Bruce Abell, Executive Director at Quadco Rehabilitation Center has announced that the center is purchasing two area SUBWAY® Restaurants that will provide for more community employment opportunities for individuals with disabilities in northwest Ohio.
Speaking to the members of the Quadco Administrative and Non-Profit boards at their joint monthly meeting on Tuesday (Sept. 25), Mr. Abell said the center is acquiring the SUBWAY® Restaurants located in the Walmart stores in Defiance and Bryan. He said he expects the sale to be finalized by the end of the week.
Mr. Abell told the board members, “The SUBWAY® Restaurants in Defiance and Bryan will be a great addition to the SUBWAY® Restaurant we have been operating in Stryker. The stores will not only expand employment opportunities for the people involved, but will provide for more inclusion here in our area communities.”
Pointing to what has occurred at the SUBWAY® Restaurant in Stryker, Mr. Abell said a number of people who have worked at the restaurant have gone on to jobs at other SUBWAY® Restaurants or comparable food service positions or other jobs using the skills they have learned.
“Just as we thought when we first opened the restaurant, the training people have received has proved to be a valuable way to help them get a job in their local community,” he said.
“In addition, we have found that workers like to meet and greet the many people who come by for a meal, and we expect that will take place even more with the new locations as they see their friends stop by when they are shopping and visit the store,” he continued.
Mr. Abell pointed out to the board members that one of the other benefits for workers at the store is that there are other people from the community who work at the store.
“We hire young people from the high school and other people from the community to work at the restaurant, so one of the advantages to our workers is that they work side-by-side with people from town,” Mr. Abell said.
“It is just another way that people find themselves included when they are working, and we intend to continue to do that in these stores as well.”
Quadco opened their SUBWAY® Restaurant in Stryker in November of 2005. Mr. Abell says that the people at Quadco are hoping that the stores in Defiance and Bryan will be as welcomed as their store in Stryker has been.
“When we opened the SUBWAY® Restaurant in Stryker, we were welcomed by the people of the Stryker area. They were very supportive of the restaurant and the mission that we have, and they continue to be very supportive today,” he said.
“We hope the same thing will be true as we operate the stores in Defiance and Bryan,” he concluded.
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