Firehouse Subs Has Signed a Deal for Brazilian Expansion. Here Are the Details

Firehouse Subs is the latest North American company to grow its business abroad. The popular sandwich chain has revealed that it will soon expand into the Brazilian market thanks to its signed deal. Here are the details about this latest expansion.

Firehouse Subs Goes to Brazil

Nation’s Restaurant News says that according to Firehouse Subs, a quick-service sandwich chain owned by Restaurant Brands International Inc., intends to open its first location in South America this year. This will be the first of 500 locations over 10 years.

Restaurant Brands, based in Toronto, stated that the Firehouse agreement expands its global reach. Firehouse Subs started in 1994 in Jacksonville, Florida, and specializes in quality sandwiches made with steamed meat and cheese.

“The expansion into Brazil is part of a joint venture supported by parent company Restaurant Brands International, one of the world’s largest QSR companies, in partnership with Iuri Miranda, former CEO and board member of Zamp S.A., master franchisee of Burger King and Popeyes in Brazil,” the company said in a statement to the outlet. “Leveraging RBI’s global infrastructure and expertise in digital strategy and international development, combined with a great knowledge of the Brazilian market, Firehouse Subs aims to capture Brazil’s growing sandwich market.”

Restaurant Brands International also owns Burger King, Tim Hortons, and Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen.

This, however, isn’t the first international restaurant opened by Firehouse Subs. The sandwich chain, which has more than 1,300 restaurants across the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico, launched its first international expansion outside of North America in 2023 in Mexico and Switzerland, followed by the United Arab Emirates and Albania in 2024.

“We are thrilled to bring Firehouse Subs to Brazilian guests,” said the CEO of Firehouse Subs Brazil, Iuri Miranda, in a statement to the outlet. “We expect the launch will contribute to the creation of thousands of jobs over the next decade and will elevate the sandwich experience in the country.”

The Latest North American Fast-Food Company To Expand Internationally

Firehouse Subs is the latest North American fast-food company to expand internationally. Wendy’s recently announced that it, too, has extended further into the international market, making its debut in the Land Down Under earlier this month.

On Jan. 15, Wendy’s opened its first location in Queensland, on Australia’s Gold Coast. The first of 200 restaurants expected to open in Australia by 2034, it serves its signature square-shaped hamburgers, loaded fries, chicken burgers, and Frosty treats. There is now a taste of America in Surfer’s Paradise.

The first to offer menu items unique to the Australian market, like inventive double hand-breaded chicken tenders and a proprietary dipping sauce, is the flagship location, which is situated in Paradise Centre at 2 Cavill Ave.

“Move over kings, colonels and clowns, there’s a new burger queen in Queensland,” Wendy’s said in a statement announcing its arrival into the Australian market.

According to the company, the beef and chicken served at Australian Wendy’s will be entirely sourced from Australia, and numerous menu options were tested with feedback from the local population.

In 2021, the Flynn Group began buying more than 190 Wendy’s franchises in the United States. The Flynn Group is a major franchisee for other well-known American brands like Applebee’s, Taco Bell, and Panera.

“We’re proud to bring a fresh approach to the Australian food scene. The Wendy’s brand was built on doing things differently, from square hamburgers to being one of the most talked about brands on social media,” Flynn Group Chief Transformation Officer Lauren Leahy said in a statement to the outlet. “We’ve put our guests in the centre of every detail from a vibrant new restaurant design with a laser focus on delivering the best chicken and hamburger experience.”