Today, Subway announced that it has opened its 2,000th Canadian location. This milestone is especially significant, as Canada is the largest market for the Subway brand outside of the United States. More than 130 new Canadian Subway restaurants have opened during the course of the past year.
“Subway plays a significant role in the franchise landscape of Canada,” says Richard Cunningham, president & CEO of the Canadian Franchise Association (CFA). “They have been long standing members of the CFA and we extend our congratulations on achieving this milestone.”
The first Subway restaurant in Canada opened its doors in 1986 in St. John’s, Newfoundland. Now just 19 years later, the milestone restaurant, located in Longueuil, Quebec, is owned and operated by Subway franchisee, Steven Ondrick. A franchise owner since 2002, Ondrick decided to expand his business and open his second Subway restaurant, a strategy that is quite popular among the chain’s franchisees. Approximately 70 pecent of all new Subway franchises sold each year are purchased by individuals who are already in the Subway system.
“I was introduced to Subway by my brother-in-law. It was the first business I opened, the price was reasonable, and there was plenty of corporate support for a new franchisee like me,” says Ondrick. “The milestone of 2000 locations shows how the chain has matured over the years. Today the Subwaybrand has top awareness in Canada,” says Ondrick.
Don Fertman, director of development for the Subway adds, “We couldn’t have achieved a significant milestone such as this without the hard work and dedication of our Canadian franchisees. These are men and women who have embraced the entrepreneurial spirit and pride themselves on being active members of their communities. Speaking on their behalf, we wholeheartedly thank the Canadian people for our continued success.”
The Subway restaurant chain, celebrating its 40th anniversary this year, is the world’s largest submarine sandwich franchise, with more than 22,500 locations in 80 countries. The chain is also the second largest fast-food chain in the world and has surpassed McDonald’s in number of locations in the United States, Canada and most recently, Australia. Headquartered in Milford, Connecticut, and with regional offices in Amsterdam, Australia, Lebanon, Miami, Singapore, and South Korea, the Subway chain was co-founded by Fred DeLuca and Dr. Peter Buck in 1965. In 2005, the brand was ranked the number one franchise opportunity Entrepreneur magazine, marking the 13th time in 17 years that the chain has achieved this honor.
