Subway has survived a variety of misfortunes, including seeing its long-time ad pitchman go to jail on child pornography and sex with a minor charges.

You could argue that it’s either “$5 Footlongs” or Jared Fogle that are still the first things anyone thinks about when you mention the brand. Despite that, Subway has moved past its spokesperson scandal.

“They have to acknowledge they are in a horrific situation and then pivot back to the fact that the spokesperson’s actions will in no way affect the brand’s dedication to providing customers with a healthy fast-food alternative,” Patrick Hillman, a vice president at Levick Communications, a public relations firm that specializes in crisis management, told Marketing Dive when Fogle was first arrested.

Subway navigated that scandal, which could have opened a door for a national rival like Blimpie’s to take market share. Instead, Blimpie’s has closed nearly 2,000 locations, and only has under 100 left in the entire U.S.

Blimpie’s grew too fast

Blimpie’s actually has ties to another famous sandwich chain that’s doing a whole lot better.

“Founded in Hoboken, New Jersey, in 1964 by three partners who borrowed $2,500 to launch their first sandwich shop, Blimpie was initially modeled on a venture called Mike’s Submarines (which would later become Jersey Mike’s), selling a very similar lineup of sandwiches,” The Takeout reported.

After an ownership change in 2001, Blimpie began contracting.

“Some of the factors that triggered Blimpie’s fall from grace included poor management decisions and overexpansion in poorly chosen areas. One of the chain’s biggest blunders was its attempt to branch into unconventional spaces like convenience stores, kiosks, and carts. These ventures failed to generate meaningful profits,” the website added.

The chain’s current owners, Kahala Brands, purchased it in 2006.

“But Blimpie’s accumulated challenges and missteps proved too great; it continued to falter, closing over 1,000 locations between 2001 and 2011 to reach its current count of fewer than 100 stores,” Food Republic reported.

Local sub shops take their share

Blimpie’s, Subway, and other low-cost sub chain never really caught on in the small Massachusetts town I grew up in, which had at least three locally owned sub shops in its three square miles.

When I did experience these chains while traveling, it didn’t take 30 years of food writing experience to notice where they appeared to cut corners to keep prices down. Portions felt smaller and ingredient quality noticeably lower compared with local sub shops, a tradeoff that helps explain why those national chains struggled to gain traction in markets with strong independents.

Industry analysts say this pattern shows up most clearly in markets with strong local food cultures and entrenched independent operators.

“If chains are losing share, a lot of it is their own doing. Over the past decade, many chains have relied on discounts and lower-cost items to get customers in the door. But they’ve also faced higher food and labor costs in the process. So what to they do? Cut food quality, portion sizes or service. And the worst ones delay maintenance on buildings. Consumers notice these issues over time, and they opt to go elsewhere,” Jonathan Maze wrote for Nation’s Restaurant News.

Subs remain a popular meal option.

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Blimpie store count timeline

  • 1964: First Blimpie opens in Hoboken, New Jersey, marking the start of national expansion, according to a press release.
  • 1995: Blimpie surpasses 1,000 locations nationwide and internationally during its growth phase, Blimpie shared on its website.
  • 2001-2002: At its peak, Blimpie reached approximately 1,853-2,000 stores, according to Mashed.
  • 2011: After a decade of closures, the chain contracted to about 739 stores, Mashed added.
  • 2023: Reports indicate roughly about 200 locations remaining across the U.S. (varies by source), Mashed also shared.
  • 2024: Blimpie app listings show around 85 locations still operating.
  • 2025: Recent data suggests Blimpie has contracted to approximately 95 stores across the country, with concentrations in states like New Jersey and Georgia.

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