Newest Co-Branding Concept Tastes Great for Miami Subs Plus <b></b>

Fort Lauderdale, Florida-They may struggle as stand-aloneunits, but four restaurant brands are being corralled under oneroof, with South Florida the guinea pig in the latest fast-foodco-branding experiment. Dubbed the "United Tastes ofAmerica," the four brands-Miami Subs, Nathan's Famous,Kenny Rogers Roasters and Arthur Treacher's-are being developedtogether as Miami Subs Plus!

Over the past three months, South Florida Miami Subs locationshave been converting to the new concept, with 60 scheduled to havebeen completed by the end of June.

"We have to separate ourselves from the crowd, and do iteconomically, in a way that was dramatic, in a way that would havean impact," says Don Perlyn, president of Miami Subs.

Part of that impact comes from the diversity of the brands."They are catering to different tastes," says RickMunarriz, a Miami-based analyst. "It gives people moreoptions, and the appeal is in the geographical layout."

Nathan's Famous offers hot dogs, Miami Subs' menufeatures sandwiches, Kenny Rogers Roasters serves chicken, andArthur Treacher's specializes in fish and chips. "They areangling for many different palates," Munarriz says.

That convergence of different tastes has already improvedbusiness for Miami Subs. The addition of Kenny Rogers and ArthurTreacher's has increased dinner business, and Nathan'sfamous has boosted its snack and late-night business, Perlynsays.

"People can eat with us two or three times a week,"Perlyn says. "We probably have as broad a demographic asanybody. The diversity of our customer base is one of our greatstrengths."

Perlyn also said that while Miami Subs has traditionallyattracted 18 to 45 year olds, now "we're seeing a wholeinflux of seniors because of Arthur Treacher's. People who comefor lunch during business hours will come back for dinner withtheir families." -South Florida BusinessJournal