0:00
Today, we're getting the works on what happened to Quiznos
0:03
Because Italian subs were often sold out of deli counters and pizza parlors
0:07
most sandwich offerings were something of a side hustle. A quick, easy cash grab sold cold to customers on the go
0:14
But that all changed when Quiznos hit the streets of Denver, Colorado in the year 1981
0:21
With Italian meats and dressings, insistence on quality goods, and a quick service attitude, the first Quiznos was soon drowning in business
0:29
But with only so many timed toaster ovens to crisp up their subs, lines got out of hand
0:35
Armed with their first conveyor belt oven, the Quiznos Toasted Sub Revolution truly began
0:41
The restaurant started its first franchise program in 1983. The sandwich shops soon dotted the Rocky Mountain landscape
0:48
As Quiznos expanded, a father and son team by the name of Rick and Richard Shaden acquired their first Quiznos
0:54
By early 1991, the Shadens were hungry for more and decided to make Quiznos a serious offer
1:01
When all was said and done, father and son acquired all 18 Quiznos locations
1:06
Under new management, Quiznos took off like a guided sub in the treacherous waters of fast food
1:11
And by the late 90s, Quiznos was the third largest sandwich franchise in the world
1:16
At the time, Quiznos' popularity was only outmatched by the mighty Subway
1:21
And in those glory days Quiznos amassed an eventual 5 locations worldwide But time changes all In 2005 the Coca company signed an exclusive deal with Subway
1:34
which essentially forbade Quiznos from supplying Coke products to their customers. Rather than letting the dust settle quietly
1:41
Quiznos instead entered a retaliatory deal with PepsiCo in their own exclusive contract
1:47
Well, certainly a big move, this oh-hell-no attitude, would soon lead Quiznos down darker trails
1:55
Quiznos decided the best way to catch eyes was to create bizarre anarchic commercials
2:00
Although these early commercials showed the company's interests in big gags and weird perspectives
2:05
Quiznos was only getting started. Quiznos also began suffering internally. Because the corporation subsisted on the money
2:12
it charged its own franchisees for ingredients and supplies, restaurant owners were pushed to their limits
2:19
With rising food costs, fewer customers, and more competitors, many locations were simply desperate
2:25
Sensing the shifting tides, Quiznos made the fatal decision to send free sandwich coupons
2:30
to potential customers. Many Quiznos owners refused to accept these free product coupons
2:36
And all hell broke loose. A recession took hold in America, and Quiznos was hit hard
2:43
The resulting fallout and damage to their brand eventually led the company to bankruptcy in 2012
2:48
Today, Quiznos has less than 150 locations And that number doesn't seem to be improving
2:54
Maybe it's time to bring back the sponge monkeys
