Growing with Relish
Spicy Pickle strengthens its presence in Colorado and looks beyond.
By MAYA NORRIS

When Kevin Morrison and Tony Walker opened Spicy Pickle Sub Shop, they had no idea what they were getting into. They didn't have a business plan, and their first unit initially had no heat or air conditioning. Four years later, the small side business has grown to six units by building by building a reputation around gourmet paninis and subs.

"This was two guys with just a passion about food and service that wanted to open up a sandwich shop that represented us, and that was it," Walker says. "We didn't sit down and say this is what we're going to do in sales. We felt that if you had the food and service that people are going to come to the place and eat on regular basis."
Moonlighting

Morrison and Walker opened Spicy Pickle in August 1999, a time when they say Denver lacked an affordable yet upscale sandwich shop. Trained as chefs, the two kept their day jobs while running their fledgling business. Walker was head chef at Barolo Grill, while Morrison ran a specialty-produce distribution company. However, the fast-casual concept would soon require the pair's full attention.

The first unit rang up $500,000 in sales that first year. Morrison and Walker opened two more units in 2001, and system wide sales rose to $2 million. The company now serves 2,000 sandwiches a week per unit with an average check of $7.25. Because the check average is higher than most sandwich shops, the company targets business clientele and upper-middle-class 20- to 40-year olds in large cities.
Imagine the Possibilities

"One of the things that makes Spicy Pickle unique is, our customers view the menu as very imaginative," explains Walker. "It's not ordinary."

Eight Italian-style paninis are served on focaccia and pressed on a grill. The best-selling Gobbler, $6.50, features salsa-flavored turkey with artichoke hearts, feta cheese and sun-dried-tomato mayonnaise. Customers create their own, submarine sandwiches, $4.95 to $6.25, choosing from 11 meats like hard salami and rosemary ham; four types of bread such as ciabatta; 12 cheeses including smoked Gruyere; 16 spreads like honey-balsamic vinaigrette and harissa mayonnaise; and 20 toppings ranging from pepperoncini to portobello mushrooms.

Walker and Morrison take pride in the ingredients they use. Specialty bread baker Fornaio delivers to units every day. The chain only uses meat from Boar's Head, a New York-based purveyor of gourmet deli meats. All sandwiches come with the concept's signature pickle spear, which is marinated for three days in a spicy blend that includes three types of chile peppers.

Building on its base of three company units, Spicy Pickle started franchising in 2003. Franchisees opened two units in 2003 in Denver and one in February in Fort Collins, Colo. The next franchised units will open in Boulder, Colo., in May and this summer in Denver and San Diego, which will be the first unit outside of Colorado. The company plans to have 1,000 units nationwide in five to 10 years.