Chris Sorensen, who co-founded the popular sandwich chain Firehouse Subs, has died at age 65.
Before launching his career in the restaurant business, Sorensen was a professional guitarist. According to his obituary, he performed with bands and artists including Huey Lewis and the News, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Foreigner, and Earth, Wind & Fire.
Sorensen later became a firefighter, following the career path of his father, Robert.
He worked for the Brevard County Fire Department and the Jacksonville International Airport Fire and Rescue Department before spending a decade as an engineer and EMT with the Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department. His father was also working there at the time.
In 1994, Sorensen and his younger brother, Robin, opened the first Firehouse Subs restaurant in their hometown of Jacksonville, Florida.
The brothers had less than $100 in their checking accounts when they launched the business, according to Nation’s Restaurant News.
The first order at the chain’s original location was unexpectedly not a sub sandwich. Instead, it was two hot dogs loaded with everything—roughly 10 ingredients—Robin Sorensen told the Jacksonville Daily Record in 2020.
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“We were so focused on the subs, we weren’t prepared for that order. Needless to say, it was a long ticket time,” he said.
Firehouse Subs soon attracted customers with steamed meats and cheeses piled onto warm, toasted rolls.
Chris Sorensen also shaped the look and feel of the restaurants, designing custom interiors that featured murals honoring fire and police services in each location’s community.
An avid collector of historical artifacts, Sorensen helped safeguard the company’s history and became Firehouse Subs’ unofficial archivist.
Restaurant Brands International, the parent company that also owns Burger King, acquired Firehouse Subs for $1 billion in 2021. The chain has since grown to more than 1,200 locations.
In 2005, Chris and Robin Sorensen established the Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation to provide first responders with life-saving equipment, tools, and education.
The foundation has awarded more than $118 million in grants to 7,700 departments across the United States and Canada, according to the obituary.
Fox News Digital contacted Firehouse Subs for comment.