The SUBWAYÒ restaurant chain, the world’s largest submarine sandwich franchise, has named Marwan Abdul Malik Al-Hamar, Development Agent for UAE, as the recipient of its 2009 Development Agent of the Year award for International Developed Markets, during the company’s recent convention in Washington D.C.
     
SUBWAYÒ Development Agents of the Year are honored for their accomplishments in developing the SUBWAYÒ brand within their territory, the level of service and support provided to their local franchisees, and their ability to communicate and cooperate within the parameters of the SUBWAYÒ franchise system.
     
“Being named Development Agent of the Year is an honor I was not expecting, it is the ultimate recognition of a job well done,” says Al-Hamar. “I have to thank my team, who works hard and always strives for excellence, and all the Subway family that has helped and guided us through the years.”
     
A UAE national, Al-Hamar became a SUBWAYÒ Agent in 1999.
     
“I was looking for a new business venture, as I had always been an entrepreneur. Subway became my new venture,” reflects Al-Hamar. “It was my late father's idea to bring the Subway brand to the UAE. He believed that this market had potential we could develop, so we opened our first store. Then one year later I became the Development Agent.”
     
Presently, Al-Hamar oversees 81 SUBWAYÒ restaurants and one satellite location all owned and operated by more than 30 active franchisees throughout the Emirates, with an additional 25 locations in various stages of development. Included in the count are eight locations, with three in development, which Al-Hamar owns himself. His goal is to increase the overall number of SUBWAYÒ locations in the UAE to over 200 by the year 2015.
     
"One of the many groups that play an important role in moving the Subway business forward is our Development Agent team. They focus on all three main areas of our business: building profits through operational excellence, building sales through effective marketing and building restaurants through smart development. The Development Agents continue to set records in franchise sales, leases signed and restaurants opened time after time. They work tirelessly to implement the programmes and initiatives that are helping our franchisees grow their businesses," says Patricia Demarais, Director of International for the SUBWAYÒ chain.
     
With more than 32,300 locations in 91 countries, including more than 250 across the Middle East, the SUBWAYÒ restaurant chain is the world’s largest submarine sandwich franchise. Headquartered in Milford, Connecticut, the SUBWAYÒ chain was co-founded by Fred DeLuca and Dr. Peter Buck in 1965. That partnership which continues today, marked the beginning of a remarkable journey — one that made it possible for thousands of individuals to build and succeed in their own business. The SUBWAYÒ brand has been honored as the number one franchise opportunity in Entrepreneur magazine's “Annual Franchise 500Ò” listing for 16 of the past 22 years, and was ranked “Top Global Franchise” for 2009.