The epiphany for brothers Chris and Robin Sorensen came one day in 1992, on a sidewalk in their hometown of Jacksonville, Fla.
Fresh off a series of hit-and-miss entrepreneurial ventures–including one called Kris Kringle Christmas Trees that failed to sell a single tree–the brothers had just exited a meeting with executives from a sandwich franchise operation they were considering buying into. They left feeling underwhelmed–and convinced they could do better. What they needed was a concept with which to prove it. Then inspiration struck.
“We went outside after that meeting and came up with the idea for Firehouse Subs on the spot,” Robin says. The sandwich chain they once considered buying into soon became a rival. “For a while, we were about one thing: kicking their tail.”