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Fred DeLuca founded the SUBWAY® chain in Connecticut, USA, in 1965. The company has since grown into a multi-billion pound business, with more than 25,000 outlets in over 80 countries.
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The SUBWAY® chain aims to increase the number of outlets it has in the UK and Ireland to over 2,010 stores by 2010. |
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In 2003, the SUBWAY® chain beat its all time record for the number of franchises sold in a single year and its outlet sales continue to be extremely strong. |
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More than 70% of new SUBWAY® franchises are sold to existing SUBWAY® owners. |
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In 2006, the SUBWAY® chain was once again named the Number One Franchise Opportunity in Entrepreneur Magazine’s ‘Franchise 500’ rankings. This is the 14th time the company has won this prestigious award. |
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The “Under 6” menu (SUB sandwiches with six grams of fat or less), is popular with customers all around the world. |
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The SUBWAY® chain’s “Under 6” line of SUB sandwiches has been promoted in the US and Canada through a series of television commercials and public appearances featuring Jared Fogle, a college student, who lost 17.5 stone eating nothing but SUBWAY® sandwiches for a year. Jared currently has a huge following in the US and Canada... known as Jared’s Army, all of whom have lost substantial weight by incorporating the low-fat, full taste line of SUBWAY® sandwiches into their diet. This is of particular relevance to the UK in light of the British Medical Association (BMA) estimating that one million children under 16 are obese. |
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The story begins in Bridgeport, Connecticut, USA during the summer of 1965. Fred DeLuca, an ambitious 17-year-old high school graduate, was looking for a way to make enough money to pay for his university tuition. The solution came at a backyard barbecue during a conversation with a family friend, Dr. Peter Buck. Dr. Buck suggested to Fred that he open a submarine sandwich shop - having seen a sandwich shop in his hometown experience huge success. |
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With a $1,000 loan from Dr. Buck, the partnership was formed and Pete’s Super Submarines opened in August 1965. The first year was a challenge and a learning experience for the young entrepreneurs. They opened their second location a year later and quickly realised that marketing and visibility were going to be key factors in the success of the business - the third outlet was in a highly visible location and it’s still serving sandwiches today. The name was shortened from Pete’s Super Submarines to SUBWAY® and the familiar bright yellow logo was introduced. |
| The next step was to formulate a business plan that outlined the SUBWAY® chain’s goals. In an effort to reach those goals, SUBWAY® outlets began franchising, giving others the opportunity to succeed in their own business venture. The first SUBWAY® franchise opened in Connecticut in 1974. In August 1995, the SUBWAY® chain celebrated 30 years of success and witnessed the opening of its 11,000th outlet. |
| As for Fred Deluca... he did complete his journey - he received a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology in 1971 and became a successful businessman. Fred firmly believes in valuing the experience of the journey rather than only visualising the end and he shares the journey and success with thousands of SUBWAY® franchisees around the globe. |
