Mr. Sub
Encyclopedia
Submarine sandwich
A submarine sandwich, also known as a sub among other names, is a sandwich that consists of a long roll of Italian or French bread, split lengthwise either into two pieces or opened in a "V" on one side, and filled with various varieties of meat, cheese, vegetables, seasonings, and sauces. The...
shops in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. The first store was opened in 1968 in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
's Yorkville
Yorkville, Toronto
Yorkville is a district in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, well known for its shopping. It is a former village, annexed by the City of Toronto. It is roughly bounded by Bloor Street to the south, Davenport Road to the north, Yonge Street to the east and Avenue Road to the west, and is considered part of...
neighbourhood, which was then known for its "hippie
Hippie
The hippie subculture was originally a youth movement that arose in the United States during the mid-1960s and spread to other countries around the world. The etymology of the term 'hippie' is from hipster, and was initially used to describe beatniks who had moved into San Francisco's...
" culture.
While it was originally the only major retailer of submarine sandwiches in Canada, it now faces competition from American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
chains such as Subway
Subway (restaurant)
Subway is an American restaurant franchise that primarily sells submarine sandwiches and salads. It is owned and operated by Doctor's Associates, Inc. . Subway is one of the fastest growing franchises in the world with 35,519 restaurants in 98 countries and territories as of October 25th, 2011...
and Quiznos.
Mr. Sub's slogans were "Lub my Sub", then "Fresh thinking is what we are", "Taste a Canadian Tradition", " It's not a sandwich it's a Sub", followed by "There's always something good going down at Mr. Sub", and finally, "More Than Enough", its present slogan.
There was speculation in 2005 that Michael Bregman, the former owner of the Second Cup
Second Cup
Second Cup is Canada's largest Canadian-based specialty coffee retailer, operating more than 360 cafés across Canada. Its headquarters are in Mississauga, Ontario. Founded in 1975 by Tom Culligan and Frank O'Dea, Culligan eventually purchased O'Dea's shares. After building it to a 150-store chain,...
coffee chain, was contemplating a purchase of the chain. Other names floated as possible suitors have included Swiss Chalet
Swiss Chalet
Swiss Chalet is a Canadian chain of casual dining restaurants founded in 1954 in Toronto. As of 2008, there are over 200 Swiss Chalet restaurants in Canada and the United States. Swiss Chalet is among the holdings of Cara Operations, which also owns the fast food chain Harvey's. Swiss Chalet and...
parent Cara Operations
Cara Operations
Cara Operations Limited is a Canadian company that provides catering services to airlines and operates several restaurant chains including: Harvey's, Swiss Chalet, Kelsey's, Milestones and Montana's. Its headquarters are in Vaughan, Ontario. It was previously headquartered in Mississauga, Ontario...
and KFC
KFC
KFC, founded and also known as Kentucky Fried Chicken, is a chain of fast food restaurants based in Louisville, Kentucky, in the United States. KFC has been a brand and operating segment, termed a concept of Yum! Brands since 1997 when that company was spun off from PepsiCo as Tricon Global...
operator Priszm Canadian Income Fund. The doughnut chain Country Style
Country Style
Country Style, formerly Country Style Donuts, is a chain of coffee shops operating primarily in the Canadian province of Ontario , which serves donuts, soup, sandwiches, salads, and coffee. The chain is based in Richmond Hill, Ontario.-Organization:In January 2006, there were 120 "traditional"...
was briefly interested in Mr. Sub in 2005.
On August 18, 2011, MTY Food Group
MTY Food Group
MTY Food Group is a Canadian franchisor and operator of numerous quick service restaurants operating under 26 brand names, some of them through wholly owned subsidiaries...
, which has quick service restaurants operating under 26 brand names in Canada and the Middle East, announced that it would acquire Mr. Sub at the end of October 2011 for $23 million.