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Born in South Philadelphia, Mike Smith was first introduced to <a href="http://cousinssubsfranchise.com/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=cousins-subs-commitment-to-community-inspires-franchisee-mike-smith-to-become-multiple-unit-owner-2707966" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Cousins Subs</a> after moving to the Milwaukee area when he was eight-years-old. His father, who sought out a sandwich that rivaled the Philly subs he grew up eating back in his hometown, discovered Cousins and brought home the subs for the whole family on a regular basis. From then on, Mike was hooked.

After falling in love with the brand as a customer first, Smith decided that he wanted to own a sub shop in his adult life. However, before pursuing those dreams, Smith had to hang up his golf shoes &mdash; he was a former PGA golf professional who worked at private clubs for 15 years. But as tough as that decision was, Smith knew he was making the right move by joining <a href="https://1851franchise.com/cousinssubs" target="_blank">Cousins Subs&rsquo; franchise team</a>.

&ldquo;For me, Cousins Subs was a no brainer,&rdquo; said Smith. &ldquo;I trusted in the brand and its quality. Once I became a franchisee, I learned how incredible the corporate staff was and that made it even better.&rdquo;

In January of 2016, Smith, along with his wife Molly, opened one of the first remodeled and only Cousins Subs location in Manitowoc. The new look and store design &mdash; which continues to be rolled out across Cousins Subs&rsquo; system today &mdash; features an industrial design with flat-screen TVs and Wi-Fi. It&rsquo;s clear that the new design is resonating with both customers and the Smiths as franchisees &mdash; since joining the Manitowoc community as business owners, Mike and Molly have received the brand&rsquo;s coveted Franchisee of the Year award, President&rsquo;s Award, the Guest Service award and the People&rsquo;s Choice award.

&ldquo;I think my golf background helped me focus on guest service as a franchisee,&rdquo; said Smith. &ldquo;When you see the same people every day, you learn to build relationships with them. We have a lot of regulars in our store, and by developing a culture of guests and employees first, you are going to succeed.&rdquo;

As franchisees who are a part of a family-owned brand that&rsquo;s driven by a mission to believe in better &mdash; both in the quality of food it serves and in the communities it supports &mdash; the Smiths look to donate to local organizations as much as possible to show that Cousins is a community partner not only in their restaurant, but outside of it, too.

&ldquo;We support charitable and athletic organizations and enjoy hosting donation days and nights,&rdquo; said Smith. &ldquo;I believe that if we get our product out into community members&rsquo; hands and mouths, they&rsquo;re going to be frequent guests.&rdquo;

As the Smiths began seeing continued success at their first restaurant, the pair ultimately decided to pursue multi-unit franchise ownership by puchasing an existing Cousins Subs location in Appleton in August of 2018. For Smith, becoming a multi-unit franchisee was always a long-term goal, and he&rsquo;s looking forward to connecting with the Appleton community.

&ldquo;I&rsquo;m very excited for the opportunity to expand our operations and bring our culture and vision to the Appleton area,&rdquo; said Smith. &ldquo;You really are only as good as the people you surround yourself with, and I have an amazing management team in place that is deeply committed to providing Appleton residents with great food in a clean and welcoming environment.&rdquo;

Just weeks into operating a location in Appleton, the Smiths have already seen an increase in sales and are receiving positive feedback from guests about their experiences.

&ldquo;Everyone at Cousins Subs is genuine, and that&rsquo;s what I&rsquo;ve tried to do at my stores,&rdquo; said Smith. &ldquo;Treat your customers and employees right, and success will follow.&rdquo;

Cousins Subs’ Commitment to Community Inspires Franchisee Mike Smith to Become Multiple-Unit Owner

1851 Franchise

The former PGA golf pro turned business owner is seeing entrepreneurial success with Cousins Subs.

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