Sandwich Franchises

Customers at Jon Smith Subs experience the thrill of the grill, getting what they truly want with a wide range of customized menu options, including piping hot fries. It’s all part of why a Jon Smith Subs customer is a customer for life.

Charles Degraffenreid started Boomarang Diner with a single store in Muskogee, Oklahoma, but before that he had been a top franchisee with a major national restaurant franchise. His experience as a franchisee shaped the way he did business and led him to opening the successful Boomarang Diner with nearly 50 franchise locations

James J. Liautaud founded Jimmy John's in Charleston, Illinois, in 1983 when he was 19 years old. With used equipment, a refrigerator, one meat slicer, a freezer and an oven, Jimmy John Liautaud started his business without even a posted menu or an outdoor sign. At the time, he offered four sandwich varieties and 25-cent soft drinks. After passing out sandwich samples throughout the college town, Liautuad added delivery service, tables, outdoor signs, menu boards and an expanded menu. He opened several more stores and developed a prototype before franchising began in 1993. Jimmy John's franchisees bake bread at each store every day, and every sandwich is made fresh to order in 30 seconds.

Brothers Chris and Robin Sorenson, both former firefighters, opened their first Firehouse Subs restaurant in Jacksonville, Florida, in 1994, and began franchising the concept just a year later. Each Firehouse Subs franchise is decorated with firefighting memorabilia and artwork, with a menu that features hot and cold subs and salads.

The first Jersey Mike's Super Sub was created in Point Pleasant, New Jersey, on the Jersey Shore in 1956. Peter Cancro started working in the submarine sandwich business when he was 14 years old. At the age of 17, before state law allowed him to operate a slicing machine, Cancro bought the original Jersey Mike's location.

Freddy's Frozen Custard is named for WWII veteran Freddy Simon, whose sons teamed with experienced restaurateur Scott Redler to open the first Freddy's in his hometown of Wichita, Kansas, in 2002. The company began franchising in 2004. Freddy's restaurants serve steakburgers, hot dogs and frozen custard.

Serving up smoothies since 1997, Tropical Smoothie Cafe added healthful breakfast, lunch and dinner items to its menu in 1999. Today the menu includes wraps, sandwiches, flatbreads, salads and kids' meals.

Forrest and Leroy Raffel started their food-service consulting firm, Raffel Brothers Inc., in the 1950s, but were soon thinking about starting their own restaurant. On a rainy night, the brothers found inspiration--roast beef sandwiches. In 1964, the first Arby's ("R.B." for "Raffel Brothers") opened in Boardman, Ohio.

Founder Don Newcomb's goal when he launched McAlister's Deli in 1989 was to create a "gourmet deli with Southern charm." The restaurants serve sandwiches, salads, stuffed baked potatoes, appetizers, desserts and kid's meals. Customers make their selections at the counter, receive their appetizers and drinks and then sit wherever they choose, while roving servers bring their food and drink refills.

Which Wich Super Sandwiches was started by Jeff Sinelli, who had previously founded another franchise food concept, Genghis Grill. To order at Which Wich, guests mark their custom orders on sandwich bags with menus printed on them, choosing the type of sandwich, size, bread, cheese, spreads and vegetables. In addition to over 50 sandwich choices, the menu also offers chips, cookies and milkshakes.

In 1973, James Hearn converted a 1,000-square-foot hamburger shop in Taylor, Michigan, into a carry-out and delivery pizzeria called Hungry Howie's. Steven Jackson, currently president of Hungry Howie's, began his career delivering pizza for Hearn. In 1976, he approached Hearn about becoming partners and opening a second Hungry Howie's location in Southgate, Michigan. The partners awarded their first Hungry Howie's franchise in Auburn Hills, Michigan, in 1983. The company offers Flavored Crust pizzas in eight varieties, oven-baked calzones, chicken wings, bread and salads.

There is no single factor that accounts for the powerful appeal of the Roy Rogers concept. Rather, it’s a combination of many strategic, operational and promotional elements—all focused on the common goal of operational efficiency and total guest satisfaction that makes Roy Rogers so appealing as a restaurant and as a business opportunity.

