The Subway restaurant chain has named Hamed Al-Naqeeb of London as the recipient of its 2012 President's Award. Al-Naqeeb was presented the award by Subway president and co-founder Fred DeLuca at the recent 2012 Subway Convention in Orlando, Fla.
Originally from Kuwait, Al-Naqeeb comes from a family-business background in the manufacturing industry. Eventually moving to the United Kingdom, he joined the chain in 1996 as a franchisee, owning three restaurants in London, and later transitioned into the role of a development agent.
Chiefly responsible for building and managing a geographical territory for the restaurant chain, Subway's development agents provide local franchisees with the necessary support and expertise to help them launch and run a successful business. Al-Naqeeb oversees and manages more than 200 stores in his territory which stretches throughout the greater London area. Development plans for this region include 25 restaurant openings in 2012, and 30 to 35 additional restaurants each year after.
As the Subway President's Award recipient, Al-Naqeeb is recognized for the implementation of innovative programs in the U.K. that have further improved convenience, menu offerings and customer service.
"Hamed is a gifted innovator, and has worked closely with Subway headquarters to develop several important concepts to help improve the profitability of our 37,000 stores," DeLuca said.
Included in Al-Naqeeb's initiatives are:
- Adding more Halal-certified menus to better serve London's growing Muslim population. About 30 percent of Subay restaurants in Al-Naqeeb's territory have Halal-certified menus.
- Creating the Subway Express Mobile App, which allows customers to place their orders via their smartphone. The app has been downloaded more than 25,000 times.
- Several inquiries from major airlines prompted the Airline Sub Program in his territory, with 10 different sandwiches offered for in-flight meals.
- Additionally, he created a cookie program with the creation of cookies sold in packs, a sandwich platter program, a new contemporary décor in area restaurants, and a moveable Subway kiosk.
"I love new things, new challenges, and especially creative challenges," Al-Naqeeb said. "That has translated into my team. We are always looking for ways to improve and we try to think outside of the box in developing new ideas and programs. It is gratifying to have the effort that has gone into the development of these programs recognized. I find that quite motivating, I am by nature a person that likes to innovate and I like to instill that in my team as well."
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