There are two big parts to know about Port of Subs president Healey Mendicino.
For one, she has great passion for the sandwich concept. She has known the founding family for nearly 30 years and would challenge anyone to the idea that Port of Subs has “the best sub sandwiches on the planet.” Mendicino joined as a franchisee in 1997 and helped open the 100th restaurant. After doing her own thing for several years, Mendicino returned in July 2013 to serve as executive vice president.
So when Area 15 Ventures—owned by RE/MAX founder David Liniger—purchased the sandwich concept in 2023, she was happy to learn new ownership would keep the entire team she’s worked with for years. She was promoted to president and former RE/MAX CEO Adam Contos took on the same role at Port of Subs.
The other thing to remember about Mendicino is she’s a structured and plan-oriented person. That’s why she was also excited to learn Port of Subs was switching from single-unit, traditional franchise growth to a sophisticated regional developer model featuring larger territories and a minimum of 10 units under the agreement. Regional developers are awarded exclusive rights to develop, operate, and oversee other franchisees within a defined region.
The results speak for themselves. Over little more than a year, the 125-unit chain has 11 regional developers and more than 300 units committed to open. These operators are part of the Twenty Club; Port of Subs is giving extra growth incentives to its first 20 regional developers to thank them for pioneering the program. Some of the bigger examples include a 70-unit deal in Washington, D.C., a 30-unit deal in Sacramento, and a 60-unit deal in Minnesota. Port of Subs’ goal is to reach 500 restaurants in five years.
With the backing of Liniger and Area 15, Port of Subs is “extremely well-capitalized,” Mendicino says. As president, she doesn’t have to spend a large percentage of her time seeking capital like many companies do.
“Our energy and our focus is on our leadership, our clear vision, and our outcome,” she says. “We’re putting those plans in place to be able to support those grand visions. We have momentum.”
Port of Subs didn’t forget about its legacy franchisees either. In fact, the first regional developers were brothers Jay and Michael Taylor out of Utah, operators since 2010. They were considering leaving the system because they wanted a bigger opportunity for growth. Port of Subs gave that to them at 40 units for the whole Salt Lake City metro area.
Nine regional developers have flagship restaurants—larger venues with more capacity in the back of house to support new markets with extra product and serve as a certified training center. Mendicino calls these stores “a typical Port of Subs on steroids.” The brand requires regional developers to have a flagship unit to keep a sense of community that’s become important to the brand over several decades.
“They have to have a flagship, be part of that community, and it gives them a hub and a central point from which to grow,” Mendicino says. “And so we’ve got the momentum, we’ve got fantastic regional developers. … We spend a lot of time focusing on the quality, not only of our franchisees, of course, but the regional developers, the quality that they possess and the values and being a good match. And whatever doing the right thing means to anybody, we do the right thing. And so aligning with people and regional developers who share those values has been front and center for our selection process because that’s our future. That’s pivotal for our future.”
To qualify as a regional developer, the company emphasizes that financial capability, while critical, is merely the starting point. Beyond capitalization, successful candidates must demonstrate engagement, curiosity, and a genuine passion for the brand. The chain wants entrepreneurs who are not just looking at the concept as a vehicle for profitability but who truly love the brand and are motivated to be part of what the company is building.
Prospective developers typically fall into two categories: those with a background in foodservice and those with general business expertise looking to expand into the food industry. Mendocino notes that Port of Subs supports business-minded developers by encouraging them to partner with experienced operators who can bring industry knowledge to the table. Conversely, for foodservice professionals, the focus is on developing the operational and structural acumen necessary to scale a regional business.
Sophistication and vision are also vital attributes. Candidates are expected to present detailed business plans that outline the progression from the first unit to subsequent locations, along with strategies for managing administration, finances, and staffing. Mendocino says having a clear roadmap indicates a developer is “buttoned up” and ready for Port of Subs’ training programs to fill any gaps.
In addition to those flagships, Port of Subs plans to open a new prototype in Denver next month. The refreshed look, unveiled at the franchise conference in early November, incorporates kiosk ordering, digital menu boards, and a separate mobile order pickup station. These features will be part of new flagship locations, but the company will make tweaks before launching it across the entire network.
The regional development model isn’t the only growth lever. Port of Subs also uses a “certified to expand” program for current operators.
“We have a lot of excitement from existing franchisees,” Mendicino says. “We’ve got about 12 of them right now looking to expand into that three to five-unit type of environment in the existing markets where they have been for a long time. So that’s really exciting. There’s so much buzz in our brand right now—corporate teams, leadership franchise network, regional developers. It’s a great time for our brand. I’m really excited about it.”
Port of Subs’ overall philosophy is focusing on what can be controlled and ensuring energy is directed toward delivering quality experiences for its franchise network and, by extension, its customers, according to Healey. The brand’s three guiding principles are: do the right thing, change lives, one step at a time; and make sure everybody wins.
These objectives have fueled the chain’s growth over the past year and a half.
“If you wake up with that philosophy every day for you, for the corporate teams, for your franchise network and for your customer base, everybody wins,” Healey says. “It’s going to have an impact—a positive impact on what we can bring to other people.”
