Why Firehouse Subs Continues to Invest in Technology

Firehouse Subs was founded more than 25 years ago by brothers and former firefighters Robin Sorensen and Chris Sorensen and has steadily grown around its powerful mission of building meaningful relationships through a commitment to and passion for hearty and flavorful food, heartfelt service and public safety. Since then, Firehouse Subs has emerged as one of the best fast-food franchises in the $50 billion fast-casual restaurant space due in part to its ongoing investment in innovation and technology, which has continually improved operational efficiency and the overall customer experience. With an ever-growing percentage of customers ordering online for pickup and delivery, now more than ever, expectations continue to grow that orders will be processed, prepped and waiting at lightning speed.

"Firehouse Subs, like all brands, especially in the restaurant industry, experienced a sharp decline in mid-March as consumers retracted from their normal spending patterns,” said Firehouse Subs Firehouse Subs CFO Vince Burchianti recently in QSRWeb. “Firehouse Subs needed to make fast changes in our more than 1,180 restaurants in order to continue serving our guests in this new way of life. Anticipating the new spending habits of consumers, we made immediate operational and technological changes."

These types of innovation efforts are at the core of the Firehouse Subs brand and are part of what makes us one of the best fast-food franchises investments. Since Firehouse Subs first opened its doors in Jacksonville, Florida in 1994, the company has been synonymous with pushing the boundaries while elevating the guest experience. This ability to anticipate what consumers want before they even consider it – or being able to make an immediate, dramatic shift as has been evidenced over the last few months – has provided Firehouse Subs the ability to establish strong customer loyalty across its entire system. For example, the brand established a curbside delivery option in an extremely short amount of time in order to better cater to guests while keeping safety at the forefront. 

"Focusing on technology — which is always the most challenging — we identified we needed to add customer car information on our digital ordering platforms to make it easy for restaurant staff to identify which car to deliver the order to,” added Burchianti in QSRWeb. “With our IT department and the help of our partners at NCR Corporation, we had the required fields on our web ordering site within a week. We quickly turned to formatting our app and were able to make the needed changes within another week."

Firehouse Subs’ technology and Rapid Rescue To Go ordering platform also gives both its franchise partners and corporate headquarters access to exceptional strong consumer data. Once a Firehouse Subs franchisee and owner-operator officially opens the doors to their restaurant, Firehouse Subs provides all kinds of resources and restaurant management support. For franchise partners, Firehouse Subs’ data solutions deliver innovative, cost-reducing results through a turnkey model.

“It’s about being strategic with our technology,” said Greg Delks, Firehouse Subs Vice President of Franchise Development. “When we roll out new innovations or upgrade certain platforms, we do so in order to keep customers engaged with our brand while driving the performance and success of our franchisee partners.”

With Firehouse Subs’ technology platform and in-depth analytics, restaurants run efficiently allowing team members to remain focused on the guest experience. Overall, technology is one of the best fast-food franchise investments, and it helps simplify the lives of our franchise partners while maximizing unit performance.

“Firehouse Subs continues to invest in our tech stack to ensure our platform integrates with everything going on inside and outside of our restaurants,” said Delks. “This ongoing investment means we can scale the technology to accommodate the needs of our franchise partners as they grow.”

Single and multi-unit franchise opportunities are available for qualified candidates looking for their next big franchise opportunity, and veterans receive a discount on the franchise fee. The total average initial investment for one Firehouse Subs restaurant is approximately $350,000 depending on the real estate selected. To learn more or inquire why Firehouse Subs is one of the best fast-food franchises to buy, visit firehousesubsfranchising.com.