Mr. Sub

Mr. Sub is a Canadian quick-service restaurant chain centered on submarine sandwiches, commonly shortened to “subs.” The business began in Toronto in 1968 when Jack Levinson, an accounting clerk, and Earl Linzon, a gym teacher, opened a small restaurant in the Yorkville neighbourhood. The founders reportedly started the venture with $1,500 and selected a converted Victorian row house at 130 Yorkville Avenue for the first location. Yorkville was associated with Toronto’s counterculture and bohemian scene at the time, giving the original restaurant a distinctive setting for a new sandwich concept. The first restaurant operated under the name Mr. Submarine. Customer response was sufficiently positive that Levinson and Linzon opened a second location five months later. The company began franchising in 1972, allowing the brand to expand beyond its original Toronto base. In 1990, the chain formally adopted the shorter Mr. Sub name. The brand’s core offer consists of a long bread roll filled with combinations of meats, cheeses, sauces, and vegetables. Over time, its menu broadened to include wraps, soups, salads, baked goods, and grilled panini-style sandwiches, while the submarine sandwich remained its defining product. For much of its early development, Mr. Sub occupied a distinctive position in the Canadian sandwich market. It was one of the country’s principal dedicated submarine-sandwich franchise retailers before the large-scale expansion of American competitors. During the mid-1990s, the arrival and growth of chains such as Subway and Quiznos intensified competition. Mr. Sub subsequently relied heavily on smaller communities, rural markets, institutional food courts, and locations in places such as hospitals, courthouses, office complexes, and modest shopping centres. These channels helped preserve the chain’s national presence even as the competitive environment became more crowded. The company’s ownership attracted interest from potential purchasers during the 2000s. Names associated with possible acquisition discussions included Michael Bregman, former owner of Second Cup, Cara Operations, Priszm Canadian Income Fund, and Country Style. These discussions did not immediately produce a transaction. In August 2011, however, MTY Food Group announced that it would acquire Mr. Sub, with the transaction scheduled to close at the end of October 2011. The reported purchase price was $23 million. Mr. Sub subsequently became part of MTY’s broader Canadian restaurant portfolio. Marketing has emphasized both product familiarity and Canadian identity. The chain has used national promotions, in-store campaigns, and partnerships with prominent Canadian sports franchises. Its advertising slogans have changed over time, including “Lub my Sub,” “Fresh thinking is what we are,” “Taste a Canadian Tradition,” “It’s not a sandwich it’s a Sub,” “There’s always something good going down at Mr. Sub,” and “Oh Canada, Oh Mr. Sub.” The latter campaign was intended to reinforce the brand’s Canadian character. The current slogan identified in reference material is “Yours Since 1968.” As of the cited reference period, Mr. Sub had more than 200 submarine-sandwich restaurants, with the majority in Canada and a smaller international presence in India, Dubai, and Saudi Arabia. The chain remains positioned as a familiar, accessible sandwich-focused quick-service brand rather than a premium restaurant concept. Its historic identity rests on Canadian origins, franchised neighbourhood distribution, customizable subs, and a menu broad enough to serve takeaway and institutional-food-court occasions.

Mr. Sub traces its origins to Toronto in 1968, when Jack Levinson and Earl Linzon opened a submarine-sandwich shop in Yorkville. Levinson worked as an accounting clerk and Linzon was a gym teacher. Their first location was a converted Victorian row house at 130 Yorkville Avenue, in a neighbourhood then associated with Toronto’s hippie and counterculture communities. The restaurant was initially called Mr. Submarine. The concept gained an early following, and the founders opened a second restaurant five months after the first. This early expansion established the basic model that would define the company: compact restaurants offering made-to-order submarine sandwiches for takeaway and casual meals. In 1972, Mr. Submarine sold its first franchise. Franchising became the principal mechanism for expanding the chain across Canada and eventually into selected international markets. The company adopted the shorter Mr. Sub name in 1990. Its principal product was a long roll filled with combinations of deli meats, cheese, vegetables, and sauces. The menu later expanded to include wraps, soups, salads, baked items, and grilled panini sandwiches, but the sub remained the brand’s central product and strongest association. Mr. Sub was an important early participant in Canada’s organized submarine-sandwich franchise segment. Its competitive position changed during the 1990s as American chains, particularly Subway and Quiznos, expanded in Canada. The increased competition contributed to a period of decline for Mr. Sub. The chain nevertheless maintained a presence through smaller towns and rural communities, as well as food courts and concession-style locations in hospitals, courthouses, office buildings, and lower-profile shopping centres. These venues helped the brand retain practical distribution and appeal among customers seeking familiar, inexpensive takeaway food. During the 2000s, several possible purchasers were discussed publicly or speculatively, including Michael Bregman, Cara Operations, Priszm Canadian Income Fund, and Country Style. Country Style had a brief interest in the chain, but no immediate sale followed those discussions. In August 2011, MTY Food Group announced an agreement to acquire Mr. Sub. The transaction was expected to close at the end of October 2011, and the reported purchase price was $23 million. The acquisition placed Mr. Sub within MTY’s multi-brand restaurant portfolio. Marketing has consistently presented Mr. Sub as a Canadian chain. The company has used national promotions, recurring restaurant-level offers, and partnerships with visible Canadian sports organizations. It also periodically refreshed its slogans. Campaign lines included “Lub my Sub,” “Fresh thinking is what we are,” “Taste a Canadian Tradition,” “It’s not a sandwich it’s a Sub,” “There’s always something good going down at Mr. Sub,” and “Oh Canada, Oh Mr. Sub.” The “Oh Canada, Oh Mr. Sub” advertising sought to make the company’s Canadian identity more prominent. The slogan identified as current in the reference material is “Yours Since 1968.” The chain also has a minor place in Canadian television history: a Toronto Mr. Sub restaurant was used as a filming location for the 1982 television movie “When We First Met.” By the cited 2015 reference period, the system had more than 200 restaurants, most in Canada, along with seven restaurants in India and one each in Dubai and Saudi Arabia. Mr. Sub’s continuing identity is based on Canadian heritage, franchised accessibility, and a broad but sandwich-led quick-service menu.

