Blimpie Restaurant Chains Are Still In Business, But They're Few And Far Between

National sandwich shops routinely populate the highways, byways, and shopping malls of America — but it hasn't always been that way. As recently as the 1960s, single-store sandwich makers were the norm, including ones like Blimpie's, which started with one location in 1964. The three founders, high school buddies from New Jersey who reconnected at a party, brainstormed business ideas and landed on a sandwich shop similar to another Jersey venue, Mike's Submarines. Aspirations for each of the Jersey sandwich startups were high. Mike's evolved into Jersey Mike's with 2800-plus stores, while Blimpie's reportedly accumulated 1800-plus stores at one point. 

That's before a sharp turn in the Blimpie story. The chain is still in business, but the stores are few and far between, numbering as few as 200 locations by some estimates. The  decline occurred gradually, after the company surged in expansion over several decades. Two of the original owners, Tony Conza and Peter DeCarlo, eventually split new locations into separate divisions based mainly on geography, according to the New York Times. Millions of dollars in income zigzagged between increasing sales and low profit margins. The vast number of franchisees became harder to control and were often spaced too far apart for financial benefits such as joint advertising efforts. 

Despite the ups and downs, including a transfer of ownership in 2012 to Kahala Brands, the Blimpie's enterprise persists. Franchise opportunities are also still available, including full-size sit-down restaurants and the slimmed-down Blimpie's Express concept. 

In a Tasting Table ranking of 21 popular sandwich chains, Blimpie's came in near the bottom, at number 19. That's compared to Jersey Mike's perched high on the list at number eight and Subway scraping the bottom at number 21. The top two chains, based on methodology such as quality, ingredients, freshness, and creative composition, are Panera Bread at number two, and the reigning chart-topper, London-born Pret A Manger. 

Though lowly ranked amongst, Blimpie's still made the list. That's an accomplishment in itself, given the vast number of deli-style sandwiches created daily across the country. Longevity and perseverance still count, especially with chains such as BurgerFi and Mod Pizza reportedly weighing bankruptcy this year. Blimpie's hasn't posted news in its online press room since January 2019, when it reported on the company's Great American Sub Tour. But the menu remains relatively robust, offering classic, premium, and hot sub sandwiches, as well as limited time offers such as an Italiano blimp and an interesting mac & cheese pulled pork sandwich.  

A separate catering category shows promise, at least from a customer perspective, with the ability to make volume orders for gatherings and events. The offerings range from full lunchboxes with a fairly low minimum order of five, to a giant three-foot sub serving 15 to 20 people, and brimming boxes of Blimpie's sliders or wraps. Then there's meat and cheese trays for appetizers or grazing.