11 Sandwich Chains That Are Taking Over The US
Some business expansions are immediately successful, and franchises pop up all over the country in a few years. Some aren't, and franchised locations have to be bought back in order to survive. For one sandwich chain, it's both — but its failure was only temporary and business is about to be booming, all over the world.
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00:00Some business expansions are immediately successful, and franchises pop up all over
00:06the country in a few years. Some aren't, and franchised locations have to be bought back
00:11in order to survive. For one sandwich chain, it's both. But its failure was only temporary,
00:17and business is about to be booming all over the world.
00:21Port of Subs, started in Sparks, Nevada in 1972, has expanded into a multi-state phenomenon.
00:27The chain specializes in freshly sliced subs made with top-tier fresh ingredients,
00:33ranging from generic classics like ham and cheese to signature dishes such as the gourmet
00:38grilled cheese and the New York Steak Melt. Since the equity firm Area 15 Ventures bought
00:43up the chain in 2023, its expansion plans have switched to turbocharged mode.
00:48In April 2024, it signed an agreement with regional developers to open 20 new units in
00:53Arizona. This followed similar development agreements in Oregon, Texas, and Idaho,
00:58all of which were announced in 2024 alone. Its most extensive expansion plan will unfold in
01:04Minnesota, where local entrepreneur Pat Mancuso decided he needed to jump on the Port of Subs
01:10bandwagon after trying one of their sandwiches at the airport. He told QSR Magazine,
01:15"'I first experienced Port of Subs at the Las Vegas airport and was immediately hooked.
01:20The freshness of the daily baked, proprietary bread, the upon-ordering sliced meats,
01:25and the fantastic Ghirardelli brownies blew me away. Port of Subs truly is a business that
01:31wants to be a part of the communities it serves."
01:34McAllister's Deli began in Oxford, Mississippi, where a local dentist decided to transform an
01:40abandoned movie set diner into what they described as,
01:43"...a small yet charming neighborhood restaurant and gathering place."
01:46That was in 1989, but the small-town essence remains a key part of the McAllister's
01:51Deli personality to this date. The chain now operates over 550 locations across 30 states
01:58and hit $1 billion in system-wide sales in March 2024. However, it remains extremely
02:05selective about where it retails its sandwiches, baked potatoes, and iconic sweet tea, preferring
02:10to open in suburban and rural locations versus major cities. With up to 40 new stores expected
02:16to open in 2024, they're not stopping anytime soon. If those slow and steady expansion plans
02:22do happen to hit your neighborhood, be sure to try their signature McAllister's Club,
02:26a decadent, 13-layer sandwich stacked with meats, cheeses, and veggies.
02:31"...I think food brings family and friends together like no other,
02:34and a place like McAllister's provides that for you."
02:39Jersey Mike's has humble origins, starting as a seaside restaurant known as Mike's Subs
02:44in Point Pleasant, New Jersey. Its founder set himself apart by serving something that
02:48was relatively novel at the time, submarine sandwiches. It worked, and Jersey Mike's is
02:54currently ranked as the fourth-largest sandwich chain in the U.S. after Subway, Panera Bread,
02:59and Arby's. And they're still growing. In 2022, QSR Magazine declared Jersey Mike's to be the
03:06fastest-growing restaurant chain in the country. They've opened over 1,000 new restaurants since
03:112018 alone, and CEO Peter Cancrow declared plans to open 350 new locations in 2024,
03:19plus up to another 450 in 2026. As if taking over the U.S. isn't enough,
03:24Jersey Mike's also plans to take its spectacular subs international soon. Its expansion into
03:30Canada has already begun, with plans to open 300 stores by 2034, while Cancrow
03:36claims there's also been interest from partners in the U.K.
03:40Primo Hoagies has prided itself on plating up Italian-style sandwiches with fresh veggies,
03:46store-baked bread, and gourmet meats and cheese since 1992. The chain started in South Philadelphia,
03:52but today can be found dotted down the majority of the East Coast, with more recent expansions
03:56taking it as far west as Colorado. And the company is not done. In October 2023,
04:03it signed 20 new franchise agreements. As part of what its CEO, Nicholas Papanier Jr.,
04:09described as a mission to redefine the sandwich experience across the U.S.,
04:13the numbers match the ambition. That same month, Primo Hoagies revealed that it plans to open 300
04:19new stores in the near future. Having won Best Sandwich or Sub Shop in the 2023 USA Today 10
04:26Best Readers' Choice Awards, the standard of the Hoagies themselves is top-notch.
