If Jordan Hurst can replicate the stunning turnaround that he pulled off after taking over the Subway Sandwich Shop in Coloma in September of 2019, his star will rise to extraordinary new heights in the Subway corporate universe.
Hurst, who has operated the Coloma Subway for nearly 15-months now, recently acquired the franchise rights to the shuttered Subway shop in the neighboring town of Watervliet. At the end of November, Hurst quietly took the keys to the Subway on Arnt Boulevard across from Surfari Joe’s near I-94 and M-140 and through a ton of hard work, determination, and continued community support he is turning that property around quickly as well.
Ironically, while Hurst is probably one of the very best possible owners of a Subway franchise, he actually hated the product as a kid.
Hurst, a Watervliet High School graduate from the class of 2011, took over the reins at the Subway at 152 N. Paw Paw in downtown Coloma on September 25th and immediately invested several thousand dollars bringing it up to his personal standards both in stock and appearance.
He has a deep background with Subway, which is somewhat amazing inasmuch as he essentially hated it as a child because his mother insisted on going there repeatedly. He says, “I would order a basic sub of turkey, cheese and mayo, and immediately remove the turkey and cheese, eat it, and throw away the bread every time.” That was like a lifetime ago for Hurst who has spent a lot of time with the brand over the past half dozen years or better.
He acquired the Watervliet Subway, located in Suite D at 8279 Arnt Boulevard last month when corporate leaders at Subway approached him with an offer after the previous owner simply walked away from the store, leaving it shutdown. Hurst says, “It was either me, or some non-local franchise-holder would have taken up the offer.”
The son of Laurie Roggow and the late Michael Hurst, Jordan was involved in a lot of extracurricular activity in school and was actually named Blossomtime’s Mr. Nice Guy in 2011 as Mr. Watervliet. He headed off to Southwestern Michigan College and later transferred to Kalamazoo Valley Community College to pursue a degree in Graphic Design. He eventually left college to head for a better job opportunity in Port Huron.
While there, he ended up working for multiple Subway franchisees and eventually became the Business Development Agent for Subways in the Detroit market, and was made General Manager and Business Consultant by the age of 23.
Jordan tells me he left the business consultancy role to move back home to Michigan’s Great Southwest three years ago when he learned that his grandfather Rodney Lynch Jr. was ill. At that time he reached out to the previous Coloma Subway owner and asked for his job back because he needed something quick and already knew the job very well. He was hired instantly and placed as a manager, and worked for that franchisee off and on over the next couple of years until he was actually offered the chance to buy the Coloma Subway and run it as a franchisee himself.
He admits that being only 25 when the offer presented itself, he honestly never saw himself owning a Subway, arguing with himself about his viability as a businessman at that young of an age. However, following discussions with family members and several Business Development Agent members at Subway, he saw the light and elected to give it a go.
That process actually began back in February of 2019, and he was granted his business loan in June of that year. A short while later he launched the franchisee process by flying to Milford, Connecticut to attend an intense Franchisee Training Class required by Subway corporate headquarters.
He excelled there, passing the training class and other restaurant training with a 100-percent score, returned home to manage another local area Subway until taking full ownership in Coloma on Wednesday, September 25th of 2019. He says, “At that point I took the bull by the horns and knew what I had to do. Having started as a basic sandwich artist after my first year in college at SMC, being interviewed by the previous franchisee’s husband in a group setting in June of 2012 and continuing to work there through my college enrollment, my experience set me up well for this opportunity.”
He was dispatched to the Coloma Subway to manage it seven years ago in September of 2013 for a short time before being transferred around, and ended up working under six different franchisees in a total of 18 locations including five owners and 17 stores in Michigan and one in Connecticut for training purposes.
Reflecting back on his childhood disdain for the Subway product, even he recognizes the irony of how much Subway has become interwoven in his life, and admits, “Now it is all a part of life and I have been forever grateful for what has come of this company.” Further he notes, “The main reason I decided to purchase the Coloma location is due to the fact I am from this small town area and I have grown to love this community and area due to my mother’s family being from here. The Coloma and Watervliet area will always be home to me and I have always felt very welcome in the area.” Now, he’s got a Subway in both of the towns he calls home.
The stellar job he did in taking over at Coloma was readily evident in the rave reviews he received all over social media for turning the property around, providing dramatic changes in cleanliness, quality, customer service and overall experiences there since taking command, and sales have continued to soar for him as a result.
If he replicates his current track record at the newly re-opened Watervliet shop, there’s no telling where Subway’s corporate team will encourage his growth next. Stay tuned.
