John Montagu.
The Earl of Sandwich menu is peppered with hot sandwiches and wraps containing meat and cheese combinations that are both unusual and delicious at the same time. For instance, some of their offerings include items with pineapple, cranberries, Hawaiian BBQ sauce, and turkey stuffing, to name just a few. This sets them apart from the many other sandwich chains out there.
Instead of a hot chicken sandwich, Earl of Sandwich ups the ante with an unusual hot Caribbean Jerk Chicken sandwich containing grilled chicken, roasted red peppers, banana peppers, and spicy jerk sauce. Then there’s something a little out of the ordinary, like a Spicy Tuna Wrap containing albacore tuna salad, romaine lettuce, tomato, kalamata olives, pepperoncini peppers, and chipotle sauce, sprinkled with a balsamic vinaigrette.
The Revamped Menu
Earl of Sandwich rolled out a line of handcrafted wraps, flavorful salads, and artisan soups after market studies showed consumers wanted lighter choices and something other than a hot sandwich as their only choice. The new menu offers are variety for everyone, no matter how picky or how hungry. Again, realizing that the competition also had soups, salads, and even wraps, Earl of Sandwich kicked it up a notch with an amazing variety not found everywhere.
Some of the recent new choices include Butternut Squash artisan soup, chicken tortilla soup, a Chicken Bacon Avocado Wrap, a Buffalo Chicken wrap, and a Berry, Chicken, and Almond hand-tossed salad with balsamic vinaigrette. Not typical items found in any sandwich shop, but again Earl of Sandwich wants to set the bar high and be different. The new menu has a low-fat emphasis that’s meant to appeal to those seeking more healthful options for dining on-the-go.
Another thing Earl of Sandwich does to set itself apart from competition is operate its popular eClub, which offers emails for free and discounted items throughout the year, free sandwiches on birthdays, and a free brownie on sign up. Offers are emailed based on visits, new product introductions, and other criteria.
The company is also very active in social media, regularly posting and monitoring sites like Twitter and Facebook. Comments, whether good or bad, are properly acknowledged and answered quickly to promote customer satisfaction.
Earl of Sandwich Uses a Multi-Pronged Approach to Growth
For a company only about nine years old, the menu enhancements were a big risk. But, so far, the risks appear to be paying off in a big way. Customers and franchisees alike say the menu is “inventive” and “different” and it draws new and regular customers alike. Word-of-mouth advertising is an extremely popular form of advertising for Earl of Sandwich.
Earl of Sandwich is also heavily promoting its catering services. With nearly the entire full menu available for catering, it is turning out to be a great way to add to the bottom line without jamming stores during the lunch rush hour. By planning ahead for catering orders, employees are able to stage it for proper delivery and still assist in-person customers with their orders.
The new menu enhancements have only been in place a few months, so time will tell how well they will be received. But if early indicators are any sign, Earl of Sandwich made an excellent choice in adding hand-tossed salads, artisan soups, and wraps to their menu.
Whether it’s one of their new hand-crafted Baja Chicken wraps, a cup of black bean artisan soup, or a hand-tossed Thai salad, there’s bound to be something for everyone at Earl of Sandwich.