• 2011

  Acquisition by MTY Food Group announced

  [1]Mr. Suben.wikipedia.org

  MTY Food Group announces its agreement to acquire Mr. Sub for a reported $23 million.

• 1990

  Brand name shortened to Mr. Sub

  [1]Mr. Suben.wikipedia.org

  The business formally changes its name from Mr. Submarine to Mr. Sub.

• 1982

  Restaurant appears as a filming location

  [1]Mr. Suben.wikipedia.org

  A Toronto location is used in the television movie “When We First Met.”

• 1972

  First franchise sold

  [1]Mr. Suben.wikipedia.org

  Mr. Submarine begins franchising its restaurant concept.

• 1968

  First restaurant opens in Toronto

  [1]Mr. Suben.wikipedia.org

  Jack Levinson and Earl Linzon open the first Mr. Submarine restaurant at 130 Yorkville Avenue in Toronto’s Yorkville neighbourhood.

• 1968

  Second location follows the initial opening

  [1]Mr. Suben.wikipedia.org

  A second restaurant opens five months after the first, following a positive early response.

Accessible, Canada-rooted quick-service food focused on customizable submarine sandwiches and convenient takeaway occasions.

• Core menu · 1968

  Submarine sandwiches

  Mr. Sub’s defining product is the submarine sandwich: a long bread roll filled with combinations of meat, cheese, vegetables, and sauces. The format supports made-to-order customization and takeaway consumption. Subs have remained the central product category throughout the brand’s history and are the main basis of its identity as a Canadian sandwich chain.

• Sandwich alternatives

  Wraps

  Wraps extend the chain’s sandwich proposition beyond the traditional long roll. They provide an alternative bread format for customers seeking a portable, filled meal while retaining the brand’s emphasis on deli-style fillings, vegetables, sauces, and quick preparation.

• Sides and lighter meals

  Soups and salads

  Soups and salads broaden Mr. Sub’s offer beyond subs and help the chain serve customers looking for lighter meals or complementary items. These categories also support the brand’s presence in food courts and institutional locations where customers may want a meal combination rather than a sandwich alone.

• Grilled sandwiches

  Panini-style grilled sandwiches

  Grilled panini-style sandwiches provide a warm alternative to the chain’s cold or lightly assembled submarine sandwiches. They extend the menu into toasted and pressed formats while preserving Mr. Sub’s core emphasis on filled bread products and fast service.

• Oh Canada, Oh Mr. Sub

  Canada

  Mr. Sub used the “Oh Canada, Oh Mr. Sub” slogan in a television advertising campaign designed to emphasize the company’s Canadian identity and distinguish it from major American sandwich competitors.

  Outcome. The campaign reinforced Canadian heritage as a central part of the brand’s positioning; a specific sales outcome is not reported in the cited material.

  Source
• Yours Since 1968

  Canada

  The “Yours Since 1968” slogan presents the chain’s Toronto origins and longevity as a source of familiarity and trust.

  Outcome. The slogan functions as a heritage-oriented brand message; no independently reported campaign performance is available in the cited material.

  Source

• 2011

  Acquisition by MTY Food GroupM&A

  Background

  Mr. Sub faced a competitive Canadian sandwich market and had attracted interest from several possible buyers during the 2000s.

  Action taken

  MTY Food Group announced an agreement to acquire Mr. Sub, with closing planned for the end of October 2011.

  Aftermath

  Mr. Sub became part of MTY Food Group’s multi-brand restaurant portfolio. The reported transaction value was $23 million.

  Reported acquisition price. $23 million (2011 transaction announcement)

  Source

• 1990

  Adoption of the Mr. Sub nameStrategy

  Background

  The chain had operated under the longer name Mr. Submarine since its founding.

  Action taken

  The company formally changed its name to Mr. Sub.

  Aftermath

  The shorter name became the brand’s established identity as the chain continued its Canadian franchise operations.

  Source

1. 1Mr. Suben.wikipedia.org
2. 2Mr. Sub official websitemrsub.ca