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4. Firehouse Subs

4-firehouse-subs

Facebook/FireHouse Subs

Headquarters: Jacksonville, Florida

US sales: $649 million

Number of US restaurants: 943

Financial performance rank: 31

Customer satisfaction rank: 1

Value rank: 13

With plans to double its number of restaurants by 2020, Firehouse Subs is taking on Subway, its biggest competitor, with bold-flavor sandwiches piled high with quality meats and cheeses. In 2015, the chain grew sales by 17% to $110 million and added 93 locations. But quality didn’t suffer; Firehouse earned the No. 1 ranking for customer satisfaction of all the fast-food chains.

The Florida-based franchise was founded in 1994 by a pair of brothers and former firefighters who sought to bring the enthusiasm and appetite of the firehouse to their restaurants. The chain’s charitable arm has donated $18 million from sales and in-store donations to more than 1,300 organizations benefiting first responders.

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