erbert and gerbert's
DESCRIPTION
Lindsey Gentry of Texas serves in more than one way; from Military to owner of her own sandwich shop Erbert and Gerbert's.TRANSCRIPT
Lindsey GentryLindsey Gentry
THIS MIGHTY MILITARY VET IS NOW A BIG TEXAS SUCCESS STORY
Army Veteran Lindsey Gentry Liked Erbert & Gerbert’s Sandwiches So Much She Brought Them to Texas
“Between the outstanding products and the strong business model, I knew I wanted to be a part of this company,” Gentry says. “The corporate team has a great vision for the company’s future, and I wanted to be part of that by bringing the brand to Texas for the first time.”
St MARCOS, TX
“I believe in this product, but more importantly, I believe in the leadership at the helm. They are producing great numbers, and the momentum of the company is only getting stronger.”
For Lindsey Gentry, serving others is something that seems to come naturally. Her impressive resume certainly gives proof of that fact. Upon graduating from law school in 2006, Gentry made the transition to the military where she served at Fort Hood in Texas before being deployed for 15 months in Iraq. In Baghdad, Gentry served as a platoon leader and, eventually, a company executive officer. After she completed her tour of duty overseas, Gentry returned to Fort Hood where she commanded the Headquarters Support Company, Warrior Transition Brigade. The Transition Brigade helped soldiers returning from combat acclimate to life back at home. After six years serving the Army, Gentry set her sights on a different kind of service.
“I was honored to play a role in healing process for soldiers and I left the role not due to lack of love for the work, but simply because I had always had entrepreneurial dreams, and I felt that it was time to pursue them,” says Gentry. Gentry had many options to achieve those dreams, but when it came to decide which one to pursue, she was swayed to gour-met sandwich shop Erbert & Gerbert’s by something which many of the best en-trepreneurs have: a personal love of the product. As a college student in the chain’s hometown of Eau Claire, Wisconsin, Gentry ate at the flagship restaurant frequently. Even after moving to Texas, she says, the memory of her favorite sandwiches re-mained with her, and when she considered the business opportunities afforded to her, Erbert & Gerbert’s became the obvious choice.“When I decided that I was at a point in life where I could consider purchasing a franchise, Erbert & Gerbert’s outstanding sandwiches remained fresh in my mind. After the discovery day experience, I was certain that the headquarter staff were the kind of people that I wanted to work with, and the vision that they have for the company’s future was something that I wanted to be at the grassroots level of,” says Gentry. Answering the call to entrepreneurship, Gentry opened her first of three Erbert and Gerbert’s locations in San Marcos—the first Texas location for the franchise—in October, 2013. Gentry plans to open two additional locations in Texas by 2016, with the possi-bility for further expansion throughout the state thereafter.
About Erbert & Gerbert’sFounded in 1988 in Eau Claire, Wis. and themed originally from a child’s storybook, Erbert & Gerbert’s has grown to over 81 locations in nine states, with locations ranging from urban centers to rural areas. Growth for 2014 is targeted in Iowa, Illinois, Colorado, Kansas, Montana, Missouri and Nebraska. For franchising information, visit www.erbertandgerberts.com.
