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 muf4_profile_aggarwal(36,38,40).indd 36 10/7/15 12:37 PM