Firehouse Subs
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1994
- HeadquartersJacksonville, United States
- Headcount501–1,000
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
Firehouse Subs firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Firehouse Subs
- Legal name
- Firehouse of America, LLC
- Website
- https://firehousesubs.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1994
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 501–1,000 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Firehouse Subs industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Fast Casual Restaurant Chain
- NAICS
- Limited-Service Restaurants (722513)
- SIC
- Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Sandwiches & Subs QSR (THAFAAAD)
Keywords
Where Firehouse Subs is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Jacksonville
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Firehouse Subs business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Restaurant Sales (Company-Owned and Franchise): Firehouse Subs generates primary revenue through company-owned and franchised restaurant locations selling sandwiches, sides, beverages, and catering orders. The company operates primarily through franchisees who pay royalties and fees to the parent company Restaurant Brands International.
- Franchise Fees and Royalties: Franchisees pay an initial franchise fee of $20,000 and ongoing royalties. The company offers development incentive programs up to $100,000 per restaurant for qualified franchisees. The franchise model enables capital-light growth while management focuses on brand management, marketing, and menu innovation.
- Catering Services: Catering services for group events including standard half platters, deluxe half platters, standard platters, deluxe platters, box lunches, salads, beverages, and soups available at participating locations.
- Gift Card Sales: Sale of physical and digital gift cards with maximum value of $200 per card. Gift cards do not expire and are not subject to transaction fees.
- Limited Edition Merchandise: Limited-edition products such as the Gravy Extinguisher for Thanksgiving (priced at $20), with 100% of proceeds benefiting the Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Multi-year contract | Traditional In-Line Restaurant Franchise |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Multi-year contract | Franchise Development Incentives |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels6 records
Firehouse Subs product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Firehouse Subs operates a fast-casual restaurant chain specializing in steamed-hot sub sandwiches, with over 1,450 franchised and company-owned locations primarily across North America. The menu features signature hot specialty subs (Hook & Ladder, Firehouse Meatball, Italian), customizable Build Your Own options, cold subs, salads, sides, beverages, and catering platters. The chain also runs the Firehouse Rewards loyalty program, mobile ordering and payment platform, gift card program, and the Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation charitable initiative.
Product overview
Firehouse Subs is a fast-casual restaurant chain serving hot and cold sub sandwiches, founded in Jacksonville in 1994 by firefighter brothers Chris and Robin Sorensen. The company operates as a subsidiary of Restaurant Brands International (acquired in 2021) and has grown to over 1,450 locations across North America. The core product offering consists of steamed-hot specialty subs (including Hook & Ladder, Firehouse Meatball, Firehouse Captain's Club, Italian, and others), customizable Build Your Own Sub options, and cold subs. The menu is expanded by limited-timeSmokin' Honey Melts (protein-focused melts), hot sauce bottles for retail purchase, catering platters and box lunches, salads, sides and desserts, beverages, and kids' combos. Supporting the restaurant experience are digital services including Firehouse Rewards loyalty program, mobile ordering and payment app, catering services via ezcater integration, and gift cards via Cashstar. The company also operates the Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation, a charitable initiative that has granted over $107 million to first responders since 2005. Franchise opportunities with investment requirements of $379,650-$795,600 are available for qualified applicants including veterans and first responders.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation: Charitable foundation that provides lifesaving equipment to first responders. Has awarded over $107 million to first responder organizations across North America.
Products and services
- Hot Specialty Subs
Quantifiable outcome
- Over $107 million granted to first responder organizations across North America through the Public Safety Foundation
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Firehouse Subs
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Firehouse Subs technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration3 records
Feature3 records
Firehouse Subs partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Five partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.
- Major League Baseball (MLB)coreMulti-year partnership making Firehouse Subs the 'Official Sub' of MLB across the United States and Canada. This is the brand's first national sports league deal in its 31-year history. Launched 'Extra Innings, Extra Subs' promotion offering free medium sub when Friday, Saturday, or Sunday MLB games go into extra innings. Also includes sponsorship of MLB's PLAY BALL initiative and Pitch, Hit & Run youth programs.
- Retail Food Group (RFG)majorAustralian franchise operator that opened Firehouse Subs' Australian debut at Westfield Mt Gravatt, Brisbane. The opening exceeded 'every international benchmark' and recorded 'one of the brand's strongest international opening results to date' within its first week of operation. RBI expressed optimism about the partnership and future expansion across Australia.
- Iuri Miranda / Brazilian JV PartnersmajorJoint venture with parent company RBI and Iuri Miranda (former Zamp S.A. executive) to expand Firehouse Subs in Brazil. Plans to open more than 500 restaurants across Brazil over 10 years starting in 2025. Brazil has become the largest market for Firehouse Subs outside the United States in just over a year of operation.
