Subway restaurant chain targeting Ann Arbor for new locations
Fast-food chain Subway, which already has the most locations of any restaurant in the world, appears to be targeting Ann Arbor as a market opportunity.
Another Subway franchise is soon coming to Ann Arbor on North Maple Road just south of the Miller Avenue intersection.
It's the fourth new store Subway has said it would open in Ann Arbor within the last year, adding to about a dozen already here.
Franchise owner Mike Heffner signed a deal for the 1,100-square-foot space at 1251 N. Maple Rd. last week. The restaurant will be located in a 2,200-square-foot redeveloped building registered to the Lagos Investment Company, LLC.
A Subway franchise location is set to open at 1251 N. Maple Rd. after owner Mike Heffner signed a lease for the space last week.
Photo from loopnet.com
The space was listed with Jim Chaconas and Brendan Cavender of Colliers International for an annual asking rate of $27 per square foot.
Cavender said that with Subway taking half of the building, he has received interest from other tenants in the remaining space.
“We've had a lot of interest from other food users,” Cavender said. “They like the close proximity to the new high school and neighboring subdivisions. Everyone was waiting for the Subway deal to get done first.”
Franchise owner Heffner owns several Subway locations, including the long-awaited restaurant in the Platt Retail Center.
Heffner could not be immediately reached for comment regarding the status of the Platt Road location or the new Maple Road franchise.
Among the Subway additions in Ann Arbor:
--A location recently opened at Plymouth Green Crossings on Plymouth Road
--Subway was selected as an anchor of the cafe at the University of Michigan Health System’s new C.S. Mott Children’s and Von Voigtlander Women’s Hospital, which is set to open in November
--A Subway opened earlier this year in downtown Ann Arbor’s 4 Eleven Lofts on Washington Street.
Lizzy Alfs is a business reporter for AnnArbor.com. Reach her at 734-623-2584 or email her at lizzyalfs@annarbor.com. Follow her on Twitter at http://twitter.com/lizzyalfs.
Comments
Dave
Fri, Aug 26, 2011 : 1:51 p.m.
Not a fan. Jersey Mikes will be opening in MI in the next 6 months and no one will want to go to Subway after eating there.
drew_blows
Fri, Aug 26, 2011 : 2 a.m.
Proof positive that Gov Snyders tax breaks are working. These 10 low paying jobs this store will create will mean some families will no longer have to wonder how their rent, utilities, and other living expenses will be paid. Wecome to Pure Michigan!!!!! Enjoy the rush to the bottom.
Goofus
Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 9:08 p.m.
Subway is useless to me. They have the worst-tasting ...and worst-smelling...food of any of the major fast food businesses. The atmosphere inside is about as exciting as a bank or a storage closet in a dorm. The corners they inhabit might as well be wasted space or vacant lots and it would an improvement over another useless Subway restaurant.
Goofus
Fri, Aug 26, 2011 : 3:45 a.m.
At least they are selling a drug...that mitigates alot of their other faults. I'm not too big on them either, esp. their horrible and overpriced food items* * which still probably taste better than any of the garbage on a Subway menu.
jcj
Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 11:25 p.m.
Same could be said about Starbucks.
Haran Rashes
Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 7:44 p.m.
A Subway is also set to open very soon inside the Sunoco station at US-23 and North Territorial Road.
HENDRIX242
Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 7:15 p.m.
Yes! More highly processed fast food coming to town! I can't wait for another Subway location! Pretty soon it'll just be like living in Anywhere USA! While I'm happy to see the building occupied, I'm saddened to see more local money pumped out of town via franchising fees. The addition of another fast food chain location is never anything to celebrate, but rather implore to ignore.
Robert D. Mosley
Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 4:46 p.m.
I agree this is good news for a vacant building.
Barb
Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 12:49 p.m.
Ugh - do we really not have enough Subways (and Jimmy Johns) in this town? As much as I'd love to see that building with a tenant, that bums me out. Man, we have a lot of sandwich places in Ann Arbor...
Joe Kidd
Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 9:28 p.m.
I thought it would make a great coffee shop. Tim Hortons is coming but down at the Maple shopping center. I would have liked them in this building.
Charlie Brown's Ghost
Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 6:36 p.m.
No, but we certainly do have more than enough hippies in this town.
jcj
Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 1:49 p.m.
All you have to do is put up some of YOUR money to get what you want.
fjord
Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 1:40 p.m.
