Multi-Unit Franchisee Magazine Issue IV, 2015 | Page 38
D OM I N A T O R S
BY DEBBIE SELINSKY
Golden Opportunity
A
Jewelry wholesaler turns to franchising and shines
nnie Aggarwal, whose parents
Renu and Bharat Aggarwal moved
to Texas from India in 1989, recalls her extended family’s surprise in 1997 when her mother decided
to use her savings to purchase a Subway
franchise in Houston.
Renu, who had been a full-time housewife, had saved funds from selling 22-karat
gold jewelry from India wholesale to
upscale jewelers in Houston and Dallas.
She heard about Subway and franchising and decided that being a franchisee
would be lower risk than selling jewelry,
a “golden ticket” sure to take care of her
36
family in the future.
Despite her husband’s initial hesitance,
the mother of two, who spoke minimal
English and some basic Spanish, went
ahead with her plan. Today she owns
55 Subways in Texas and New York, and
to diversify, recently added Wing Zone
in Houston.
Her husband Bharat, who soon quit
his job to join her in the business, is now
a proud believer in her business acumen.
The couple received All Stars of the Year
awards from the Houston Subway development agent in 2009 and 2011, and she
was named Businesswoman of the Year
NAME: Renu Aggarwal
TITLE: President and founder
COMPANY: KK Group of Companies
NO. OF UNITS: Subway, 55; Wing
Zone, 1
AGE: 51
FAMILY: Bharat, husband of 28
years, daughter Annie, son Keshuv
YEARS IN FRANCHISING: 15-plus
YEARS IN CURRENT POSITION:
15-plus
MULTI-UNIT FRANCHISEE IS S UE IV, 2015
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