Restaurant Brands International announces the start of Firehouse Subs® global expansion

Iconic American brand Firehouse Subs® opens first restaurant in Zurich, Switzerland and announces signing of a development agreement to launch in Mexico

ZUG, Switzerland, June 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ - Today, Firehouse Subs® opens its first restaurant in Switzerland and announces the signing of a development agreement to launch in Mexico later this year. These announcements mark the beginning of the brand's expansion plan globally, with the first opening outside North America.

Firehouse Subs was founded by two former firefighting brothers in Jacksonville, Florida in 1994. Firehouse Subs is all about hearty portions, premium ingredients, and delicious recipes, with a commitment to saving lives through raising funds to support local public safety organizations. To date, more than $80 million has been awarded to first responders and public safety organizations in the U.S. and Canada.

Through its growth journey globally, the brand will benefit from the scale and proven growth capabilities of Restaurant Brands International Inc. (RBI), parent company of Firehouse Subs, one of the largest quick service restaurant companies in the world, bringing global scale, new market entry expertise, and a digital strategy and infrastructure.

"Firehouse Subs is our newest brand, and we are excited about its global expansion potential. The entry into Switzerland and development agreement in Mexico are the first steps in our international expansion, and we are working to launch the brand in key growth countries across EMEA, APAC and Latin America," said David Shear, President International RBI. "Sandwiches represent one of the top food occasions for consumers across markets. With its truly differentiated product offering and strong brand heritage, we are confident that Firehouse Subs can achieve tremendous growth internationally."

The brand conducted research in several high priority markets to understand guests' profiles and provide local relevance. This will be reflected in the menu, image, and overall guest experience.

The first Firehouse Subs restaurant in Switzerland will be used as a showcase for future international developments as it unveils a reimagined guest centric approach featuring self-order kiosks, mobile ordering, a dedicated area for click & collect, table service and 62 comfortable seats where guests can enjoy the delicious subs the brand is known for.

Each hearty and flavorful sandwich is made to order, layered with cheeses and a variety of premium meats sliced in-house and steamed-to-perfection with Firehouse Subs' proprietary steaming process, which unlocks flavor and maintains moisture. Guests can look forward to their new favorites from the iconic Hook & Ladder^TM, to the Firehouse Italian^TM or the Firehouse Beef & Cheddar Brisket^TM or try out the new cold sub Roast Beef & Cheddar^TM available only in Switzerland. The recipes have been perfected by Firehouse Subs' chefs.

Philanthropy is key to the brand. Firehouse Subs in Switzerland intends to demonstrate the brand's values by supporting public safety and first responder organizations by raising funds through its new foundation.

The brand is a strong and growing player within the Quick Service Restaurant (QSR) sandwich category in the United States and has experienced significant growth in the last decade, boasting over 1,200 restaurants across the U.S. and Canada.

Today's announcement is a big step towards the expansion plan set for Firehouse Subs and the introduction of the iconic brand to more guests around the world to enjoy.

About Firehouse Subs 
Firehouse Subs® is a restaurant chain with a passion for hearty and flavorful food, heartfelt service, and public safety. Founded in Jacksonville, Florida in 1994 by two former firefighting brothers. Firehouse Subs is a brand built on decades of fire, hot and hearty subs piled with high quality meats and cheeses and its commitment to saving lives through raising funds to support local public safety organizations. Firehouse Subs is a subsidiary of Restaurant Brands International Inc. ("RBI"), one of the world's largest quick service restaurant companies with over $35 billion in annual system-wide sales and approximately 30,000 restaurants in more than 100 countries. RBI owns four of the world's most prominent and iconic quick service restaurant brands – BURGER KING®, TIM HORTONS®, POPEYES®, and FIREHOUSE SUBS®.  

To learn more, visit http://www.firehousesubs.com and www.firehousesubs.ch and follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Forward looking statements:
This press release contains certain forward-looking statements and information, which reflect management's current beliefs and expectations regarding future events, initiatives and operating performance and speak only as of the date hereof. These forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve a number of risks and uncertainties. These forward-looking statements include, without limitation, statements about our expectations regarding the ability of the Firehouse Subs business to expand internationally and achieve tremendous growth as well as its ability to launch in Mexico later this year. The factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from RBI's expectations are detailed in filings of RBI with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and with the securities regulatory authorities in Canada, such as its annual and quarterly reports and current reports on Form 8-K and include the following risks: risk related to our ability to successfully implement its domestic and international growth strategy and risks related to its international operations; risks related to our ability to compete domestically and internationally in an intensely competitive industry; global economic or other business conditions that may affect the desire or ability of our customers to purchase our products; our relationship with, and the success of, our franchisees and risks related to our fully franchised business model; and the effectiveness of our marketing and advertising programs and franchisee support of these programs. Other than as required under applicable laws, we do not assume a duty to update these forward-looking statements, whether because of new information, subsequent events or circumstances, change in expectations or otherwise.

SOURCE Restaurant Brands International Inc.