People like sandwiches, so there are a lot of sandwich places. If people stop liking sandwiches, there will be fewer sandwich places. Not worth being bummed out about.
craigjjs
Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 1:16 p.m.
Don't be bummed out man. It's not like the Subways is driving out a bean sprout take out place.
Charlie Brown's Ghost
Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 12:20 p.m.
FINALLY something at Maple & Miller. Thanks.
NorthMaple
Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 12:17 p.m.
Really excited about the building finally getting filled, but with a Subway less than a mile south of this location, it's a bit overkill. Can we get a Jimmy John's on the west side, instead?
Joe Kidd
Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 9:26 p.m.
Good Pt N Maple. I do use the Subway down on Stadium but this is a good location for people commuting in and out of town on Miller and N Maple without having to drive through all that congestion. There is another subway on Jackson Rd. just west of Meijers. They are all over, like McDonalds. But I can eat healthy @ Subway. Hey maybe Jimmy Johns is the business looking at the other half of the building.
fjord
Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 1:38 p.m.
Another vote for a west side Jimmy John's. We have too many Subways already.
craigjjs
Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 1:20 p.m.
Subway tends to be over franchised because the startup franchise fee is less than many of the bigger franchise chains. It is only after a couple of years that the ongoing franchise fees become a burden and the unit jeapordized. I second the Jimmy John's request. I was surprised when I learned, after moving to the west side, that Jimmy John's does not deliver out here.
treetowncartel
Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 11:41 a.m.
I actually think the Panama Canal was completed start to finish in faster time than the Platt Road subway.
DBH
Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 1:35 p.m.
I don't know how long the Platt Subway took to complete but, for the record, it took 10 years (1904-1914) for the Panama Canal to be built (<a href="http://geography.about.com/od/specificplacesofinterest/a/panamacanal.htm)" rel='nofollow'>http://geography.about.com/od/specificplacesofinterest/a/panamacanal.htm)</a>.
Craig Lounsbury
Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 12:10 p.m.
that might make a good list....things completed faster than the Platt road Subway. ;)
Wolf's Bane
Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 11:39 a.m.
Congratulations to the landlord of 1251 N Maple Rd! I know they have spent a lot time and money fixing up this property up and it is good to see that it finally has a new lease on life! Now, if the could something about that abandoned gas station across the street!?
Dr. Webster
Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 11:33 a.m.
I like the map showing me where the property is located, a nice addition to the article. For fast food Subway is hard to beat and the $5 monthly sub special is a great deal, something Ann Arbor could use more of, a $5 lunch.
Joe Kidd
Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 9:21 p.m.
I was in a store the other day and the typical $5 subs were $5.50. They had one special for five.
DBH
Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 11:53 a.m.
I expect Mary Bilyeu (Frugal Floozie) would agree with you. I know I do.
JHW426
Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 11:31 a.m.
That's good news. I am tired of looking at that brand new building on Maple sitting vacant.
Joe Kidd
Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 9:19 p.m.
Me too. Pass it all the time. Nice building. I thought it would make a good coffee shop for the Miller Rd commuters.
Craig Lounsbury
Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 11:09 a.m.
"Franchise owner Heffner owns.... the long-awaited restaurant in the Platt Retail Center. Heffner could not be immediately reached for comment regarding the status of the Platt Road location..." The amount of time its taken for the Platt road site is beyond ridicules. Is there any explanation? The Empire State building was up and running faster...seriously thats NOT hyperbole.
rs
Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 7:19 p.m.
I saw the Platt Rd one for the first time a few weeks ago. The "Coming Soon" signs in the window are so faded they can barely be read from the street. Looks like they have been in the window for years. I just assumed somebody was going to open one up then something happened and the deal fell through.
DBH
Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 1:53 p.m.
I don't know how long it took for the Platt Subway to be built, but I think you probably are right about it taking longer than it took for the Empire State Building (ESB) to be built. According to the official website (<a href="http://www.esbnyc.com/esb_story_historical_timeline.asp)," rel='nofollow'>http://www.esbnyc.com/esb_story_historical_timeline.asp),</a> it took one year and 45 days for the ESB to be built. Once it got going, the construction occurred at a rate of 4.5 stories a week.
Craig Lounsbury
Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 1:41 p.m.
they seem to have added a coke machine in recent weeks :(
linuxtuxguy
Thu, Aug 25, 2011 : 12:49 p.m.
I didn't realize the Platt location was still under development; I figured it was abandoned long ago!