Founded by Don and Dolores Dissman in 1971, Schlotzsky's serves meat, light and specialty sandwiches, along with pizzas, salads and soups. Today the company is a subsidiary of Focus Brands, which also franchises Carvel and Cinnabon.

In 1976, Lois and Alan Margolet opened a sandwich shop in Wilmington, Delaware, naming it after their grandfather, Philip Capriotti. To differentiate their store from the competition, they roasted whole fresh turkeys overnight to use in their signature sandwich recipes. In 1991, they began offering franchises to family members, and later to others outside their family. In 2008, they sold the company to an investment group led by Ashley Morris, who had been a Las Vegas area Capriotti's franchisee since 2004.

The first incredibly tasty warm sandwich was served over 30 years in Chicago. Since our start in 1977, Potbelly has grown to over 200 stores. We know what works and what doesn't, so we can support you as you accelerate your knowledge base so you can move your business forward. We are friendly, hard working people serving up simple, high quality food, made fast, as a surprisingly reasonable price.

What we do every day is deliver an unforgettable product that is fresh, healthy, fast and delicious. We offer sandwiches made fresh on three varieties of bread, mouth watering soups, enormous deli-style pickles, chips, fresh-baked cookies and delicious dessert bars.

The first Zoup! opened in 1998 in Southfield, MI, a suburb of Detroit. Over the next five years, the founders opened five more Detroit-area locations, and in 2003 they began to franchise the concept. Zoup! restaurants feature 12 rotating daily varieties of soup, including low-fat, vegetarian, gluten-free and dairy-free options. Made-to-order salads, grilled sandwiches and baked goods are also available.

Founded in 1979, Oakhurst, California-based Pizza Factory prepares pizzas, pasta, calzones and other favorites for its customers throughout the western United States and China. When Danny and Carol Wheeler opened the first restaurant near Yosemite National Park, it was called Danny's Red Devil Pizza. A name change and a few years later, the first franchise was opened with the help of Ron and Joyce Willey.

Nelson Lang and John Sotiriadis sought to provide a healthier alternative to the usual fast food fare when they opened the first Pita Pit in Kingston, Ontario, in 1995 and started serving Lebanese-style pita sandwiches. They began franchising in Canada in 1997, and then in the U.S. two years later.

Joseph Bisogno started out running a lemonade stand when he was 6, bought an ice cream truck at 18 and later purchased a gas station. In 1988, Bisogno started Mr. Goodcents Inc. after nearly 10 years of experience with the McDonald’s Corp.

Missing the submarine sandwiches he'd enjoyed growing up, Bill Specht began thinking about opening his own sandwich shop in his new home, Milwaukee. Finally, he teamed up with his cousin, Jim Sheppard, along with their wives, Sandy Specht and Mary Sheppard, to open the first Cousins Subs in 1972. With the help of a local baker, they came up with a unique bread recipe, and bread is now baked fresh several times a day in every Cousins Subs shop.

An American Icon since 1946, Hot Dog on a Stick™ began as the entrepreneurial dream of Dave Barham. What began as a small beachfront store in Santa Monica has grown to over 75 locations in the United States, as well as locations in Korea! And that beachfront store in Santa Monica is STILL serving our famous food and lemonade to beachgoers today!

Founder Richard Paganes opened the first Tubby’s Sub Shop in 1968 in St. Clair Shores, Michigan. The company began franchising in 1978 and has locations in the Midwest and southeastern United States. Tubby’s, which began as a family-owned and -operated business, is now public and is based in Clinton Township, Michigan.

After over 20 years working in the restaurant industry, for companies such as McDonald's, Long John Silver's, Pizza Hut and Quiznos, Tom Ryan started his own restaurant in 2007: Smashburger. Named for the way its burgers are cooked (by smashing a ball of ground beef onto the grill), Smashburger offers customers a variety of bun and topping choices. Chicken and veggie burgers are also available, as well as hot dogs, salads, sides and shakes.