Subway Restaurant Franchisees Cooperate to Grow.(Originated from The Miami Herald)

Nov. 1--Hoping to see big savings in their 12,000 North American stores, Subway Restaurant franchisees have formed a purchasing cooperative to buy supplies.

Until now, Subway's corporate headquarters handled all purchasing services.

The new, Homestead-based company, called the Independent Purchasing Cooperative, will employ about 15 people. It will negotiate contracts and buy all food and paper goods used by Subway Restaurants in the United States and Canada, a $1 billion investment last year.

The cooperative then will sell supplies directly to individual restaurants at a savings franchisees say could reach five percent of their total …