Miami Grill
American casual fast-food chain known for burgers, subs, wings, cheesesteaks, gyros, and other made-to-order grilled foods.
Last updated August 31, 2026
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Overview
Miami Grill is an American privately held restaurant chain based in Florida. The brand is best known for a broad casual fast-food menu combining burgers, submarine sandwiches, grilled chicken, wings, Philly cheesesteaks, gyros, salads, and other made-to-order items. It operated for much of its history under the name Miami Subs Grill before beginning a gradual rebrand to Miami Grill in the 2010s. The business traces its roots to Gus Boulis, a restaurateur who had helped develop the Canadian Mr. Submarine chain from a single restaurant into a large network. After moving to Florida, Boulis opened a Mr. Submarine location in Key West in 1980. The concept subsequently evolved beyond submarine sandwiches, adding a wider selection of cooked-to-order foods and adopting the Miami Subs Grill identity. During the 1990s, Miami Subs Grill expanded rapidly from Florida into other parts of the United States. Its restaurant design drew heavily on a South Beach-inspired visual language, using pastel colors, pink and blue neon accents, and tropical interior decoration. The chain also pursued nontraditional sites, including schools, airports, and highway service areas, particularly along Florida's Turnpike. At its height during this expansion period, the concept operated substantially more locations than it does today. Miami Subs also developed co-branding relationships with established food brands. An agreement with Arthur Treacher's in 1998 added fish-and-chips products to selected restaurants. In 1999, Nathan's Famous acquired Miami Subs for $14.4 million, bringing the Miami Subs and Arthur Treacher's brands under the same corporate umbrella. The chain reportedly had approximately 175 outlets at the time of the acquisition. Management instability and operating difficulties later contributed to a contraction of the network. Nathan's Famous sold Miami Subs in 2007 to Miami Subs Capital Partner 1 Inc. for $3.3 million; by then, the chain had declined to approximately 60 locations. The company subsequently explored international growth, including proposed development in Turkey, Romania, and the Middle East. Some international locations or projects were announced, but several planned restaurants were never completed. In 2012, the company announced that entertainer Armando Christian Pérez, known professionally as Pitbull, had acquired an equity stake. A Middle East development agreement announced in 2013 covered Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Oman, Qatar, and Bahrain, but the planned stores did not materialize according to the available account. Beginning in 2014, Miami Subs Grill moved toward the Miami Grill name and a refreshed brand strategy. The modern chain is considerably smaller than its 1990s-era network, with locations concentrated primarily in South Florida, especially Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach counties. Its identity remains centered on approachable, made-to-order American fast food with a strong South Florida and coastal visual association. In 2020, the company announced plans to redesign locations around off-premise service, including dual drive-through lanes, walk-up ordering, and dedicated mobile-order pickup areas, reflecting changing restaurant usage patterns.
History
Miami Grill developed from a Florida restaurant concept associated with Gus Boulis, who had previously helped build the Canadian Mr. Submarine chain. In 1980, Boulis opened a Mr. Submarine restaurant in Key West. The concept later broadened its menu beyond submarine sandwiches and became Miami Subs Grill. The chain expanded aggressively during the 1990s. Its restaurants were particularly associated with Florida, but the company also opened units elsewhere in the United States and pursued locations in schools, airports, highway service plazas, and other nontraditional venues. The brand's design emphasized a stylized South Beach atmosphere, with pastel exterior colors, pink and blue neon trim, and tropical interior themes. Miami Subs entered a 1998 co-branding agreement with Arthur Treacher's, adding fish-and-chips offerings to its restaurant concept. A proposed merger did not proceed after Arthur Treacher's stock value fell sharply. In 1999, Nathan's Famous acquired Miami Subs for $14.4 million. The acquisition placed Miami Subs and Arthur Treacher's under a shared corporate umbrella and involved a chain of approximately 175 outlets. The business later experienced difficulties associated in part with management instability and a reduced restaurant base. In 2007, Nathan's Famous sold Miami Subs to Miami Subs Capital Partner 1 Inc. for $3.3 million. At the time of the sale, the chain had nearly 60 locations, including one in Turkey. Additional Turkish restaurants were proposed but were not completed. The company also announced a planned Romanian location and a wider Romanian development program that did not materialize. In 2012, Miami Subs announced that musician and entertainer Armando Christian Pérez, professionally known as Pitbull, had taken an equity position. The following year, the company announced a development arrangement covering several Gulf Cooperation Council countries. The proposed Middle Eastern expansion ultimately did not produce the announced restaurant network. Starting in 2014, the chain began transitioning from Miami Subs Grill to Miami Grill as part of a new branding strategy. The rebrand preserved the company's South Florida associations while presenting a broader restaurant identity centered on burgers, sandwiches, wings, grilled items, gyros, and related foods. By the 2020s, Miami Grill was a much smaller chain than it had been during its earlier national expansion. Its locations were concentrated primarily in South Florida, particularly Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach counties. In April 2020, the company announced a format designed around takeout and drive-through demand. The proposal included eliminating dining rooms, adding two drive-through lanes, creating a walk-up ordering window, and providing a dedicated area for mobile-order pickup. This plan reflected the broader shift toward convenience, delivery, and off-premise restaurant consumption.
