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Firehouse Subs opens its
first Suffolk, Va, store in the
Divaris-leased and -managed Harbour View East.
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Firehouse Subs’ Generous Concept is Red Hot in Southeast
RICHMOND, VIRGINIA -- “Firehouse
Subs are already in Roanoke, Christiansburg and are expanding in Richmond. They are actively looking for
franchisees in Harrisonburg and in Charlottesville,” according to Debbie Wake, senior vice president
of retail sales and leasing in the Richmond office of Divaris Real
Estate, Inc.
Firehouse Subs, founded in Jacksonville, Fla., is a quick-service restaurant chain that specializes in hot subs
from the steamer. Firehouse Subs is recognized for serving large
portioned subs with premium meats and cheeses, steamed hot and placed atop
fresh produce on freshly baked, toasted bread. The restaurant offers a
family-oriented atmosphere, complete with an authentic firefighter theme, hand-painted
murals, often of firefighters battling blazes, and the walls are decorated
with authentic firefighters’ helmets and gear.
Levi Thomson is the retail sales and
leasing agent from Divaris’ Virginia Beach headquarters who is handling the Hampton Roads
market for Firehouse Subs. “We’re working with six local
franchisees,” Thomson says, “There are four Firehouse Subs that
are already open in the market, with three in the final stages of negotiation
and two or three franchise prospects looking to add more stores.”
Virginia Beach has two of the sub shops, in the city’s
Hilltop area and in Landstown Commons, and two in Chesapeake in the Greenbrier and Battlefield Boulevard corridors. The new locations will serve
the shoppers of Chesapeake Square Lynnhaven Mall and
the Peninsula Town Center in Hampton.
“Richmond has three existing Firehouse Subs locations
and Divaris’ tenant representatives are working to find more
properties. They like to be in power centers, lifestyle centers
with great visibility to the street. A strong daytime population is
important for capturing the lunch crowds, so office environments are key,” Wake said. Also a residential
component for dinners is important, as the sub store offers both lunch and
dinner menus. No specific co-tenants are required, but, according to
Wake, Target-anchored centers are always attractive.
Michael Pietrzyk,
who holds the Firehouse Subs development rights for the state of Virginia,
has been involved in securing all of the locations in the Commonwealth
(exclusive of Northern Virginia, which is part of the Washington, D.C.
metropolitan area). “We’re looking to add eight to 12
stores by 2008’s year end.” He was chosen to oversee the
expansion of 50 restaurant sites in Virginia,
over the next few years.
The company operates more than 300
locations throughout Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky,
Louisiana, Michigan, North Carolina, Nevada, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas
and Virginia. The sandwich shops occupy spaces with a minimum of
1,600 square feet and up to 2,400 square feet, with 25 feet of width in
freestanding locations, in-line spaces, and in strip centers.
Growth opportunities are sought in high traffic areas throughout major
metropolitan markets. Preferred locations include visible grocery-anchored
or specialty centers with demographics that include a population of over
30,000 within three miles, who earn an average household income in excess of
$35,000.
Through its franchisees, Firehouse
Subs is spreading its good corporate citizenship and delicious hearty
sandwiches to neighborhoods throughout the Southeast.
Divaris Real Estate, Inc.
One Columbus Center, Suite
700
Virginia Beach, VA 23462
TEL: 757.497.2113 FAX:
757.497.1338
info@divaris.com
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