- ez cateringminorCatering platform partnership allowing Firehouse Subs to offer catering services through ezcater.com for group orders at participating locations.
- American Dream MallminorFirehouse Subs is one of eight new retail and dining openings at the American Dream Mall in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The expansion reflects ongoing growth at the Meadowlands entertainment and shopping complex.
Scale indicators8 records
Recent moves9 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Firehouse Subs competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Panera Bread: Panera is a fast-casual chain offering sandwiches, soups, and catering for similar lunch and group-order occasions. It overlaps with Firehouse on catering, loyalty programs, and the premium fast-casual positioning, though with a broader café-style format.
- Tim Hortons: Tim Hortons is a sister brand under Restaurant Brands International and a large North American QSR chain. It is comparable as a portfolio-mate for benchmarking unit economics, franchise infrastructure, and shared marketing/loyalty capabilities that benefit Firehouse.
- Wendy's: Wendy's is a major franchised QSR chain competing for the same value-oriented lunch and dinner occasions. It provides a benchmark for franchise-led growth, digital ordering adoption, and QSR loyalty program effectiveness relevant to Firehouse's positioning.
- Chipotle Mexican Grill: Chipotle is a leading fast-casual chain competing for similar lunch and dinner occasions with customizable, premium-protein offerings. While not a sub chain, it competes for the same consumer wallet share and is a benchmark for fast-casual unit economics and digital ordering capabilities.
- Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen: Popeyes is another RBI-owned QSR brand in the broader fast-food segment. It is comparable as a sister brand with shared corporate infrastructure and as a competing QSR for the same consumer dining occasions.
Direct peers
- Quiznos: Quiznos is a toasted-sub sandwich QSR brand that historically competed head-to-head with Firehouse in the hot sub category. It remains relevant as a direct product competitor despite a significantly smaller footprint.
- Jersey Mike's Subs: Jersey Mike's is a fast-growing sub-sandwich QSR chain focused on sliced, cold sub sandwiches with a similar franchise-led growth model and broad US footprint. It directly competes for the same 'East Coast-style sub' customer and franchisee pool as Firehouse.
- Subway: Subway is the largest sub-sandwich QSR chain in the world, serving a similar build-your-own and specialty sub menu to comparable fast-casual consumers. It is the most direct comparable in product, target customer, and franchise-based distribution model.
- Jimmy John's: Jimmy John's is a national sub-sandwich chain competing in the same freestanding QSR sub category, with a delivery-heavy model and comparable pricing tier. It targets similar on-the-go consumer occasions and uses a heavily franchised distribution structure.
- Potbelly Sandwich Shop: Potbelly is a fast-casual sub and sandwich chain with a dine-in oriented store model that overlaps with Firehouse's urban/suburban lunch occasion. It competes for similar warm and toasted sub consumers at comparable price points.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Firehouse Subs social profiles
Digital presenceFirehouse Subs compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance3 records
Firehouse Subs financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Firehouse Subs leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles7 records
Firehouse Subs funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Firehouse Subs M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Firehouse Subs
What does Firehouse Subs do?
Firehouse Subs operates a fast-casual restaurant chain specializing in steamed-hot sub sandwiches, with over 1,450 franchised and company-owned locations primarily across North America. The menu features signature hot specialty subs (Hook & Ladder, Firehouse Meatball, Italian), customizable Build Your Own options, cold subs, salads, sides, beverages, and catering platters. The chain also runs the Firehouse Rewards loyalty program, mobile ordering and payment platform, gift card program, and the Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation charitable initiative.
Is Firehouse Subs a public or private company?
Firehouse Subs is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Firehouse Subs founded?
Firehouse Subs was founded in 1994. It employs 501 to 1,000 people.
Where is Firehouse Subs based?
Firehouse Subs is headquartered in Jacksonville, United States, in the North America region.
How does Firehouse Subs make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Restaurant Sales (Company-Owned and Franchise) is the primary driver. The others are franchise Fees and Royalties, catering Services, gift Card Sales and limited Edition Merchandise.
Who are Firehouse Subs's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Panera Bread, Tim Hortons, Wendy's, Chipotle Mexican Grill and Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen. Direct peers are Quiznos, Jersey Mike's Subs, Subway, Jimmy John's and Potbelly Sandwich Shop.
Does Firehouse Subs have an API?
No public API is recorded for Firehouse Subs.
What industry is Firehouse Subs in?
Firehouse Subs's product category is Fast Casual Restaurant Chain. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAFAAAD, Sandwiches & Subs QSR. Its NAICS code is 722513 and its SIC code is 5810.