--- title: "6 Questions with Port of Subs CEO Healey Mendicino" url: https://burnaze.com/article/3f24b9b8-9968-4eb1-947d-42d035838fd9 source: "QSR Magazine" original_url: https://www.qsrmagazine.com/story/6-questions-with-port-of-subs-ceo-healey-mendicino/ author: "Danny Klein" category: "Sandwich & sub" industry: "Restaurants" segment: "Sandwich & sub" topics: ["People"] published: 2026-07-23T12:00:37.000Z modified: 2026-10-31T13:17:34.142Z image: https://www.qsrmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Healey.jpg --- # 6 Questions with Port of Subs CEO Healey Mendicino **TL;DR:** Healey Mendicino, CEO of Port of Subs, shares his journey from being a franchisee to leading the brand's national expansion. Mendicino's experience in commercial real estate and development, as well as his time as a franchisee, have shaped his leadership style and approach to growing the Port of Subs brand. *By Danny Klein, originally published in QSR Magazine on 2026-07-23. [Read the original](https://www.qsrmagazine.com/story/6-questions-with-port-of-subs-ceo-healey-mendicino/).* ## Story If you had told me years ago, while I was operating my own Port of Subs restaurants, that I would one day serve as president and CEO of the brand, I would have smiled and said “Life has a funny way of surprising us.” Port of Subs is a 54-plus year beloved legacy sub sandwich franchise brand with incredible food, richly steeped in community connection and franchisee support, that I now have the honor of leading into national expansion. Long before I became president and CEO, I was a franchisee. That’s when I truly learned the operational side of the business—training, working alongside team members, serving guests, solving problems, and experiencing firsthand both the challenges and rewards of operating a franchise. Those years continue to shape how I lead today. What many people don’t know is that before becoming a franchisee, I owned and operated a commercial real estate and development company. Through that work, I gained experience in site selection, financing, development, construction, and project management. I understood how to build locations and businesses, but becoming a franchisee introduced me to something entirely different—the power of franchising. As I operated my restaurants, I fell in love with the franchise business model and everything it represents. I saw firsthand how franchising creates opportunity, provides a framework for success, and helps ordinary people achieve extraordinary things. In 2013, I returned to Port of Subs—this time on the corporate side of the business. Since then, I’ve served in leadership roles spanning franchise development, real estate, operations, and strategic growth. Bringing the perspective of an entrepreneur, developer, franchisee, operator, and now CEO, I understand that every decision made ultimately impacts people, families, and the future they are working to build. Along the way, I’ve made my share of mistakes, and some of my greatest lessons to share have come from those challenges and setbacks, leading to important life lessons in listening, surrounding yourself with experienced people, and the strong need for continuous learning. Today, I have the privilege of leading Port of Subs through one of the most exciting chapters in our history. We are driving national expansion, creating opportunities for entrepreneurs across the country, and building a beloved national brand while remaining ‘your neighborhood sandwich shop’ and an important part of the communities we serve. Throughout my career, I’ve seen franchising create opportunities, lifelong friendships, learning and progress, prosperity, and community connection. That’s what inspires me every day. When my career is over, I hope to be remembered for making a positive impact on our team members, franchisees, communities, and industry. My purpose is to use my skills, experience, and positivity to help create opportunities, growth, and success for others. Our vision at Port of Subs is “Changing Lives … One Sub at a Time.” It’s more than a slogan—it’s our purpose. At the end of the day, we’re not only in the sandwich business. We’re in the people business. At the heart of it all is a simple belief: franchising changes lives, as it has changed mine. My first job was at Green Meadow Country Club Golf Course in Helena, Montana, where my dad was the golf professional. I was 10 or 11 at the time, and even though I was young, he always had great confidence in my abilities and encouraged me to try new things and to grow. I helped stock the pro shop, checked golfers in for the driving range, cashiered for the retail merchandise and learned how to close out for the day. Looking back, it was really fun—and it also taught me some of my earliest lessons about customer service, responsibility and some of the details of running a small business. My favorite menu item our No. 10 sub—Roasted chicken breast on wheat—*unless* our LTO bread pepperoncini/pepper jack bread is in season. I sub our flavorful provolone for our delicious smokey cheddar, lots of our signature mayo/mustard blend, and top it off with “the regulars” —lettuce, tomato, onion and the shakers – oil, vinegar, salt and oregano—and jalapenos of course. I pair it with Baked BBQ lays, and an extra squeezy bottle of mayo/mustard so I can add more as I enjoy my sub. For sure angel hair pasta with spicy marinara, chicken breast and lots of special parmigiano cheese on top—and red pepper flakes. A beautiful mixed green salad with red wine vinaigrette, followed by fantastic spumoni. I’ve been fortunate to have several influences who have inspired my leadership and journey. The first was my father. He taught me the value of hard work, personal accountability, and believing in yourself before you have all the answers. Throughout my career, I’ve also learned from countless franchisees, business leaders, and team members. Additionally, some of my favorite modern leadership voices are Jim Rohn, Simon Sinek, Darren Hardy and our own Adam Contos. I’ve also been deeply influenced by the writings of Marcus Aurelius. His Stoic philosophy emphasizes personal responsibility, discipline, and focusing on what you alone can control—your thoughts, actions, and responses. One of the most influential people in my life has been Dave Liniger. As a mentor and friend, he has challenged me to think bigger, lead better, and pursue incredible possibilities. His influence spans virtually all business and life topics, coming from a place of deep knowledge, compassion and a desire to see all around him succeed at the highest levels. Lastly, some of my greatest inspiration comes from the people I serve alongside every day. My team inspires me to continually grow as a leader and to create an environment where people can thrive, reach their potential, and make a meaningful difference. People first. If you want to succeed at the highest levels, create something meaningful and build a great brand, build your people first—your teams and your franchisees. Then provide a system and an environment where people can be as successful as they choose to be. Continuous learning and growing, morning meditation, Wim Hof method for breathing and cold exposure for optimum health, I love playing golf, overall fitness—body pump, trail running, etc. followed by a nice hot tub and I love to travel. ## Entities - QSR (sector) - franchise expansion (topic) - franchise development (topic) - QSR Magazine (publication) - leadership (topic) - national expansion (topic) - Danny Klein (person) - Port of Subs (company) - Dave Liniger (person) - Adam Contos (person) - Healey Mendicino (person) - community connection (topic) --- Originally reported by Danny Klein, QSR Magazine (https://www.qsrmagazine.com/story/6-questions-with-port-of-subs-ceo-healey-mendicino/). Summarized by Burnaze (https://burnaze.com/article/3f24b9b8-9968-4eb1-947d-42d035838fd9).