By Amy Bostock
From an expansion perspective, 2023 was an exciting year for Firehouse Subs, with more than 50 restaurants opening across North America.
“There were two big highlights for the brand,” says Kelly Crummer, senior director of Franchising for Firehouse Subs in Canada and the U.S. “We opened our first restaurants in Canada outside of Ontario, with several more on deck for Western Canada before the end of [2024], and over the summer we opened our first restaurant outside of North America with a location in Switzerland. We’re excited for the brand to continue to grow across Europe, the Middle East and several other places.”
In fact, in June 2023, Firehouse Subs’ parent company, Restaurant Brands International, announced the signing of a development agreement to launch in Mexico.
“Firehouse Subs is our newest brand, and we are excited about its global expansion potential,” says David Shear, president International RBI, in a release. “The entry into Switzerland and development agreement in Mexico are the first steps in our international expansion, and we are working to launch the brand in key growth countries across EMEA, APAC and Latin America.”
The brand currently boasts 1,266 restaurants, with 63 of them in the hands of Canadian franchisees. Established 1994 in Jacksonville, Fla. By two firefighter brothers, Firehouse Subs opened its first Canadian location in 2015 in Oshawa, Ont.
“We started in Ontario and we’ve got many restaurants there, but growth in the immediate future is focused on Western Canada, including Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and British Columbia,” says Crummer.
When choosing a site for a Firehouse Subs unit, Crummer says although a centre unit in a Smart Centre is appealing, the preference is an end unit for stability and convenience. “If we can get a drive thru, we will take it, but we don’t have to have that,” adding they look for areas with high traffic and convenient access. “We recognize that we do a lot of our business at lunch and sometimes people only have a 30-minute lunch window. So, we want those places that are convenient to get in and out of so that they can come get their sandwich and be back to work.”
Ideal square footage is somewhere between 1,200 to 1,700 sq. ft. with the “sweet spot” being 1,500 sq. ft. But as the brand looks to expand in downtown Toronto and downtown Vancouver, “we’re looking for some smaller spaces, just due to the cost of real estate there and obviously, more foot traffic versus vehicle traffic,” she says. “We’re looking to go as small as 800 sq. ft. with anywhere from two to five seats in those smaller formats. In those 1,500 sq. ft. units it really depends on how its laid out. But we may do 10 to 15 seats depending on how large it is and what the space looks like.”
The initial franchise fee for a Firehouse Subs unit in Canada is $30,000 and while the company welcomes single-unit operators, Crummer says the ideal franchisee is a multi-unit operator that would start with three to five units and then grow to be an eight to 15-unit restaurant operator.
And although the past few years have been challenging for the restaurant industry, Crummer says franchisees are ready to invest. “You just have to find the right people. We’re seeing demand for the product, and there’s demand for the brand, so that then turns into demand for franchisees.”
Franchisees receive comprehensive support when they join the Firehouse Subs family, starting with the real-estate and onboarding team support franchisees in finding a site, getting permits and getting the location built. “We have a six-week training program in restaurants to learn the ins and outs of running the business,” says Crummer. “And then once you’re open, we have ongoing support worked through our Field Marketing team so we continue to innovate and provide training. We have monthly webinars, weekly email newsletters, an annual convention, and then the field-ops support team is in the field, visiting our operators frequently, and providing them coaching on how to continue to grow their business.”
Giving back is at the core of the brand, evident through its Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation of Canada, which was founded in 2015 and has since awarded more than $3.2 million in lifesaving equipment to first responders and public-safety organizations. Canadian guests can support the Foundation at restaurants across the country by rounding up at the register, donating spare change, and purchasing a recycled, five-gallon pickle bucket for a $3 donation.
“Our franchisees are committed to their communities, committed to public safety and our Public Safety Foundation, and committed to hospitality,” says Crummer. “We don’t necessarily require restaurant experience — we’d like it if you have it, but we don’t require it — because we’re looking for people that can deliver hospitality, not just customer service. We can teach you how to make a sandwich, but we can’t teach you how to be a nice person, you have to bring to the table.”
