1. What advantages do franchisees gain when they buy their franchises? What disadvantages do they experience?

2. Develop a list of advantages and disadvantages for each of the three options the managers at Firehouse Subs are considering.

3. If the managers decide to create a new marketing campaign, what should be its unique selling proposition (USP)? What key points should the campaign emphasize?

Robin and Chris Sorenson are the owners of Firehouse Subs, a chain of submarine sandwich shops with more than 400 locations in 21 states. The Sorensons, both former firefighters, opened their first Firehouse Subs restaurant in 1994 in Jacksonville, Florida, and used a firehouse theme and authentic firefighting gear to decorate it. Their menu followed suit, featuring sandwiches with names such as the Hook and Ladder, the Firehouse Hero, and the New York Steamer. In 2001, the Sorensons operated 30 Firehouse Subs restaurants across Florida and began selling franchises to expand across the Southeast and beyond. Their goal is to have 2,000 locations by 2020.