Young Ones to Watch: Chris and Natalie Morris, Multi-Unit Firehouse Subs Franchisees

Chris Morris has been a firefighter since 2008. Having an entrepreneurial spirit and always looking for a restaurant business to own, his experience naturally led him to seek a Firehouse Sub restaurant franchise in his hometown of Idaho Falls. Unfortunately, the rights to the franchise were already claimed in his area, so he decided to move on. Fast forward to a year later where, on a whim, he looked again and discovered that the franchise had been released and was now available to interested applicants. They immediately jumped on it and haven’t looked back since.

Although Natalie had not originally planned on being part of the restaurant, she saw rather soon that it could be a great opportunity for her too. The two have worked together to continue to grow with the Firehouse Subs brand. They acquired the Pocatello, Idaho location last year and in November, opened their third Firehouse Subs restaurant in Ammon, Idaho.

1851: How did you get into franchising?

Chris Morris: I’ve always had a passion for food and had a desire in the back of my mind to own a restaurant. I ended up joining the fire department at 18 years old, and i’m 34 now. In February 2018, I was coming out of a sinus surgery and had a lot of time on my hands while going through the recovery process. I started looking into franchise restaurants, and Firehouse Subs was continually listed as a top growth franchise. In addition, the brand had a ton of positive brand recognition in our area and its culture really fit in with my fire department background. There weren’t any franchise rights in our area when I first looked into the concept, but in 2019, I noticed that the rights had become available. That really started us on our journey — we now have three locations in East Idaho and are negotiating the purchase of another location.

Natalie Morris: Firehouse Subs wanted someone that was 100% dedicated to running the location, and since Chris was hoping to stay with the fire department, it sounded like a fun opportunity to handle the day-to-day operations myself. We are both franchise owners and split the roles based on our personal strengths and balance out our skill sets in order to be the most successful.

1851: What do you love about the industry?

Chris: I put a lot of thought into whether franchising was the right choice. Obviously, there is a certain appeal to starting your own restaurant, but I’ve always been drawn to the franchise model. Plus, neither of us had any restaurant ownership or business experience, so the main appeal with the franchise was the backing of a corporate team who could really provide us with the tools we needed to be successful. Brand recognition is also a big bonus of franchising — Firehouse Subs has a strong brand recognition which meant people couldn’t wait for it to show up in our town. 

1851: What makes someone a good fit for the franchise industry? Are there traits that are shared by the most successful franchise professionals you know?

Chris: Part of being involved with a franchise is about following the established model and meeting the franchisor’s expectations. There may be certain times where a franchisee doesn’t see eye-to-eye with the decision of the franchisor, but at the end of the day, the franchisor is looking at the big picture and doing what is best for the brand. A great franchisee fully buys into the concept, so it is important to take a step back if you get frustrated and remember why you initially joined the brand in the first place. It is important to stay positive — that attitude will promote growth and will carry down to employees.

1851: How do you feel about the industry's response to the coronavirus crisis so far? Are there challenges or opportunities that the industry still needs to address?

Chris: Every day the climate is changing in regard to COVID-19, so for the most part we are focused on following the guidelines of Firehouse Subs and the CDC, as well as state and local guidelines. In terms of the future, it is hard to say what will happen because every day there is new information and data coming out. The pandemic has obviously been devastating to the restaurant industry nationwide, but Firehouse Subs was well positioned and having that franchising infrastructure in place was really important in helping us stay afloat and continue to provide our product to customers.

1851: What advice do you have for other young up-and-comers in the space?

Chris: My main piece of advice would be to start saving some money and building assets. The franchise fee is one thing, but the bank has to want to lend you the money, which takes a little capital. It may take a few years, but you have to be diligent. It is also important to find a niche or a franchise concept that you are truly passionate about. It isn’t always about finding the most profitable or largest franchise concept. At the end of the day, it is easier to be successful if you are excited about the business model or the consumer offering.