Tubbys

What Tubbys does

Tubby's Sub Shops is a Michigan-based franchise restaurant chain founded in 1968 by Richard Paganes in St. Clair Shores, a Detroit suburb. The company operates 65+ franchised locations, concentrated primarily in the Detroit metropolitan area, and is currently led by CEO Robert Paganes (the founder's brother) and Executive Vice President Bill Kiryakoza, who joined as partner in 2010. The business is privately held and family-owned, with corporate operations based in Roseville, MI, and a corporate headcount in the 11-50 range.

Name

Tubbys

Legal name

Tubby's Sub Shops

Website

https://tubbys.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1968

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Tubby's Sub Shops is a Michigan-based franchise restaurant chain operating 65+ locations concentrated in the Detroit metro area, serving grilled submarine sandwiches, deli subs, catering platters, and its signature bottled dressing to individual consumers and catering customers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Quick-Service Restaurant (Grilled Sub Sandwiches)

akta.pro primary industry

Sandwiches & Subs QSR (THAFAAAD)

Keywords

• Grilled sub sandwiches
• Franchise restaurant
• Quick-service dining
• Catering services
• Signature bottled dressing

Headquarters

HQ city

Roseville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices52 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Retail Food Sales: Direct food sales to consumers at franchise locations including grilled subs, sides, beverages, and desserts. Revenue generated from in-store dining, drive-thru, delivery, and online orders.
2. Franchise Fees: One-time franchise fee of $12,500 charged to new franchisees for the right to operate a Tubby's Sub Shop location.
3. Royalty Fees: Ongoing royalty fees of 6% of sales collected from franchisees, providing recurring revenue based on franchise location performance.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Tubby's Sub Shops is a Michigan-based quick-service restaurant franchise that sells grilled submarine sandwiches, deli subs, specialty subs, sides, salads, desserts, junior meals, and beverages at 65+ franchise locations concentrated in the Detroit metropolitan area. The company also provides catering services through Monster Party Subs and party platters, and retails its proprietary Tubby's Famous Dressing, gift cards, and apparel through an online shop. Revenue is generated from direct consumer food sales at franchise locations and from franchise fees plus ongoing royalties paid by franchise operators.

Product overview

Tubby's Sub Shops operates as a restaurant franchise offering a unified fast-casual dining experience centered on grilled submarine sandwiches. The core product portfolio includes Grilled Subs (the signature offering featuring USDA Choice steak with grilled onions and cheese), Deli Subs (traditional cold cuts), and Specialty Subs (unique creations like the Taco Sub). These are complemented by add-on modules including Sides (fries, onion rings, wings), Desserts (brownies, cupcakes), Salads, Junior Meals for children, and Beverages. The company also operates a catering division featuring Monster Party Subs (large-format 1-2 foot subs) and Party Platters. Notable signature items include Tubby's Famous Dressing (available for retail purchase) and Just Baked Cupcakes (a partner brand available at select locations). All products are supported by online ordering integrations with third-party platforms and in-house POS systems across over 65 Michigan locations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Grilled Subs Tubby's flagship grilled submarine sandwiches featuring USDA Choice Grade-A Beef with grilled onions and melty cheese in the original Steak & Cheese, plus grilled chicken options. Sold to individual consumers at franchise locations across Michigan.
• Deli Subs Traditional deli-style submarine sandwiches including the Tubby's Famous sub made with cotto salami, hard salami, ham, and cheese. Sold to individual consumers at franchise locations.
• Specialty Subs Unique submarine sandwich creations including the Taco Sub and Hot Veggie Stir Fry. Sold to individual consumers at franchise locations across Michigan.
• Sides Side accompaniments including French Fries, Seasoned Fries, Cottage Fries, Onion Rings, Chicken Nuggets, Jalapeno Cheddar Poppers, and Cheese Sticks. Sold to individual consumers at franchise locations.
• Salads Fresh salads including Side Salad, Garden Salad, Grilled Chicken Salad, Antipasto Salad, Taco Salad, Chef Salad, and Crispy Chicken Salad. Sold to individual consumers at franchise locations.
• Junior Meals Kid-friendly meal options including Mac & Cheese Bites Jr., Chicken Nuggets Jr., and smaller 4-inch sub versions. Sold to consumers at franchise locations.
• Desserts Sweet treats including Peanut Butter, Fudge Walnut, and Cherry Cheesecake brownies, plus cupcakes and cookies. Sold to individual consumers at franchise locations.
• Beverages Drinks including Pepsi Fountain Drinks, Bottled Water, and 2-Liter bottles. Sold to individual consumers at franchise locations.
• Monster Party Subs Large-format catering submarine sandwiches available in 1-foot or 2-foot minimum sizes, feeding 5-7 people per foot. Available in Tubby's Famous, Ham & Cheese, and Turkey & Cheese varieties. Targeted at group catering customers.
• Catering Service Full-service catering for parties and events featuring Monster Party Subs, Party Platters, and Side Catering Platters. Requires 24-hour notice. Targeted at office and event group customers.
• Tubby's Famous Dressing Signature proprietary dressing recipe bottled and sold separately through the online shop. Used as a topping across multiple menu items including the Steak & Cheese sub.
• Just Baked Cupcakes Gourmet cupcakes made with all-natural ingredients, available at select Tubby's locations. Voted #1 Cupcake in Michigan in 2022.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

Feature2 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Just BakedminorOthersJust Baked provides gourmet cupcakes that are sold at Tubby's restaurant locations as a dessert option. The cupcakes are made with all-natural ingredients and have been recognized as Michigan's #1 cupcake.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Penn Station East Coast Subs: Regional grilled-sub sandwich franchise with a similar menu focus (grilled steak and chicken subs) and comparable unit count, making it one of the closest direct comps to Tubby's in terms of concept, category, and scale.
• Firehouse Subs: Sub-focused QSR franchise with grilled sub offerings and a comparable multi-unit franchise model; competes in the same sub sandwich category with similar menu breadth and franchisee economics.
• Jersey Mike's Subs: Fast-growing sub QSR franchise specializing in grilled sub sandwiches with a similar franchise structure, offering a like-for-like competitive comparison in both concept and growth model.
• Jimmy John's: National sub QSR chain with a similar sandwich-led menu, drive-thru and delivery channels, and franchisee footprint, representing a scaled direct competitor in the same category.
• Capriotti's Sandwich Shop: Sub sandwich franchise with grilled and specialty sub offerings; comparable unit count and franchise model, making it a relevant peer for category benchmarking.
• Potbelly Sandwich Works: Sandwich-focused QSR chain with grilled sub offerings and franchise/company-operated locations, competing in the same heated-sandwich QSR category.
• Which Wich: Custom sub sandwich franchise with a similar franchise-driven expansion model and comparable menu structure, operating in the same sub QSR category.
• Blimpie: Long-established sub sandwich franchise with a similar menu focus (deli and hot subs) and franchise model, providing a comparable legacy sub-chain peer.
• Quiznos: Toasted sub sandwich franchise with grilled/toasted sub offerings and a franchise-driven footprint; direct peer in the toasted/grilled sub subcategory.

Broad incumbents

• Subway: Largest global sub sandwich QSR chain with thousands of locations; broad incumbent whose category dominance sets the competitive baseline Tubby's must overcome for share of stomach.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/TubbysSubShops
• Facebookfacebook.com/TubbysGrilledSubmarines

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Tubbys