From General Manager to Franchisee, Local Entrepreneurs Reignite the Fire in Bristol with Firehouse Subs Opening

By: Firehouse Subs | 4 Shares 289 Reads

September 17, 2020 // Franchising.com // BRISTOL, Conn. - First-time Firehouse Subs Franchisees Clint Wallburg, Paul O’Leary and David Haberfeld are thrilled to open the doors to their restaurant in Bristol at 594 Farmington Ave., Unit 42B, on Monday, September 16.

This will be the first restaurant for Wallburg, who worked as this location’s General Manager for two years before it closed in 2019. Wallburg is thrilled to partner with O’Leary and Haberfeld to reopen the restaurant and serve the community through heartfelt service and flavorful food. This will be O’Leary and Haberfeld’s first venture into the restaurant industry, as O’Leary owns a local landscaping company and Haberfeld owns several local properties.

“We’re excited to reopen this restaurant and bring Firehouse Subs’ welcoming customer service and steamed-to-perfection subs back to Bristol,” Wallburg said. “We look forward to learning our guests’ names and favorite orders as we serve them with a smile every day.”

The Bristol Firehouse Subs restaurant is open from 10:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. seven days a week. The restaurant features online ordering through the Firehouse Subs app or website, call-in phone orders or takeout service at the counter inside. It also offers third-party delivery and in-house catering services to accommodate occasions of all sizes, from office meetings to family gatherings. Following state and local regulations, the dining room will open at 50% capacity, and outdoor seating will be available.

These business partners are dedicated to sharing the brand’s commitment to giving back through Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation, which has granted more than $166,000 in Connecticut. 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.

Founded by former firefighting brothers, the restaurant décor reflects the founding family’s decades of fire and police service with gear and photos donated by local fire departments. It boasts a custom, hand-painted mural by Chief Mural Artist Joe Puskas, featuring a group of local children recording a television report in front of Lake Compounce and a fire truck from the Bristol Fire Department. Since the opening of the first Firehouse Subs in 1994, Puskas and his team have painted more than 1,175 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 $51 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.

About Firehouse Subs

Firehouse Subs® is a fast-casual restaurant chain with a passion for hearty and flavorful food, heartfelt service and public safety. Founded in Jacksonville, Florida 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 brand is a family of franchise operators who share their same passion for generously serving food and community. This year, Firehouse of America and Firehouse Subs suppliers will together donate a portion of purchases at Firehouse Subs locations to the Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation for the purchase of lifesaving equipment, with a minimum donation of $1 million. Firehouse Subs is consistently recognized as one of the leading brands in the U.S. among consumers. Based on recent Technomic Ignite consumer data, Firehouse Subs is currently ranked America’s No. 1 Favorite Fast-Casual Chain, America’s No. 1 Favorite Sandwich Chain and America’s No. 4 Favorite Chain overall. In 2019, Firehouse Subs was named the No. 1 brand in the restaurant industry that “Supports Local Community Activities” and ranked No. 1 among Fast Casual brands in the categories of Food Quality, Taste and Flavor, and Service and Hospitality in Technomic’s Consumer Brand Metrics rankings.

Enjoy more subs. Save more lives. To learn more, visit https://www.firehousesubs.com.

Quick Facts:

More than 1,175 restaurants in 45 states, Puerto Rico, Canada and non-traditional locations
$51 million+ granted to public safety organizations via Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation®
Headquartered in Jacksonville, Fla.

SOURCE Firehouse Subs

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