Firehouse Subs co-founder Chris Sorensen dies after constructing beloved American sandwich chain with brother
Chris Sorensen, a co-founder of the sandwich chain Firehouse Subs, has died at 65.
Earlier than coming into the restaurant business, Sorensen was an expert guitarist, even sitting in with bands together with Huey Lewis and the Information, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Foreigner and Earth, Wind & Hearth, based on his obituary.
He went on to turn into a firefighter, following within the footsteps of his father, Robert.
After working on the Brevard County Hearth Division and the Jacksonville Worldwide Airport Hearth and Rescue Division, Chris spent 10 years as an engineer and EMT on the Jacksonville Hearth and Rescue Division, the place his dad additionally labored on the time.
In 1994, Chris and his youthful brother, Robin, co-founded Firehouse Subs, opening the primary location of their hometown of Jacksonville.
That they had lower than $100 of their checking accounts on the time, based on Nation’s Restaurant Information.
Surprisingly, the first-ever order on the chain’s flagship location was not a sub, however two sizzling canines with every thing on them, which consisted of about 10 elements, Robin Sorensen informed the Jacksonville Every day Report in 2020.
“We had been so targeted on the subs, we weren’t ready for that order. Evidently, it was a protracted ticket time,” he stated.
That includes steamed meats and cheeses piled excessive on heat toasted rolls, Firehouse sandwiches quickly grew to become successful.
Chris took artistic possession of the inside of Firehouse Subs eating places, outfitting every location with a customized mural depicting fireplace and police service distinctive to the restaurant’s city.
A collector of historic artifacts, he ensured that the legacy of Firehouse Subs was preserved, serving because the chain’s unofficial archivist.
After being offered in 2021 for one billion {dollars} to Restaurant Manufacturers Worldwide, which additionally owns Burger King, the Firehouse Subs fleet grew to greater than 1,200 places.
In 2005, Chris and Robin Sorensen created the Firehouse Subs Public Security Basis, with a mission of offering first-responders with life-saving tools, instruments and schooling.
The group has awarded greater than 118 million {dollars} in grants to 7,700 departments within the US and Canada, per the obituary.
Fox Information Digital reached out to Firehouse Subs for remark.
