Quiznos Subs has closed one of its last locations in metro Atlanta. According to a sign on the restaurant's door, the Quiznos at 710 Peachtree Street (Crest on Peachtree Apartments) in Midtown closed for good as of February 22. The franchised location reportedly survived two decades, but the owners opted not to sign a new lease.
Following the closure there will be just one Quiznos left in metro Atlanta: Downtown at 29 Marietta Street at the Bennett T. Brown Commerce Building of Georgia State University.
The Quiznos website indicates there is a second Georgia location in Kingsland in southeast Georgia, just north of the Florida state line. (The website also erroneously indicates the Midtown location is still open.)
Founded in Denver, Colorado in 1981, Quiznos had by 2007 grown to nearly 5,000 locations. In 2020, when we reported on the closure of a Quiznos at Chamblee Plaza, the chain had about 500 units. According to data firm ScrapeHero, the chain operated just 148 domestic locations as of January of this year. Between 2009 and 2010 the chain closed 1,500 locations!
In metro Georgia, the chain has over the years opened and closed more than two dozen locations. Our research shows that over the years, Quiznos franchisees have closed units in Peachtree Center, Buckhead, Underground Atlanta, Northlake, Tucker, Chamblee, Akers Mill, Georgia Tech, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, Snellville, Sandy Springs, East Cobb, Augusta (2), Rome, Lithonia, Duluth, Albany (2), Douglasville, Hinesville, Conyers, Athens, Lawrenceville, Fitzgerald, Macon, Canton, Ellijay, Cartersville, and Jasper, among others. One might ask why so many units have closed and the answer is pretty simple: they didn't make much money...ever. According to published reports, at its height, Quiznos stores were bringing in an average of $400,000 in revenue per store. By comparison, Firehouse Subs, another sandwich shop, generates more than $924,000 per store, according to published reports.
The Wolf of Franchises published an extensive piece - WHAT HAPPENED TO QUIZNOS SUBS? - wherein they explain all that went wrong for the once high-flying chain. Among the things touched on are the low sales, costly mistakes, highly competitive landscape, and ownership changes at the brand.
San Diego-based private equity firm High Bluff Capital Partners, via their platform REGO Restaurant Group, purchased Quiznos for an undisclosed amount in 2018.
The company introduced a simpler, more basic black & white logo in 2021.
Quiznos' fall from grace is not terribly different from what happened to one of its more established rivals, Blimpie. Referred to by many as the "oldest sandwich chain in America," the first Blimpie opened in Hoboken, New Jersey in 1964, one year before the first Subway, then known as "Pete's Super Submarines," opened in Bridgeport, Connecticut. In 1987, Blimpie celebrated the opening of its 50th Atlanta area location by giving away 25,000 free sandwiches. The chain eventually grew to a reported 100 locations in the greater metro Atlanta area and about 2,000 chain-wide. Today there are only a handful of locations left in metro Atlanta, and according to their website, "approximately 200 locations" overall. The restaurant's "Recent Press" page has only three entries, the most "recent" of which is from January 7, 2019.
What would you like to see open in place of Quiznos in Midtown? What is your favorite sandwich chain? Did you know Quiznos still existed?
Please share your thoughts below.
17 comments:
I always liked Quiznos because they "toasted" their sandwiches and they were hot. I prefer a hot sandwich to a cold sandwich.
And Quiznos was a popular sandwich on the Big Bang Theory TV show, because it would fill and also shutup Sheldon Cooper.
I occasionally get a sandwich at Publix and they are decent. Blimpie and Subway just seem to have gotten left behind by other places. Does anyone remember a place called - My Freind's Place? We would get them a lot when I worked in Duluth, they were pretty good.
My Friend’s Place still exists in East Cobb. Not sure if there are other locations.
I used to eat at the My Friend’s Place at Akers Mill near Cumberland Mall. They had a great chicken salad sandwich. I’d get it in a pita. Yum…
I remember going to the Quiznos in Decatur near the Courthouse/Square for lunch often. It was pretty good. Sad they couldn't quite figure out the game well enough to be competitive.
There is still one in Alpharetta on Macfarland beer Halcyon.
quizno's was on par with subway, both pretty miserable imo. last good sub i had at was at a firehouse
The Quiznos in Chamblee Plaza. I remember used to be absolutely filthy and seemed as though they’ve never cleaned anything. I remember the owner arguing with customers over what was supposed to be in a sandwich and I remember there never being any soup, which is one thing that they had for differentiation Among sub shops, I remember when Subway had soup but Quiznos soup used to be very good. Last thing I remember about Quiznos in Chablee Plaza was that in the last couple of years sometimes they would go many hours without a customer, even at lunch or dinner time. if you really care about cleanliness of your sub shop, you should go to most Jersey Mike’s, Lindberg and Perimeter come to mind and you should stay awake from the Philly connection on Cheshire Bridge. That place is more filthy than the Quiznos I referenced.
AT this point I'd say one of their toasted subs would be about $25 with inflation. I was in high school when my small Alabama town got one about 2003 or 2004. It had some novelty to it and I remember it being like $12 for the combo back then. I never ate there again.
That's because those guys and gals, as difficult as their jobs may be, do often have a lot of downtime so they can take the time to make a great sub. I imagine you too were a firefighter if you were eating at a firehouse. Thank you for what you do!
@Anon 3/11/24 3:02am: If you're looking for a good sub near Chamblee, try Baldinos on Buford Hwy. It's excellent.
Yep, that place was a mess. And poop splattered all over the bathroom. That’s a good sign the place should be condemned
Capriotti's for the win these days. But I miss the Honey Bacon Club from Quiznos, it might be my all-time fav sandwich.
Omg! Quiznos still around..omg!!
From these chains, Jersey Mike's subs is my favorite. Publix and Firehouse subs are my secondary options. Haven't been to a Subway or Quizno's in forever because they're not as good.
You are right, Baldinos is actually underrated tremendously. Although the quality of their meat is not the best available, it’s not boars head or Thurmans, or anything like that in general their subs are are usually a good value.
Too much salt! Eat more tree bark and dirt.
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