Our Team
Ali Farahani , President / Development Agent
Ali Farahani co-founded Central PA SUBWAY® Development Corp. with his wife, Shahin Farahani, in 1987 – a year after opening their first SUBWAY® restaurant. Before joining SUBWAY®, Ali was involved with a variety of businesses including: real estate development, shipping, import/export, leading the overseas public relations and marketing department for Coca-Cola, Canada Dry and 7UP bottling.
Ben R. Farahani, Chief Operating Officer / Development Agent
Ben Farahani joined SUBWAY® in 1986. In addition to SUBWAY®, Ben has had extensive marketing and development experience within the restaurant industry. Since 1995 Ben has been elected by fellow franchisees as the chairperson of one of SUBWAY®'s most successful local advertising co-ops. Ben’s legal education and background has been instrumental in lease negotiations on behalf of our franchisees. Under Ben’s leadership as the COO since 2008, the Central PA Subway Development Corporation has received numerous awards from SUBWAY®, including Top Developer in North America and the Development Agent of the Year in the Atlantic region. Ben is a member of SUBWAY’s® Development Agent Advisory Committee, an elected committee of 7 Development Agents which serve SUBWAY® Headquarters in an advisory capacity. Ben obtained a BA in History from the Pennsylvania State University and a Juris Doctorate from the Dickinson School of Law.
Holden Farahani, Chief Financial Officer / Development Agent
Holden has a Bachelor of Science in Hotel and Restaurant Management from Penn State University and joined SUBWAY® in 1986. As a co-owner, he has overseen the operations of a multi-unit SUBWAY® franchisee with 19 locations, including a location that holds the record for the highest weekly sales within the SUBWAY® chain. Holden has also made educational presentations on multi-unit operations to over 10,000 SUBWAY® franchisees across North America.
Doug Leitzel, Director of Restaurant Operations
Doug Leitzel started with SUBWAY® in 1989. He attended the Pennsylvania State University, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications. While enrolled at Penn State, Doug worked as Assistant Manager and then Unit Manager in State College. He joined the Central PA Development Office in 1997 as a Field Consultant. In 2005 Doug was named Director of Restaurant Operations for the Central PA territory.
Blake Harper, Site Selection and Leasing Specialist
A native of Nebraska, Blake Harper was professionally trained in Chemistry before pursuing a career as a professional soccer referee for seven years. He began purchasing residential rental properties and quickly decided real estate development and property management would be a great career. Blake joined the team in 2010, bringing over four years of experience in real estate, leasing, and property management. Blake handles the development of new restaurants, focusing on the real estate aspects of site selection and leasing, as well as lease renegotiations for existing stores. He takes pride in being able to exhaustively research leasing situations and provide creative solutions to real estate challenges.
Barb Horne, New Business Development
Barb Horne graduated with a Marketing degree from West Virginia Wesleyan College. Upon graduation she worked for the Hilton Hotel Corporation as a restaurant manager and convention sales manager. During her time with Hilton she also served as an Assistant Sales & Marketing Director. Barb later entered into the healthcare industry and spent over 11 years with Pfizer, Inc in both a sales capacity and as Regional Marketing Manager. Barb now serves as New Business Development and assists applicants entering into the SUBWAY® franchisee community.
Brenda Solonoski, Community Outreach Coordinator
Brenda Solonoski earned a Bachelor of Science degree from East Stroudsburg University. She owned and operated Funtastik: Alternative Sport & Fun Shop, Inc for twenty-three years where she oversaw various positions including marketing, HR, bookkeeping and administration. Brenda joined the Central PA SUBWAY® Development Corporation in 2005 and has held various positions including Operations, Marketing and Community Outreach.
Wayne Garrison, Store Design Specialist / IT Leader
Wayne Garrison has worked in the restaurant industry since the age of fifteen, managing teams of employees ranging from 2 to 150. He has conducted presentations on food safety, employee motivation and training. Wayne has extensive experience in various aspects of restaurant operations. Before joining SUBWAY® Wayne operated a +4 million dollar per year Sonic and earned a 98.8% rating on his last bi-annual evaluation consisting of food safety, adherence to corporate policies, product handling, employee knowledge and training, inventory levels, customer complaints, food cost and turnover. He joined the Central PA team in 2010 as a Business Consultant.
