Written by Ryan Orr
You walk into a sub shop you have never been to before, make your order, and sit down to enjoy your meal. Then a man in a blue Lenny’s shirt sits down at your table to talk with you, and he thanks you for coming to Lenny’s today.
That man is Bo Hill, the owner of the local Lenny’s sub shop in Searcy, Ark. Hill and his sub shop have been in Searcy for about eight years. Hill, a Harding alumnus, lived in Memphis for a time before moving to Searcy to start his first of two Lenny’s franchises, the other in Conway, Ark.
“I was very grateful to get my day to open the store,” Hill said.
During the eight years Hill has owned his store, he has stuck to what he thinks are the keys to having a successful business.
“Always value the customer, give the customer as great of an experience as possible, and keep the employees happy,” Hill said.
As with any other business, Lenny’s has competitors. In the past year, two sandwich shops have opened in Searcy: McAlister’s and, most recently, Which Wich. One of the bigger sandwich companies, Subway, has three stores in Searcy and has been a competitor for a few years.
“I personally wouldn’t have tried to start a new shop in this economy, but I do wish them well in their future,” Hill said.
With a down economy and new competitors, Hill said he is determined to keep his customers.
“Direct mail and coupons are just some of the advertisements we have used since McAlister’s has come into business here,” Hill said.
Lenny’s also has a college night for students with buy-one-get-one-sub free promotions on Mondays, and family night when kids eat free on Wednesday nights. Both offers were in place before McAlister’s opened.
Hill said he thinks that those promotions have helped his business, but he said providing excellent service and selling a great product has helped most in battling the competition.
“With all the different choices out there to eat,” Hill said, “I try to make sure to tell as many customers as I can thanks for coming in.”Ryan Orr is a employee of Lenny’s in Searcy, Ark.
