Quiznos

QIP Holder LLC (d/b/a Quiznos) is a franchised fast-food restaurant brand based in Denver, Colorado, which specializes in offering toasted submarine sandwiches. The restaurant chain was founded in 1981 by Jimmy Lambatos and sold to Rick and Richard Schaden in 1991, and grew to nearly 5,000 restaurants. As of the end of 2013, the chain had about 1,500 domestic locations and about 600 international locations. Quiznos is the second-largest submarine sandwich shop chain in North America, after Subway.

History

Early history

The first Quiznos restaurant was opened in Denver, Colorado, by founder Jimmy Lambatos. At the time, Lambatos was an experienced chef, having previously worked as an executive chef for the Colorado Mine Co. Steakhouse, and having founded the Italian restaurant Footers in 1978. He founded Quiznos with partner Todd Disner in the spring of 1981. The first location was at the corner of 13th and Grant Streets in the Capitol Hill neighborhood of the city. According to Kevin Jenkins, "It was there that recipes for Quiznos special baguette-style bread, special dressings and unique recipes were created."