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 Erica Boleen of McCook enjoys a Subway sandwich and the Wi-Fi connection at the recently-expanded Subway and Goodrich Ice Cream Shop in Arapahoe. "It's really nice to come here for a short lunch break and the free Wi-Fi," Erica said recently. (Connie Jo Discoe/McCook Daily Gazette) [Click to enlarge] |
The sandwich artists at the Subway and Goodrich Ice Cream Shop at the highway intersection in Arapahoe have noticed, since the shop opened in the summer of 2002 and expanded this spring, that men very seldom vary in their selection of sandwich fixings. Emily Curran, manager of the shop for the past five years, said recently, "Men never change.; they always have the same kind of sandwich. Women change and try something new."
As proof, Curran said the store has a favorite customer -- 83-year-old Roy Christensen -- who gets the same sandwich -- a pizza sub made to order -- lunch and supper, seven days a week. "He's faithful," Emily said, with a smile. "We make his sandwich as soon as we see him pull up."
 The 7-year-old Subway and Goodrich Ice Cream Shop at the intersection of U.S. Highways 6-34 and 283 in Arapahoe expanded this spring to include more seating, storage and parking. Mike Borden, president of Arapahoe Venture Corp., the group of Arapahoe and area residents who owns the Subway franchise and keeps an eye on Arapahoe's business environment, said Subway's nationwide reputation for fresh, made-to-order sandwiches pulls travelers off the highway. "Sixty to 70 percent of our business is from the highway," Borden said. (Connie Jo Discoe/McCook Daily Gazette) [Click to enlarge] |
Because of support from local and area residents like Christensen, and Subway's reputation and ability to pull travelers off Highways 6&34 and 283, the Subway shop in Arapahoe this spring expanded its seating capacity and parking lot.
The expansion to the east houses a large 20x32-foot dining/meeting room with seating for 46, bringing the shop's total seating to 70. The new room is equipped with a 46-inch flat screen television and a 10-foot drop-down screen for PowerPoint presentations. and wireless Internet through Arapahoe Communications Technology -- ACT.
The new room can be closed off from the sandwich prep counter and original dining room, and rented for business meetings or special occasions like graduations, wedding receptions and birthday parties, Borden said.
The addition also provides desperately-needed storage, he said. "Our storage room was so cramped before ... stacks and stacks and stacks. More storage has made us so much more efficient."
Emily's office is tucked into a corner of the new 16x32-foot storeroom. "Emily's the best Subway manager," Borden said proudly. "She's done a great job at adapting to a management style that includes a board of seven men and a corporation of 15 people."
The parking area expanded 21⁄2 times, to the east, and now has room for trucks and pickups with trailers. "We saw an increase in business from the parking lot first," Borden said. "Now we've seen another increase because of the building addition."
The new addition opened in April about the same time two track meets were hosted by Arapahoe High School. "The new seating was jam-packed full on the day of the Jim Mather invitational track meet," Borden said, and the shop set a new record for sales in one business day, the previous record set the day the shop opened in 2002. On that day, they made 70 sandwiches in one hour, and 268 foot-longs all day long, Emily said. On the day of the district track meet a couple weeks later, the shop came within $17 of setting another day/sales record, Borden said.
The Subway shop appears to be popular with Arapahoe kids, many of whom buy sandwiches to take on road trips.
The new addition carries on the original dining room's "Tuscany" decor -- sun-warmed yellows, tans and browns. Matt Curran, Emily's husband, did the woodwork in the addition. Joe Flores of Mid-State Drywall and Construction of Arapahoe put up the sheetrock. DeVries Furniture & Floor Covering, also of Arapahoe, provided the flooring. McCook Glass installed the mirrored-glass windows. Cleary Construction, whose Nebraska/Missouri regional manager is Doug Brooks of Arapahoe, built the expansion. The shop offers its customers a local "Wi-Fi" wireless Internet "hotspot" network through DSL Connections and ACT Communications of Arapahoe.
"We used local contractors as much as possible," Borden said.
The Arapahoe Venture Corp., the community development group that owns the Subway franchise in Arapahoe, practiced what it preaches by supporting local contractors and businesses in its expansion. "Our initial vision was to set up as an economic growth corporation," Borden said, not only bringing in a new business and new jobs -- the Subway and ice cream shop and its average of 10 full- and part-time jobs -- but keeping an eye on Arapahoe's economy as a whole. As owners retire, the group envisions being able to purchase Arapahoe businesses and bring in young families to operate them.
"Our plans are to continue to watch the business environment in Arapahoe," Borden said. "In a town the size of Arapahoe, we can't afford to let any business die out completely."