04:31Franchisees Dana and Ronnie Besser, who opened a location in the Poconos,
04:36told the Pocono Record about their first taste of a Primo Hoagies sandwich. Dana said,
04:41"'It took me back to a place in Brooklyn where you go to the corner deli and the lettuce is
04:45sliced really thin and the bread is really soft and the meats are just sensational.'"
04:51"'Remember, it's not just a Hoagie, it's a Primo.'"
04:55If you're looking for a stellar turkey sandwich, Capriati's Sandwich Shop has got you covered.
05:00For over 40 years, the chain has slow-roasted all-natural butterball turkeys in each of its
05:05stores overnight before hand-shredding them in the morning to ensure that customers get
05:10the freshest, tastiest meat possible. For the first few years of Capriati's Sandwich Shop's
05:15existence, you could only experience this wonder for yourself if you made the trek to Delaware,
05:20where two siblings opened the first store way back in 1976.
05:25Then Capriati's Sandwich Shop started expanding, and it hasn't really slowed down since.
05:30As of 2024, you can find Capriati's Sandwich Shop at over 175 locations across the U.S.
05:37Expect that number to skyrocket soon. The chain, which is now based in Las Vegas,
05:42plans to add another 750 locations by 2032. That includes new restaurants in South Florida,
05:48California, and Hawaii, where Capriati's made its triumphant debut in Honolulu in 2022.
05:54Unsurprisingly, the chain has also had the honor of being featured on Fast Casual's Top Movers
05:59and Shakers list for four consecutive years since 2020.
06:03What do you love so much about Capriati's?
06:05The quality of their food.
06:07True to its name, Firehouse Subs was founded by two firefighters,
06:11brothers Chris and Robin Sorenson, in Jacksonville, Florida, back in 1994.
06:16These roots are still evident in its offerings today, with cheekily named sandwiches such as
06:21the Hook & Ladder and the New York Steamer, serving as menu standouts.
06:26Its first attempts at expansion weren't successful, with the Sorensons buying back
06:30their franchised locations shortly after launching them in 1995. Later efforts were
06:36much more triumphant. As similar businesses struggled at the peak of the pandemic,
06:40sales surged by as much as 20 percent for Firehouse Subs' locations,
06:44and Restaurant Brands International snapped up the business for $1 billion in 2021.
06:50With Restaurant Brands International at the helm, it has gone full-throttle on
06:54its expansion plans. It now boasts over 1,250 stores in North America and hopes to add another
07:00800 by 2028. Plus, there are also plans to transform Firehouse Subs into a global powerhouse
07:07by adding 100 restaurants in the United Arab Emirates and Oman by 2033.
07:13Opened in 2005, Mendocino Farms is one of the newer additions to the sandwich shop scene.
07:18Their ever-changing menu stands out from its competitors
07:22thanks to indulgent, interesting varieties. From Peruvian steak to Mendo's original pork
07:27belly banh mi, all made with locally sourced ingredients. While the carbs are most definitely
07:33the MVP of Mendocino Farms, the salads are equally creative and delicious.
07:38Despite what the name would have you believe, the first Mendocino Farms location wasn't in
07:43Mendocino, California, but in a former Starbucks under the Museum of Contemporary Art in Los
07:48Angeles. Named for the home county of its co-founder, Mario Del Perro, the chain has
07:53mostly stuck to the Golden State since opening. However, it's started spreading through the West
07:58in recent years, with locations in Washington and, as of 2019, Texas.
08:03While it hasn't divulged the full slate of states pegged for expansion,
08:07rest assured they're coming, starting with a Colorado location,
08:11for which Mendocino Farms signed the lease in July 2024. Expect more on the horizon soon.
08:16As CEO Kevin Miles told PDQ magazine in late 2022,
08:20Mendo is an up-and-growing brand, and we're excited to bring it across the
08:24country over the next several years. Jimmy John's is a product of Illinois,
08:30where 19-year-old Jimmy John Lieto opened his first store in 1983. In the decades since,
08:35it's added over 2,600 additional restaurants to its roster, all powered by freshly made subs,
08:42including its Italian Night Club sandwich, which was voted the store's best by mashed readers.