Mark Surotchak, Marketing Consultant / CPC Leader
Mark Surotchak hails from Lehighton, Pennsylvania. He attended The Pennsylvania State University, where he earned a Bachelor of Science Degree and a Masters of Business Degree. Mark has an extensive restaurant background including management of casual and fine dining venues in Bethlehem and Camp Hill. He also served as the General Manager of two private clubs in Reading and Harrisburg. Mark has extensive experience in food service training specifically in the areas of product quality, preparation, product safety and customer service. He joined the Central PA team as a Business Consultant in 2010.
Phyllis Nagle, Business Consultant
Phyllis Nagle received her degree in Graphic Arts and Design, a field in which she worked for three years following graduation. She was also a pre-school teacher for five years. Upon moving to Pennsylvania from New York, Phyllis took a position with SUBWAY® working initially as a Sandwich Artist®. She was soon promoted to store manager, and eventually was managing five locations for a multi-unit owner in Lancaster County. In 2008 Phyllis became a Business Consultant for the Central PA SUBWAY® Development Corp.
Andy Shirk, Business Consultant
Andy Shirk joined the Central PA SUBWAY® Development team in 2010. In addition to owning his own remodeling business, Andy has extensive restaurant management experience for: Bennigans Restaurants 1989-1993, CiCi’s Pizza 1993-2000, Einstein Bros. Bagels 2002-2003, and Starbucks Coffee 2003-2007. Andy received an Associate’s degree in Liberal Arts from HACC and a Bachelor of Theology degree from Lancaster Bible College in 2010.
Bill Singer, Business Consultant
Bill Singer is a graduate of the Pennsylvania State University, where he earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration. He has an extensive restaurant background including management and training at many different levels. Bill spent 15 years with Burger King as a multi-unit manager and corporate trainer; at one point he was the lead trainer overseeing the Virginia Beach training center. Bill was also Director of Operations for a multi-unit operator at Taco Bell/Pizza Hut Express as well as a Dairy Queen franchisee.
Michael MacDonald, Business Consultant
Michael joined our team in 2011 after spending five years with Charlie Brown’s Steakhouse’s management team. Charlie Brown’s Acquisition Group owned and operated over 100 restaurants in the tri-state area. Michael worked all aspects of management within the organization from Kitchen Manager, Assistant Manager, Senior Manager, and General Manager. In addition to Charlie Brown's Steakhouse, Michael worked for Country Clubs in King of Prussia, PA and Sinking Spring, PA and as a Special Projects Manager in the Outer Banks, NC coordinating operations between units.
Jim Ingraham, Business Consultant
Jim comes to our office with extensive knowledge and experience in the restaurant field. He got started in the food service business at a fine dining Italian Restaurant and attended The Restaurant School in Philadelphia, PA. He has owned his own café and managed in several different areas of the restaurant business including QSR sub sandwiches and assisted living dining services. Originally from Maryland, Jim has lived in the Dillsburg, PA area for 18 years.
Dennis Miller, Business Consultant
Dennis Miller is originally from the metropolitan DC area and attended the University of Maryland. Dennis has been in the restaurant industry for 25 years and his experience ranges from managing casual themed restaurants to fine dining. Dennis was an Operating Partner in a local Harrisburg restaurant for 3 years where he was instrumental in the opening and expansion of multiple locations. His food experience varies from local favorites to international cuisine due to his extensive overseas travel in Europe and Asia. Dennis was excited to join the Subway organization in 2010 as a manager and is now eager to contribute to the consulting division of the business.
Nicole Price, Business Consultant
Nicole grew up in Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania, and attended Shippensburg University where she earned a BSBA in Marketing and Masters Degree in Organizational Development and Leadership. Nicole has owned and managed multiple Rita’s Italian Ice franchises for the past 4 years. In addition to her franchise experience, Nicole comes to us with extensive knowledge and experience in marketing, catering, and business expansion/development.
