Quiznos rapidly became known for their toasty subs — but ​​then, they just disappeared. Let's dive
into the history of this sandwich chain, and what lies ahead. This is the untold truth of Quiznos.
If you know much about the fast food business, you probably realize that it's not run by a gaggle of
Michelin-starred chefs. Most people in fast food management come from the entrepreneurial world,
which is why there's often an emphasis on speed and convenience over quality.
But things are different at Quiznos. That's because the restaurant was
actually created by a chef who knew what he was doing in the kitchen.
According to Mental Floss, Quiznos founder, Jimmy Lambatos,
started off in the fine dining world. He was the executive chef at a restaurant
named the Colorado Mine Company steakhouse where he would feed high-profile guests like the members
of the Rolling Stones and Elvis. When he left the restaurant and opened his own business in 1978,
he began experimenting with subs. Just a few years later, in 1981, he founded Quiznos,
using his knowledge of the sub sandwiches he had grown up with in his hometown of New York City.
These days, Denver is known as a trendy hotspot for young professionals with a taste for craft
beer and money to burn. However, the city was also home to the very first Quiznos.
It popped up in Denver's Capitol Hill neighborhood, and you may be surprised
to learn that it's still there today. It hasn't stopped serving up its signature
subs, so if you're hungry for a taste of sandwich history, you may want to stop by.
In fact, it may just be the perfect spot to check
out some of the original recipes that Lambatos included on the first menu.
Our suggestion? Opt for the Classic Italian, which boasts four different types of meat,
a ton of veggies, and an irresistible red wine vinaigrette to finish it off.
Remember back in the day when there was a Quiznos on every corner? Okay, maybe your dominant memory
of the '90s and 2000s wasn't standing in line for a toasted sub at your local Quiznos, but rest
assured that this chain restaurant was everywhere at the time. Restaurant Business reports that back
in 2007, the chain had a total of 4,700 stores. But fast forward just ten years later, and you
see a much different reality for this toasted sub company. In 2017, the business had just 400
stores. So, how did the chain manage to lose a whopping 90 percent of its stores so quickly?
Well, there were a lot of issues that played into the company's demise.
For one, consumers were looking for cheaper options during the recession,
and places like Subway, despite their arguably lower quality, were just better when it came
to budget food. Add onto that the fact that Quiznos had a wonky business model,
bad press, and angry franchisees, and it was a perfect storm to take the company under.
When it comes to a dish that's as simple to make as a sandwich,
it might surprise you that so many restaurants rely on a business model that, at its core,
simply involves arranging meat and cheese on a slice of bread. But consumers love subs, and
apparently, they love subs that they don't have to make themselves even more. Quiznos isn't the only
brand out there serving up loaves of bread packed with all the toppings you could possibly want.
Perhaps the most ubiquitous of Quiznos' competitors is Subway.
You may be surprised to learn that Subway is the world's biggest restaurant chain. Statista
reported that Subway had 41,600 stores in 2019. This number might be down from recent years,
but it's still a massive figure that Quiznos just can't compete with when it comes to sheer numbers.
And it's not just Subway. Think of college-town favorite Jimmy Johns, which, like Quiznos,
offers sandwiches that are just a little bit higher-end. Or what about Publix Supermarkets,
which has a deli offering some of the most widely loved sandwiches
packed with Boar's Head cold cuts? When there are so many other options around,
it makes it difficult for Quiznos to stand out in any meaningful way.
Any Big Bang Theory fans out there? If you love actor Jim Parsons,
who's best known for playing the hilarious Sheldon Cooper on the long-running CBS sitcom,
you may just have Quiznos to thank for his eventual widespread success. In the acting world,
actors are generally looking for their "big break" — the one appearance or performance that will
suddenly catapult them to success. For some, it's getting cast in a blockbuster movie as a child.
For others, like Parsons, it's appearing in a Quiznos commercial back in 2003.
When asked if the Quiznos was really the thing that catapulted him into the acting sphere,
Parsons admitted it probably wasn't, but he did have this to say:
"It broke me into the rent stratosphere. It did get some attention. It certainly
gave me a conversation piece. Half the battle, and I'm not kidding,
in certain casting sessions and everything, are — well, you have something interesting to say."
You already know you can grab Quiznos pretty much any time you want.
Whether you want to pick some up yourself or you'd prefer to get
your favorite sandwich delivered right to your door via Postmates or GrubHub,
it's not hard to get your grub on with a Honey Bacon Club on any ordinary night of the week.
"Wanna grab some Quiznos?"
But sometimes, it's not an ordinary night, and you have a special event coming up.
Maybe it's a lunchtime meeting with your whole company. Maybe it's a baby shower
with a very hungry mom-to-be. Whatever that event may be, you have to feed your guests,
and maybe the best way to get the job done is with catering from Quiznos.
"I shall call it: Caaaaaatering."
Your local Quiznos can deliver sub trays that give everyone a bite of the best subs on the menu.
Don't forget about the salad bowls or boxed lunches, either. Just be warned: If you do
get Quiznos to cater, you may be in charge of the food event planning from here on out.
All over the world, consumers have grown to love the taste of subs. So in order to keep up
with international demand, Quiznos knew it would have to expand. And that's exactly what they did.
After the company's collapse in the U.S., Quiznos made a concentrated effort to extend its bounds.
In 2014, the company organized a campaign for global expansion and now, the chain can
be found all over the world, including in countries like the United Arab Emirates.
In fact, QSR Magazine reportedly included the company on its Global 30 list, which
highlights companies focused on international expansion. We love to see different cultures and
countries connecting, especially when it's over a steaming-hot toasted sub fresh from the oven.
Plenty of fast food restaurants out there have discovered that promos do work when
it comes to getting customers in the door. Once customers try the food and enjoy it,
it's more likely they'll come back in the future. So it's not surprising that
Quiznos tried to employ a promo of its own. On the surface, it sounded like a great idea:
An online giveaway promised a free small signature sub or everyday value sub.
However, many customers found that the coupons weren't being honored when they
visited their local Quiznos locations. The franchisees got the heat at first before
they pointed out the real issue. Quiznos had offered all these free subs to its customers,
but it was the franchisees who were footing the bill for them. Whoops. Not quite fair,
right? Considering that, at the time, corporate made about a hundred million dollars a year
selling food to its franchisees, this didn't go over well with the company as a whole.
Becoming a franchise owner for any fast food or fast casual restaurant makes a lot of sense if
you want to make good money without completely having to build a business from the ground up.
This is surely the appeal that many Quiznos franchisees discovered when they signed on
the dotted line and found themselves the owners of the brand-new Quiznos in town.
But unfortunately, these business owners weren't always too pleased with corporate.
Apparently, high food costs made it hard for the individual locations to make good money,
and franchisees were not happy. This issue was exacerbated by the fact that Quiznos' couldn't
buy food from other suppliers. Restaurant Business implies that this issue is part of what led to
the company's overall collapse. Hopefully, stories like what happened to Quiznos will encourage other
large corporations to treat their franchisees and employees better and more humanely in the future.
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