Subs — also called grinders, hoagies, heroes, wedges, and a variety of other regional names — are sort of the second official American sandwich, behind the hamburger.
They’re versatile, as a sub can be a cold sandwich laden with cold cuts, vegetables, mayo, and various spreads, or a hot sandwich, such as a meatball hoagie, chicken parmigiana grinder, or my favorite, a steak and cheese sub.
Many would argue that the Philadelphia cheesesteak is the standard setter.
“There are a lot of sandwich shops out there that tout the freshness of their ingredients. But few can match a local favorite Philly cheesesteak shop in terms of sheer volume. This means that even very popular sandwich shops in other parts of the country are only getting fresh product delivered once or twice a week, which is plenty for pushing out a few hundred sandwiches per day,” Mashed reported.
Singer Patti Labelle told Drew Barrymore on her talk show that technique, not location makes the best cheesesteak.
“According to Patti, putting cheese at the bottom of your hoagie bun and topping it with cooked steak provides enough heat for the cheese to properly melt. The end result is identical to what you’d get from a more traditional method for Philly cheesesteak, where you cover the steak with cheese and cook until melted,” the Philly native and restaurant owner shared.
Those of us from Boston, however, find the Philly argument silly. A Boston-style steak and cheese, which uses provolone or American cheese, is superior, much like the Patriots are better than the Eagles, the Red Sox are better than the Phillies, and the Bruins clearly have an edge over the Flyers.
Regional arguments aside, Subway has been the clear national sub chain leader, with over 19,500 locations in the U.S. alone at the end of 2024.
Another chain, Quiznos, was once on the rise and looking to catch up, but its fall was spectacular.
Subway: By far the largest chain; QSR 50 reports over 20,133 U.S. units (data was from before the chain purged underperforming units).
Jersey Mike’s Subs: 2,684 total units, according to QSR 2024.
Jimmy John’s: 2,644 units, per QSR 2024.
Firehouse Subs: 1,209 units, according to QSR 2024.
McAlister’s Deli: Listed in QSR’s top chains, with 539 units in its 2024 breakdown. Source for all above: QSR Magazine Top 50
Charley’s Philly Steaks & Wings: Frequently appears in top sandwich-chain lists. Source: Entrepreneur
Potbelly Sandwich Works: Not always top by sales, but commonly listed among top sandwich franchises. Source: Tony Boys NJ
Not all chains share their store counts publicly.
Subway has been the clear market leader by store count. Shutterstock
Quiznos, which has shrunk to under 200 locations, was once a rising competitor that climbed to nearly 5,000 U.S. locations. The chain built its business around toasting its subs on a sort of conveyor-belt toaster.
“The little sub shop that began in 1981 in Denver, CO still has the same bold ideas that we had in the beginning. We boldly believe that your food should taste great and that we should use only the highest quality ingredients to create your perfect lunch,” it posted.
The chain’s rise was fast, but its fall was even faster.
“By 2006, there were 5,000 stores offering cheesy, hot, oven-toasted sandwiches, making it the second-largest sandwich shop in the U.S.,” Cheapism reported. “But since then, Quiznos has been on a downward spiral, closing a whopping 4,700 U.S. locations over a decade. By 2017, the sandwich chain was down to a mere 400 locations — a 90% loss.”
The website said the reason for the downfall was clear, blaming its pricing strategy.
“People wanted cheap, not necessarily toasted, sandwiches, and Subway offered just that,” it added.
As far back as 2011, franchise operators had concerns about the business model.
“My hope is that management will shift to a model more profitable to individual stores,” said Kevin Tackett, Quiznos largest traditional franchise operator and president of a newly formed Quiznos franchisee association told Nation’s Restaurant News.
The chain avoided a bankruptcy filing in 2012 by selling itself, but that did not fix its problems, according to one industry expert.
“John Gordon, a consultant with Pacific Management Consulting Group in San Diego, said the chain had a fundamental problem with store-level economics, estimating that as many as 2,500 franchise locations have closed since 2006,” Nation’s Restaurant News reported.
Gordon, however, was wrong in his assertion that the chain’s 2012 cash infusion would help it turn things around.
“This is a good shot,” Gordon said. “But it’s critically important they work to improve the business model.”
At its peak (around 2006-2007), Quiznos had 4,700-5,000 U.S. locations. Source: Cheapism
By 2017, the number of U.S. Quiznos stores had dropped to around 400. Source: Foodie
As of early 2025, reports still put U.S. Quiznos locations at fewer than 150, meaning over 4,500+ stores have closed since their peak. Source: Flavor365
Legal analysts at the American Bar association were critical of Quiznos in a 2025 article.
“Quiznos’s mismanagement of its franchisee relationships and systemic neglect led to lawsuits, closures, and a collapse that serves as a cautionary tale for the franchising industry,” it shared.
2007: Peak of 4,700-5,000 U.S. locations.
2008–2009: Roughly 1,000 stores closed in this span.
2010: Around 1,500 stores closed. Source: Daily Meal
2014: Quiznos filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, at which point they had dropped to 2,100 locations. Source: Flavor365
2017: The U.S. store count fell to 400. Source: Foodie
2020: Reports say there were about 255 U.S. locations, down significantly from prior years. Source: Restaurant Business Online
2024-2025: As of early 2025, fewer than 150 Quiznos locations remained in the U.S. Source: Flavor365
