| Type | privately held chain |
|---|---|
| Industry | Restaurant |
| Founded | 1980 |
| Headquarters | Fort Lauderdale, Florida |
| Employees | 199 |
| Website | http://www.miamisubs.com/ |
Miami Subs Pizza and Grill is a privately held restaurant chain, based in the U. S. state of Florida. The chain has over 70 stores, the majority of which are in Florida, and the remainder elsewhere on the East Coast.[1] The company's menu consists of a variety of submarine sandwiches, cheesesteaks, gyros, and pizza along with items from Arthur Treacher's, Nathan's Famous hot dogs, and Kenny Rogers Roasters, all of which operate co-branding agreements with Miami Subs, and which were corporate siblings of Miami Subs from 1999–2007. Its main competitors are Subway, Kahala (operator of Blimpie's), and Quiznos.[1]
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The founder of the company, Gus Boulis, had built the Mr. Submarine restaurant chain from a single location to over 200 locations, after which he retired to Florida. In 1980, he opened another restaurant in south Florida, which later expanded into Miami Subs Grill, offering a greater variety of food, all cooked to order.
Miami Subs Grill built this concept and expanded rapidly in the 90's,[2] starting in Florida and spreading quickly nationwide, with new restaurant locations, as well as stores in less typical locations, such as schools, highway rest areas (particularly along Florida's Turnpike) and airports.[3] The restaurants featured a distinctive exterior design with South Beach-inspired pastels trimmed with pink and blue neon lights and interiors decorated in a tropical motif.
A 1998 agreement added Arthur Treacher's fish and chips to the Miami Subs Grill concept.[4] A planned merger between the two companies failed, however, when Arthur Treacher's stock value dropped precipitously.[5]
In 1999, Nathan's Famous purchased the chain for $14.4 million, bringing the Miami Subs Grill and Arthur Treacher's brands under a common corporate umbrella. The chain had approximately 175 outlets at acquisition. However, the chain struggled, due in part to instability in the management ranks, and in 2007, Nathan's Famous announced the sale of Miami Subs to a private investment group, Miami Subs Capital Partner 1 Inc, for $3.3 million.[6] At the time of the sale, the chain operated in 59 locations, but several new locations have opened, including one in Turkey, where 40 restaurants are planned.[7] Another location is under construction in Romania, where 20 restaurants are planned.[7]