---
title: "Firehouse Subs Brings on Carolina Berti as CMO for U.S. and Canada"
url: https://burnaze.com/article/0c042b44-c749-483d-861a-120b6139e098
source: "RetailWire"
original_url: https://retailwire.com/firehouse-subs-brings-on-carolina-berti-as-cmo-for-u-s-and-canada/
author: "Chase Binnie"
category: "Sandwich & sub"
industry: "Restaurants"
segment: "Sandwich & sub"
topics: ["People"]
published: 2025-10-03T18:02:27.000Z
modified: 2026-05-08T21:59:23.137Z
image: https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1555396273-367ea4eb4db5?w=1600&q=80&auto=format&fit=crop
---

# Firehouse Subs Brings on Carolina Berti as CMO for U.S. and Canada

**TL;DR:** Firehouse Subs has appointed Carolina Berti as Chief Marketing Officer for its U.S. and Canadian operations, where she will oversee brand marketing, menu development, and guest engagement. Berti joins from Tim Hortons, where she spent nearly ten years in senior roles and helped achieve 17 consecutive quarters of sales growth.

*By Chase Binnie, originally published in RetailWire on 2025-10-03. [Read the original](https://retailwire.com/firehouse-subs-brings-on-carolina-berti-as-cmo-for-u-s-and-canada/).*

## Key facts

- Carolina Berti is new CMO
- 17 quarters of sales growth at Tim Hortons
- 1,200 Firehouse Subs restaurants

## Story

Firehouse Subs has appointed Carolina Berti as Chief Marketing Officer for its U.S. and Canadian operations. She will oversee brand marketing, menu development, and guest engagement as the sandwich chain increases its growth efforts.

Berti joins from Tim Hortons, where she spent nearly ten years in senior roles, most recently as vice president of marketing and innovation. During her tenure, she helped the Canadian coffee brand achieve 17 consecutive quarters of sales growth and launched over 100 products.

## New marketing strategy

Mike Hancock, president of Firehouse Subs, highlighted Berti's combination of creativity and business acumen as crucial for "writing the next chapter" for the brand. This implies a greater focus on menu innovation and loyalty programs, which are increasingly competitive areas in quick-service restaurants.

Founded in Jacksonville by two former firefighters in 1994, Firehouse Subs has grown to just over 1,200 restaurants. While this is well behind Subway’s 20,000-plus U.S. locations, it firmly places Firehouse Subs in the conversation with regional players like Jersey Mike’s and Jimmy John’s.

Since its acquisition by Restaurant Brands International (RBI) in 2021, Firehouse Subs has become part of a portfolio that also includes Burger King, Popeyes, and Tim Hortons. RBI has openly stated its goal of reaching 40,000 restaurants worldwide by the end of the decade, with Firehouse Subs expected to contribute significantly to this expansion.

The brand has already announced incentive packages for U.S. franchisees and signed international development deals. These include plans for 100 restaurants in Mexico and a target of 500 in Brazil over the next ten years.

## Cmo role evolution

Quick-service brands are increasingly viewing the CMO role as more than just a communications position. Menu launches, digital engagement, and guest loyalty are interconnected, a shift reflected in Berti’s responsibilities at Firehouse Subs.

Moving a senior executive from Tim Hortons to Firehouse Subs also demonstrates RBI's preference for rotating talent within its system. This approach allows the company to share ideas – in this instance, applying coffee-and-bakery strategies to a sandwich chain – while maintaining corporate alignment.

*   **Menu as a growth lever:** Firehouse Subs has traditionally relied on hearty sandwiches and its community-focused image. With Berti's leadership, expect more experimentation with limited-time offers and flavor extensions.
*   **Consistency across markets:** Expansion into Mexico and Brazil will test the brand's ability to maintain its identity while adapting to local tastes.
*   **Portfolio dynamics:** RBI is making strategic marketing leadership changes across several of its brands. Firehouse Subs' performance under Berti could indicate the effectiveness of the company’s internal mobility strategy.

For retail and restaurant leaders, this appointment highlights how QSR brands are redefining marketing leadership, bringing product development, loyalty programs, and customer engagement under a single umbrella. Firehouse Subs, still a challenger brand in the U.S. sandwich market, is betting that this alignment will be crucial for its next phase of growth.

## Entities

- QSR (sector)
- brand expansion (topic)
- Burger King (company)
- menu innovation (topic)
- marketing strategy (topic)
- Subway (company)
- Popeyes (company)
- Jersey Mike's (company)
- Firehouse Subs (company)
- Mexico (location)
- Jimmy John's (company)
- Tim Hortons (company)

---
Originally reported by Chase Binnie, RetailWire (https://retailwire.com/firehouse-subs-brings-on-carolina-berti-as-cmo-for-u-s-and-canada/). Summarized by Burnaze (https://burnaze.com/article/0c042b44-c749-483d-861a-120b6139e098).