- 2020
Off-premise restaurant format announced
[1]Miami Grill announced a proposed format focused on dual drive-through lanes, walk-up ordering, and mobile-order pickup.
- 2014
Miami Grill rebrand begins
[1]The company began gradually replacing the Miami Subs Grill identity with Miami Grill.
- 2012
Pitbull takes an equity stake
[1]The company announced an equity investment by Armando Christian Pérez, known as Pitbull.
- 2007
Sale to Miami Subs Capital Partner 1
[1]Nathan's Famous sold Miami Subs to a private investment group after the chain had contracted to approximately 60 locations.
- 1999
Acquisition by Nathan's Famous
[1]Nathan's Famous acquired Miami Subs Grill, which had approximately 175 outlets at the time.
- 1998
Arthur Treacher's co-branding agreement
[1]Miami Subs added Arthur Treacher's fish-and-chips offerings through a co-branding agreement.
- 1990
Rapid national expansion
[1]During the 1990s, Miami Subs Grill expanded from Florida into additional U.S. markets and added restaurants in airports, schools, and highway service areas.
- 1980
First Florida Mr. Submarine restaurant opens
[1]Gus Boulis opened a Mr. Submarine restaurant in Key West, establishing the Florida-based predecessor to Miami Subs Grill.
Products and positioning
South Florida-inspired casual fast food with a broad made-to-order menu and emphasis on burgers, sandwiches, grilled items, and convenient off-premise service.
Fast-food sandwiches
Burgers
Burgers are a core part of Miami Grill's American casual fast-food menu. They sit alongside subs, grilled sandwiches, and other made-to-order handheld meals, helping define the chain's broad alternative to a narrowly sandwich-focused restaurant concept.
Sandwiches · 1980
Submarine sandwiches
Submarine sandwiches are the product category inherited most directly from the chain's Mr. Submarine and Miami Subs origins. The concept expanded this foundation with a wider selection of hot and grilled fillings as the brand moved toward Miami Grill.
Grilled sandwiches
Philly cheesesteaks
Philly cheesesteak sandwiches are among the chain's prominent grilled offerings. They reinforce Miami Grill's positioning as a broad menu restaurant serving substantial hot sandwiches rather than only traditional submarine sandwiches.
Chicken products
Chicken wings
Wings extend the menu into a shareable and snack-oriented category. They complement the chain's burgers, sandwiches, and other casual American foods and are part of the menu associated with the Miami Grill concept.
Grilled and Mediterranean-style sandwiches
Gyros
Gyros provide a Mediterranean-influenced option within Miami Grill's otherwise broadly American menu. Their inclusion illustrates the chain's longstanding strategy of offering multiple sandwich and handheld-food formats under one casual restaurant brand.
Co-branded seafood · 1998
Arthur Treacher's fish and chips
Fish and chips were added through a 1998 co-branding agreement with Arthur Treacher's. The arrangement linked Miami Subs with a recognizable seafood quick-service brand, although a proposed corporate merger between the companies did not proceed.
Brand decisions
2020
Shift toward drive-through and mobile pickupStrategyBackground
The company responded to changing restaurant usage patterns and a lower emphasis on in-person dining.
Action taken
Miami Grill announced plans to remove dining rooms and provide two drive-through lanes, a walk-up order window, and a mobile-order pickup area at each location.
Aftermath
The announcement signaled a stronger emphasis on off-premise ordering and convenience, but the available reference does not establish the extent of implementation.
2014
Transition from Miami Subs Grill to Miami GrillStrategyBackground
The company pursued a refreshed brand strategy after years of operating under the Miami Subs Grill name.
Action taken
Miami Subs Grill began a gradual rebrand using the Miami Grill name and a revised restaurant identity.
Aftermath
The chain continued operating under the Miami Grill identity, with its South Florida positioning retained.
1998
Add Arthur Treacher's through co-brandingStrategyBackground
Miami Subs was seeking to broaden its food offering beyond its core sandwich identity.
Action taken
The company entered an agreement to offer Arthur Treacher's fish-and-chips products at Miami Subs locations.
Aftermath
A planned merger did not occur after Arthur Treacher's stock value declined, but the co-branding relationship connected the two concepts.
Recent events
Sources2 sources
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