How Many Quiznos Are Left In The US?

Remember that quirky rat-meets-gopher duo that sang that irritatingly catchy tune about how much they love Quiznos subs that you wish you could forget but your brain plays on repeat? Maybe not. However, that would probably be because there aren't that many Quiznos restaurants around in the U.S. anymore. If you scour the entire country, you'll only find 148 locations— which may not seem all that few until you hear that there used to be around 4,700 in the U.S. alone.

So what on earth happened to Quiznos? Well, let's take it to the beginning when Jimmy Lambatos, an experienced chef, founded Footers, an Italian fine-dining restaurant, in 1978. The restaurant's claim to fame at the time was its signature toasted subway sandwiches (or subs), which Lambatos developed, along with the dressings, soups, and breads offered at the restaurant. These high-quality ingredients were served in a pretty upmarket space, and the combination of novelty toasties in a premium setting drew franchisees like moths to a flame.

The restaurant's popularity exploded as franchisees clamored to get a piece of the sub (well, pie), with the first official Quiznos opened in 1981, and by 2007, expanded to 4,700 restaurants in America. However, the great downfall started. Little cracks began to form in the business's operations, and when it enforced a 30% sourcing fee to try and bring in more revenue to HQ, franchisees just couldn't keep up with the costs. They scattered by the thousands, and Quiznos bled down to what currently stands at 148 stores.

The greater portion of the 148 restaurants reside in California and Washington, which have 14 outlets each. Florida strolls in next with 13 restaurants, and the rest trickle out across the country, with Quiznos being found in 133 cities in the U.S. across 34 states and territories.

Does this mean that Quiznos are done for? Will the strange little commercial mascots be singing a eulogy to one of the fathers of toasted subs? Possibly not. A bankruptcy in 2014 may have been the final push to get Quiznos' gears churning again, and a massive revitalization of the brand has been underway since. This began with a leadership takeover in 2018 by private equity firm High Bluff Capital Partners, which brought Quiznos into the Rego Restaurant Group fold. New designs were created for the restaurants to modernize them, along with refreshed menu items like their Grecian Delight gyro and Kimchi Philly sandwich, all with the ultimate aim of attracting customers back, bringing new customers in, and getting those franchisees on board again.

Quiznos are being opened in Pump & Pantry convenience stores, and a new support system has been put into place to support franchisees instead of pounding them with sourcing fees — placing Quiznos' incoming franchise owners as a top priority. Will these bold new measures take Quiznos back to its heyday? Only time will tell.