Jerry's Subs Eyes Expansion amid Solid Sales, Inexpensive Franchising.

Publication: The Washington Times (Washington, D.C.) (via Knight-Ridder/Tribune Business News)

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COPYRIGHT 2002 The Washington Times

Byline: Marguerite Higgins

Oct. 10--Jerry's Subs and Pizza started as a true "mom-and-pop" shop: A local couple opened a restaurant in 1954 in Wheaton and named it after their son.

Now it's a big business. Jerry's Systems Inc. is a Gaithersburg-based chain of 130 restaurants in nine countries, with 30 more on the way.

The new restaurants, operated by franchisees, will be mainly in Maryland and Northern Virginia. Seventy shops will get face-lifts.

The jump in store openings is in part a result of the recession and the economy's sluggish recovery, said Dave Terzian, operating partner and executive vice president for Jerry's Systems.

"Investors generally get more into franchising during difficult economic times, because the rate of return is better than the stock market right now," Mr. Terzian said. "People also take comfort in the fact that we've been around for nearly half a century, and while we're not totally recession-proof, we are...

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