Firehouse Subs sets international opening record in Brisbane

The US chain is determined to challenge Australia’s $1.7b sandwich market.

Firehouse Subs Brisbane debut drew a crowd of more than 100 guests, which is said to be the brand’s strongest international opening results to date.

“We knew Australians were ready for a seriously good sub, and the brand has had a loyal following here from afar for years,” Peter George, Firehouse Subs executive chairman, said. “What we didn’t anticipate was breaking every international benchmark in our first days of trade, on a soft opening day, before our marketing had even begun.”

Across the day, the Brisbane store welcomed a consistent line-up of guests, with the queue continuing well into the afternoon, and handed out generous servings of free fries to fans throughout the day.

Meanwhile, local Zillmere man Jacob Batman, who queued for two and a half hours to secure first place in line, won the biggest prize for the day: a year’s worth of free subs.

During its opening week, The Brisket & Cheddar sub was the store’s top seller, with Steak & Cheese and Pastrami rounding out the top three.

In a separate interview, Firehouse Subs told QSR Media that they plan to open 15 restaurants in Southeast Queensland before expanding to Sydney and Melbourne.

The brand enters Australia’s $1.7b sandwich market with lunch options from under $10, and combo meals from under $16.