Quiznos Franchise Overview

About Quiznos

Denver-based Quiznos is a chain designed for today's busy consumers who are looking for a high quality, tasty, freshly prepared alternative to traditional fast-food restaurants. Quiznos is the pioneer of the toasted sandwich. Quiznos restaurants offer creative, chef-created sandwiches and salads using premium ingredients. Quiznos was founded in 1981 by chefs who discovered that toasting brought out the best in every sandwich ingredient.

Franchise History

The first Quiznos Sub restaurant opened at 13th and Grant in Denver's Capitol Hill neighborhood in 1981. In 1987, after overhearing a comment by a customer, Rick Schaden opened the first franchise in Boulder, Colorado. In 1991, Schaden and his father purchased the entire franchise operation. In December 2001, Quiznos, which at the time was a lightly-traded public company 60%-owned by the Schadens, went private, at a $8-per-share price considered low by several of its shareholders. The disgruntled shareholders sued; their suits were settled in September 2004, with Quiznos paying them another $7.35 per share after fees. In 2003, Quiznos began to expand in earnest in Canada, where it had established a small foothold a couple of years earlier.