When it comes to fast food subs in the United States Subway has long ruled the roost. But for a long time in the 1990s and 2000s Quiznos reigned supreme making a name for itself primarily with its toasted sub sandwiches including classics like the tuna melt and steak and cheese. At its peak around 2006 Quiznos had around 5000 restaurants but by 2024 the chain has all but collapsed with fewer than 150 locations left in the U.S.
| Channel | Publish Date | Thumbnail & View Count | Actions |
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 Company Man | 2019-05-22 18:00:07 |  3,037,970 Views |
The Downfall of Quiznos…What Happened?
To be fair Subway hasn’t been doing so well in recent years either — its total number of locations also began declining around the mid-2010s for a variety of reasons from franchise disputes to sex crime convictions of former spokesman Jared Fogle. But with more than 36000 restaurants it’s still a major international chain while Quiznos is effectively toast.
The reasons are complicated: While sub sandwiches may have waned in popularity the reason for Quiznos’ sudden demise seems to have more to do with poor management than changing tastes. One big problem was that it grew too fast: It had a tame first decade starting with a single location in Denver in 1981 and only growing to 18 by 1991. Then it went public in 1994 and growth began to pick up speed: Franchisees complained that there were too many locations too close together. The stores simply weren’t selling as many sandwiches: At the chain’s peak Restaurant Business reported that average sales per restaurant was $400000 a year a little over $1000 a day.
Quiznos' problem wasn't just that it grew too big too fast and had lackluster sales. The company had an antagonistic relationship with its franchisees who struggled to stay afloat because of the costs imposed on them by Quiznos' corporate bosses.
