Spicy Pickle Shops To Mushroom

ROCKY MOUNTAIN, CO (Saturday, February 08, 2003) - They started in a small concrete building. Two guys, making sandwiches,
no heat, no air conditioning, no computers.

They ran out of meat in six hours. And that was their slowest day.
Now Kevin Morrison and Tony Walker are taking their sandwiches
national. They're franchising the Spicy Pickle, planning to open 60 to 100
units in five years.

They make panini sandwiches with exotic toppings - harissa mayonnaise
and roasted eggplant, cranberry cream cheese and turkey.

"We just started because we wanted to have a great sub shop,'' said
Walker, a chef by training.

They join the growing ranks of Denver-based franchise firms.
Denver is home to Quizno's, Wingman, Executive Tans, Maui Wowie,
putting it among the top five cities nationally for franchise headquarters,
along with Dallas, Atlanta, Chicago and Miami.

Already the Spicy Pickle's three company-owned stores in Denver post
sales of $2 million a year. They're adding franchises near the University of
Denver and in the Denver Tech Center this year.

So far, franchisees are former customers. But the company is seeking
anyone with $200,000 in credit and the $25,000 cash fee.

"Franchising really is a way to expand your concept by using other
people's money,'' said Kevin Hein, franchise attorney with Dorsey &
Whitney.

Hein says the Pickle is a simple, unique idea - perfect for franchising.
The only risks are competition for franchisees, lack of prime real estate
and the economy.

"At what point are people going to say, I'm not going to pay $6 for a
sandwich?''

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