08:52As of 2024, these restaurants span 44 states, with only Alaska, Hawaii, Maine, New Hampshire,
08:59Rhode Island, Vermont lacking Jimmy John's. But that could change soon, as Jimmy John's
09:05is continually adding new locations, including a handful of drive-thru-only spots since 2022.
09:11And that's just the tip of the iceberg. According to Restaurant Business Online,
09:15the chain's revenue increased between 2023 and 2024, with the bulk of recently announced
09:20expansion locations heading for prized airport spots. Since being purchased by Inspire Brands
09:26in 2019, Jimmy John's has also set its sights on expanding further afield,
09:30having signed deals with franchisors in both Canada and Latin America in January 2024.
09:36Potbelly's sandwich shop has been growing steadily since the 1970s when it opened its
09:42first restaurant in Chicago's Lincoln Park. The site was an antique store, where the owner
09:46happened to refurbish antique Potbelly stoves, and decided to try to increase business by selling
09:52sandwiches to customers. A unique concept, sure, but it worked. The site abandoned antiques
09:57completely and rebranded as Potbelly Sandwich Works. Following a rough patch where the chain
10:02had to close several locations, things really started to heat up for the chain in 2020 when
10:07it brought Wendy's alumnus Robert Wright on board as its new president and CEO. Two years later,
10:14it kicked off its Franchise Growth Acceleration Initiative, which set the goal of opening 2,000
10:19new stores. Cogs are already in motion for 192 new Potbelly restaurants in 2024, including 15
10:26new restaurants in Maryland alone, courtesy of Potbelly's former CEO, Brian Kyle, and his son.
10:32At present, you can pick up Potbelly classics, such as the Steakhouse Beef and Pizza Melt,
10:36at 427 stores scattered across the U.S. Expect that number to surge soon,
10:42with the chain signing development agreements in New York, Maryland, Florida, Ohio, Washington,
10:47Arkansas, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Texas. And they even opened a couple locations in the
10:52Middle East. Talk about going global! Another Chicago transplant, Portillo's,
10:58is known for its Windy City origins. Its menu is packed with fare typical of the city,
11:03such as hot dogs, Maxwell Street Polish sandwiches, and Italian beef. This beef is
11:08slow-roasted for four hours before being thinly sliced, combined with French bread,
11:13then dipped into a hot gravy that Portillo's has perfected over 50 years. That alone makes it worth
11:19the voyage to Chicago. Except now, you don't have to travel. Portillo's has spread out across the U.S.
11:24in recent years. When it was purchased by its now-owners Berkshire Partners,
11:29it committed to dramatic expansion. In September 2023, Portillo's told Restaurant Dive that it
11:35had increased its goal from 600 new restaurants to 920. These new locations will apparently be
11:41split between two different models. 800 will be regular, full-scale restaurants, while 120
11:47will adopt a pickup or walk-up model. Those who receive a full-scale restaurant in their
11:51neighborhood are in for a treat. Portillo's famously favors eccentric novelty decor,
11:57particularly Chicago-related memorabilia from the 20th century, so no two of its restaurants
12:02are identical. Fans of tasty sandwiches could spend hours raving about the many highlights
12:08of the Mr. Pickles menu. From the Mrs. Pickle to CJ's Pastrami, its best sandwiches are served
12:14on its Dutch Crunch Rolls, a French roll that's cooked with a dusting of rice flour, giving it a
12:19sweet, textured exterior for a satisfying crunch with every bite. Are you drooling yet?
12:25The first Mr. Pickles store opened in San Mateo in 1996, with the chain expanding through California
12:31and into Arizona in 2023. Its current CEO, Michael Nelson, bought the company in 2020
12:38and has since guided the chain to an impressive 73 percent increase in sales.
12:42Named one of the fastest-growing emerging restaurants in the United States in 2023
12:47by Nation's Restaurant News, Nelson puts its rapid growth down to over-the-top service. But
12:53the quality of the bread definitely plays a role in helping it stand out from the crowd.
12:57Mr. Pickles partners with a supplier in San Francisco, making its sourdough,
13:02French, and wheat rolls, plus the sliced multigrain and marble rye bread. Some of the best in the biz.