Firehouse Subs

Firehouse Subs
Private
Industry Dining
Founded 1994
Headquarters Jacksonville, Florida, USA
Key people
 Robin Sorensen, Chris Sorensen, Don Fox
Products Submarine sandwiches, Hot subs
Website firehousesubs.com
Firehouse Subs franchise, Brighton, Michigan

Firehouse Subs is an American-based, fast casual food restaurant chain that specializes in hot subs. Founded in 1994 in Jacksonville, Florida, by former firefighter brothers Robin and Chris Sorensen,[1] Firehouse Subs serves sandwiches with meats and cheeses, "steamed" hot and placed on a toasted sub roll. Locations offer a family-oriented atmosphere, with a firefighter theme that includes fire equipment throughout the store and a menu that features sandwiches with themed names. They offer hot sauces in a range of intensities. Pictures mounted on the walls highlight local firefighting history, as well as the founders' history of firefighting service.[2]

History

Firehouse Subs was named "Company of the Year" by KPMG in 2006,[3] and is the "National Chain" winner of the National Restaurant Association’s Restaurant Neighbor Award for community service.[4]

The Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization, was created in 2005. It provides funding, equipment, and support for local firefighters and other public safety organization.[5] Customers are also able to contribute directly to the foundation by dropping spare change in donation canisters near the registers, "rounding up" their purchases to the next dollar, and purchasing leftover pickle buckets.[6]

Plans for expansion in 2006 were focused on the Northeast, Central, and Southwest regions of the US, with plans for another 100 restaurants to be developed.[7]

On August 3, 2011 a company press release stated that they were placing the Coca-Cola Freestyle beverage dispenser in all their stores after a six-month test at the 25 restaurants in the Jacksonville market. Firehouse is the first national franchise chain to use the new technology in all franchises.[8]

Starting in October 2013, Firehouse Subs began testing their new "Hearty and Flavorful" menu in select locations. In an effort to offer healthier options for customers, the menu consists of six new subs under 500 calories and four new salads under 600 calories. The new subs contain the same amount of meat as that of a medium-sized sandwich, but are made using smaller portions of cheese and mayonnaise, and come on a roll that is 1/3 smaller than the bread used for medium-sized subs. Salads are made to order with a variety of new ingredients including romaine lettuce, pepperoncini, Kalamata olives, mozzarella cheese, green bell peppers, cucumbers and a new lite Italian dressing. The menu was implemented system wide in March 2014. [9]

As of December 2013, there were over 700 restaurant locations in 36 states and Puerto Rico. [10][11] That number has since swelled to more than 900 as of Summer 2015. On October 25th 2015, Firehouse Opened the first international location in Oshawa, Ontario Canada.

As of early 2016 the company planned to have 1,000 locations by the end of the year and to have a location in Mexico in 2016 as well.[12]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Harry Wessel (2005-04-25). "Sub shops battle for business.". The Orlando Sentinel. Orlando, Florida.
  2. ↑ Nancy Dearing Rossbacher and Stephen W. Sylvia (2007-03-29). "Restaurant flaunts firefighter-themed decor". The Free Lance-Star.
  3. ↑ Alison Trinidad (2006-11-15). "Firehouse Subs earns company of the year award.". Florida Times-Union. Jacksonville, FL.
  4. ↑ Katharine Kim and Annika Stensson (2006-09-11). "National Restaurant Association Recognizes Firehouse Subs with Restaurant Neighbor Award for Hurricane Relief Efforts." (Press release). National Restaurant Association.
  5. ↑ Alison Trinidad (2006-03-27). "Humanitarianism through sandwiches". Florida Times-Union. Jacksonville, FL.
  6. ↑ Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation
  7. ↑ Mark Chediak (2006-01-30). "Firehouse Subs to roll out at least 100 new shops.". The Orlando Sentinel. Orlando, Florida.
  8. ↑ Mills, Gary: "Firehouse Subs will be first national chain to use Coca-Cola Freestyle at all locations" Florida Times-Union, August 4, 2011
  9. ↑ Mills, Gary. "Firehouse Subs tests new Under 500 Calorie menu in Jacksonville restaurants". jacksonville.com. Retrieved 1 December 2015.
  10. ↑ "Our Story". Firehouse Subs. Retrieved 11 April 2013.
  11. ↑ Samantha Cortese (December 5, 2013). "New sandwich shop serves community, first responders". KESQ/CBS Local 2. Retrieved December 5, 2013.
  12. ↑ Jacksonville Business Journal, April 4, 2016

Further reading

External links

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