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© History Oasis
1965-2015
Imagine it's the 1960s and a 17-year-old kid needs college money, so he asks a family friend for advice. That friend? Dr. Peter Buck. Who hands the young DeLuca $1,000 and suggests opening a sandwich shop.
What started as "Pete's Super Submarines" in Bridgeport, Connecticut, was just supposed to pay for medical school. Instead, it became the world's largest restaurant franchise.
Fred DeLuca didn't just build fast food restaurants; he built a philosophy. Aggressive expansion, franchise-first thinking, and the revolutionary idea that healthy fast food could work. By 2010, Subway had more locations than McDonald's.
Fifty years. One founder. From 312 sandwiches on day one to 44,000+ locations worldwide. DeLuca proved that sometimes the biggest dreams start with the smallest loans.
2015-2018
When your brother built an empire and suddenly dies, what do you do? If you're Suzanne Greco, you take the reins during the company's darkest hour.
2015 wasn't just any year. It was Subway's nightmare year. The Jared Fogle scandal breaks. The founder dies. And random stores are being forced to close for the first time ever.
Greco had been with Subway since 1973, starting as a "sandwich artist." She knew the business inside and out. Her mission? Modernize everything from store design (hello, Fresh Forward!) to digital ordering.
After three and a half years of battling declining sales and franchisee revolts, Greco decided to step down and choose her family over business.
2018-2019
Ever been the interim leader when everything's falling apart? That was Trevor Haynes' reality.
Haynes started as a territory manager in Australia in 2006. Worked his way up through international markets. When Greco stepped down, Haynes became the steady hand on the wheel.
Eighteen months of keeping the lights on while searching for the next permanent CEO. Not glamorous, but essential.
No drama. No major scandals. Just solid operational leadership when Subway needed stability most.
2019-2024
Chidsey walked into Subway and saw a company stuck in neutral. His solution? Start from scratch and rebuild everything.
Having turned around Burger King years earlier, Chidsey knew the franchise game. Step one: Replace 75% of leadership with fresh talent from major brands.
Chidsey came up with innovations to turn things around:
Chidsey also orchestrated the $9.6 billion sale to Roark Capital, ending 60 years of family ownership, which saved the company from ruin.
2025
Six months. One job: Don't mess up the transition.
Walsh stepped in as interim CEO while Roark Capital searched for their permanent choice. Former global CMO with EMEA leadership experience. Exactly the steady presence needed during the ownership change.
Short tenure, big responsibility.
2025-Present
Meet Subway's newest leader. A guy who's already proven he can turn around massive franchise operations.
Jonathan Fitzpatrick isn't just any hire. He spent 12+ years running Driven Brands (another Roark company) and delivered 17 consecutive quarters of same-store sales growth. Translation? He knows exactly how private equity expects franchise chains to perform.
Before Driven Brands, Fitzpatrick was at Burger King, leading their biggest menu transformation ever. Sound familiar? That's exactly what Subway needs.
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