Sandwich restaurant aims to fill niche

America’s largest restaurant franchise hopes to open its doors in downtown Lawrence by November.

Michael Lyons, owner of the Lawrence franchise office for Subway, confirmed Friday the company plans to open a sandwich shop at 1008 Mass., in a building formerly occupied by Gameco.

“We’ve looked at downtown over the last five or six years, and the timing just seems to be right now,” Lyons said.

“We think we’ll have a niche downtown that other more eclectic restaurants aren’t filling.”

Mainly, Lyons said, the restaurant is counting on its quick service to be a selling point for busy downtown workers and shoppers.

“We’ll be unique in that we won’t be your typical sit-down place,” Lyons said. “A lot of people who work down there don’t have an hour to sit down for lunch. We think we’ll be able to capitalize on that.”

Lyons, whose franchise owns the other five Subway locations in Lawrence, said he decided to locate a store downtown, in part, because he thought redevelopment of the 900 block of New Hampshire Street would draw more people to the area.

He also said he thought downtown might be more accepting of franchise restaurants than it was several years ago.

“It was a little eye-opening when McDonald’s went in there and pulled out (in the mid-’90s),” Lyons said. “When McDonald’s decides it is not in their best interest to stay down there, that is a little scary.

“I think for quite a while there was a perception that the more eclectic type of restaurants work a little better in downtown, but maybe that has changed some,” Lyons said.

Lyons said he hoped to have the restaurant open by Nov. 1.

The company also has plans to open a Subway in a developing shopping area near 15th Street and Wakarusa Drive. Lyons said that store was still at least eight months from opening.

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