Childhood Friends, Entrepreneurs Open Firehouse Subs® in San Marcos, California

San Marcos Blvd., Suite 104. This marks the seventh Firehouse Subs restaurant in the greater San Diego area.

The restaurant will open its doors to the public on Thursday, December 12 under the ownership of Firehouse Subs Franchisees Smit Patel and Priyank Patel. Firehouse Subs serves premium meats and cheeses steamed and piled high on a toasted sub roll, served “Fully Involved®” with fresh produce and condiments. In addition to its signature subs, the restaurant offers a variety of catering options from sandwich and dessert platters to salads and snacks to fuel any occasion.

This is the second Firehouse Subs restaurant for Priyank, who began running his first location in Oceanside in February 2018. Priyank sold his childhood friend, Smit, on the idea to open a second location and grow the Firehouse Subs mission across the San Diego area.

“Priyank currently has a guest who drives 25 miles just to come to his Oceanside Firehouse Subs,” Smit said. “I knew I wanted to be a part of this passionate brand, and am excited to serve more guests and have the guidance of a trusted friend. And to be closer to our most loyal guest.”

Smit and Priyank are dedicated to sharing the brand’s commitment to giving back through Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation, which has granted more than $1.1 million in California. A portion of every sale at any Firehouse Subs in the U.S. benefits the Foundation, allowing the Foundation to achieve its mission of providing lifesaving equipment, funding and education to first responders and public safety organizations across the country.

The San Marcos Firehouse Subs restaurant is open from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., seven days a week. It will offer third-party delivery and in-house catering services to accommodate occasions of all sizes, from office meetings to family gatherings.

Founded by former firefighting brothers Chris Sorensen and Robin Sorensen, the restaurant décor reflects the founding family’s decades of fire and police service with gear and photos donated by local fire departments. The restaurant boasts a custom, hand-painted mural by Chief Mural Artist Joe Puskas, featuring the nearby City of San Marcos Fire Station No. 1, and the department’s newest fire engine. Since the opening of the first Firehouse Subs in 1994, Puskas and his team have painted more than 1,180 murals from his studio at Firehouse Subs Headquarters in Jacksonville, Fla.

In 2005, the Firehouse Subs founders established the Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation with the mission of providing funding, lifesaving equipment and educational opportunities to first responders and public safety organizations. The 501(c)(3) Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation has granted more than $46 million to hometown heroes in 49 states, Puerto Rico and Canada. Each restaurant recycles five-gallon pickle buckets, available to guests for a $3 donation to the Foundation.

Donation canisters on register counters explain the nonprofit’s mission and collect spare change, while the Round Up Program allows guests to “round up” their bill to the nearest dollar. All funds raised benefit the Foundation.

Celebrating 25 years of business in 2019, Firehouse Subs® is a fast casual restaurant chain with a passion for Hearty and Flavorful Food, Heartfelt Service and Public Safety. Founded in 1994 by brothers and former firefighters Chris Sorensen and Robin Sorensen, Firehouse Subs is a brand built on decades of fire and police service, hot subs, steamed and piled high with the highest quality meats and cheeses and its commitment to saving lives through the establishment of the non-profit Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation®. The founders are the real deal, the food is their creation and the restaurant is built upon a family of franchise operators who share their same passion for generously serving food and community.

This year, Firehouse of America, LLC (franchisor for the brand) will donate a portion of all purchases at U.S. Firehouse Subs restaurants to Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation, resulting in a minimum donation of one million dollars.

Newsweek recently named Firehouse Subs No. 1 in the fast casual restaurant industry on its 2019 list of America’s Best Customer Service Brands. In 2018, Firehouse Subs was named the No.

1 brand in the restaurant industry that “Supports Local Community Activities” and ranks No. 1 among Fast Casual brands in “Food Quality” and “Taste and Flavor” in Technomic’s Consumer Brand Metrics rankings. Firehouse Subs was also named No.

• 175+ sparkling and still beverage options offered through Coca-Cola Freestyle® fountain in every Firehouse Subs restaurant

o Including top-selling exclusive Firehouse Subs recipes, Cherry Lime-Aid™, Cherry Lime-Aid™ Light and Sparkling Cherry Lime-Aid™, served with fresh squeezed lime

• Loaded with USDA choice beef brisket smoked for up to 16 hours in an authentic Texas smokehouse and topped with melted cheddar cheese and a special combination of sauces, including Sweet Baby Ray’s® Barbecue Sauce

• Bring the heat with our hot sauce bar featuring 25+ complimentary hot sauces, including Captain Sorensen’s® Datil Pepper Hot Sauce, named in honor of the founding brothers’ father, Rob Sorensen, a 43-year retired fire captain.