Meet the 26 Spring REM Award Winners
During Subway's spring U.S. Regional Engagement Meetings (REM) in Denver, San Jose, New Orleans, Chicago, Stamford, Jacksonville and Dulles, VA, 26 franchisees were recognized for the ways they're moving the brand forward.
The awards spanned four categories: operational excellence, sales and traffic growth, digital champion, and community partner, each reflecting a different dimension of what it means to be a great Subway franchisee. While their stories are different, there is a common thread: a commitment to their teams, their guests and the communities they call home.
Operational Excellence
Winners set the gold standard for running Subway restaurants. They were recognized for strong restaurant execution, team training, guest satisfaction and a hands-on commitment to continuous improvement.
Ed Krupinski, a franchisee since 2002 who runs a single location in Westerly, Rhode Island, tells every inspector he never wants a 100%, because there's always room to improve. His restaurant consistently earns top marks on quality evaluations, which suggests he's found a good way to chase that perfect score.
2026 winners: Jayne & Mike Jonasen, Cami Hesnault (McCook, NE), Switi Gajjar (Virginia Beach, VA), Paul Brake (Gainesville, FL), Amit Sarin (Santa Maria, CA), Mylene Basse Feliho, Soumangue Basse & Nabosa O’Connor (Mililani, HI), Mohit Patel (Darien, IL), Edward Krupinski (Westerly, RI)
Sales and Traffic Growth
These franchisees range from single to multi-unit owners and consistently driving sales, traffic and guest wins.
Bappa Chowdhury of Fredericksburg, Virginia, delivered a remarkable turnaround through focused corrections to pricing, guest experience and third-party delivery. In Savannah, Nick Patel saw significant sales and traffic growth after acquiring a new location last summer.
2026 winners: Rajesh Villuri (San Francisco, CA), Gaurav Set (Aurora, CO), Khaled "Kevi" Jamhour (Saint James, LA), Adhir Wahi (Naperville, IL), Kiran Patel (Hudson, MA), Nick Patel (Savannah, GA), Bappa Chowdhury (Fredericksburg, VA)
Digital Champion
Digital champions are embracing technology and helping shape the future of the brand. They’ve leaned into the app, web and third-party delivery channels to better serve guests.
Jaykumar Patel of Philadelphia has converted several of his locations into 24-hour operations and built a strong third-party delivery mix across his portfolio. Matt Starr of Vancouver, Washington, is running a high total digital mix, with nearly half of his sales coming through digital channels.
2026 winners: Matt Starr (Vancouver, WA), Rohit and Rahul Bhalla (San Diego, CA), John "Mike" Ritter (Columbus, OH), Alex Asseff (Conway, AR), Chetan Pandya (Jersey City, NJ), Atul Patel (St. Johns, FL), Jaykumar Patel (Philadelphia, PA)
Community Partner
These franchisees understand the importance of investing in their communities and have demonstrated that through meaningful engagement and charitable donations.
In Goldsboro, North Carolina, Dr. Amer Dastgir runs the RESTORE nonprofit alongside his restaurants, an organization that has delivered over $100 million in free surgeries and lifesaving medicine worldwide. In East Roosevelt, Utah, Leslie Larsen's team voluntarily donates their cash tips to a charity of their choosing every month.
2026 winners: Sajal Patel (Woodridge, IL), Ash Manchanda (Elk Grove, CA), Priscilla Russell (Altus, OK), Leslie Larsen (East Roosevelt, UT), Amer Dastgir, MD (Goldsboro, NC)
Congratulations to all 26 winners!
