Months after temporary closures, Subway locations are reopening in the Peoria area

It has been roughly five months since multiple Subway locations in and around Peoria temporarily closed.

Now, some of the stores have reopened.

On Jan. 16, the Subway at 8717 Knoxville Ave. reopened under new management − ECI Investments, LLC. Franchisee Hannah Schumacher was there with her family on opening day.

“It was wonderful,” she said. “We definitely had a successful lunch hour and lots of customers coming in excited that we're reopened.”

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Schumacher said her father began franchising with Subway almost 30 years ago. She said the family now operates 40 Subway locations in Illinois. While the family business has always been a part of her life, she has been involved full-time for just over a decade.

The Knoxville Avenue location is the company’s first storefront in Peoria, and Schumacher said Subway approached ECI Investments about franchising the space.

“We thought it’s a great opportunity to kind of expand our portfolio,” she said. “And so, we decided to go ahead and hop on, and we've been super thrilled with the experience so far.”

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When the temporary closures occurred, five Peoria stores were affected. The Subway locations at 3727 W. Willow Knolls Drive and 8915 N. Allen Road have also reopened, according to the company's website.

Schumacher said she could not comment on what caused the initial closures, and Subway did not respond to multiple requests for comment following the shutdowns.

The location at the Northpoint Shopping Center was constructed less than five years ago, so the space did not need much work before reopening, Schumacher said.

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The biggest struggle has been staffing, she said, and the search for more employees continues.

For those interested in applying, Schumacher said pay starts at $14 an hour plus tips. She said the pay could increase depending on the level of experience. Employees also get a free sandwich every shift.

“We try create a positive work environment with high morale,” Schumacher said. “So that's another attractive thing to a lot of our team members.”

The Knoxville Avenue eatery is just one of the locations ECI Investments has reopened. The company previously bought and reopened the Subway at 809 Peoria St. in Washington.

“The community is wonderful,” Schumacher said. “The people that live in Washington are super supportive and it's just been a great experience.”

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Moving forward, Schumacher said the business is working to open the Eureka and Goodfield locations. She said ECI Investments is taking the reopening process “gradually, one by one.”

Schumacher said the family and customers alike are excited to see the storefronts open once more.

“When we opened the Washington Subway, we had a gal come in shortly after open and she came flying through the door and said, ‘I’m so happy Subway is open,’” Schumacher said. “She had Subway earrings on, and a Subway cup and she was just grinning ear to ear. And it was just really invigorating and rewarding to see.”

Connect with Cassidy Waigand by emailing her at CWaigand@gannett.com or by following her on Twitter at @justxaxwriter.

This article originally appeared on Journal Star: Subway locations in Peoria reopen after temporary closures