DeLuca opened his first sandwich shop aged just 17 years old to pay his way through medical school. Fred DeLuca died Sept 14th at aged 67 after a 2 year battle with leukemia.
“Eat Fresh”
His first restaurant, ‘Pete’s Super Submarines’ was founded in 1965, with funds loaned by a friend of his family. Ambitious, he quickly exported its concept of well-trimmed yet healthy sandwiches. In 10 years, he opened 16 restaurants across Connecticut and then opened the franchise chain.
The concept was exported to the point that the company is now the leader in the fast food market in terms of numbers of restaurants even surpassing McDonald’s, Burger King and KFC.
The healthy image of Subway further contributed to its success, and especially in the 00s, when Jared Fogle says he lost over 100 kilos thanks to a diet consisting solely of brand sandwiches. He became ambassador of the company for 15 years.
Fred’s illness
Fred DeLuca was diagnosed with leukemia in 2013. A few months ago, his sister, Suzanne Greco, took the helm of the company of 44,000 independent franchises scattered throughout more than 100 countries. Fred DeLuca, however, was still CEO of Subway.
His death comes at a difficult time, while former spokesman for the chain, Jared Fogle has become involved last month in a child pornography scandal.