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Chris Randall Sorensen, the former firefighter and professional guitarist who co-founded Firehouse Subs with his younger brother Robin, died peacefully at home on October 11, 2026. He was 65, and his family was with him, according to his funeral-home obituary. The cause of death has not been made public.
Sorensen helped turn a Jacksonville sandwich shop opened with less than $100 in the brothers’ checking accounts into a chain that had more than 1,200 restaurants and over $1 billion in annual system sales before its 2021 sale for $1 billion. His influence extended beyond the business: he shaped the restaurants’ fire-service interiors and helped establish a foundation that has provided more than $118 million in grants to public-safety departments.
Who was Chris Sorensen?
Chris Randall Sorensen was a Jacksonville, Florida, entrepreneur whose career connected music, emergency response and restaurant design. Born on October 16, 1960, he first played guitar professionally. He then worked in public safety, serving four years with the Brevard County Fire Department, one year with Jacksonville International Airport Fire and Rescue, and more than a decade as an engineer and EMT with Jacksonville Fire and Rescue.
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That experience became the foundation for Firehouse Subs, the restaurant company he created with Robin. Friends and colleagues described Sorensen as a family man, musician, philanthropist, cancer survivor and former firefighter.
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How did the Sorensen brothers start Firehouse Subs?
Chris and Robin Sorensen opened the first Firehouse Subs restaurant on October 10, 1994, in Jacksonville’s Mandarin area. The brothers reportedly began with less than $100 in their checking accounts. Their menu focused on steamed meats and cheeses served on toasted rolls, while names such as Hook & Ladder drew directly on their firehouse theme.
The concept grew from a single local restaurant into a national chain. The obituary says the brothers spent 27 years developing the brand, which exceeded 1,200 restaurants and generated more than $1 billion in annual system sales before the company changed ownership in 2021.
What did Chris Sorensen contribute to the Firehouse Subs brand?
Sorensen’s most visible contribution was the physical character of the restaurants. He was the creative force behind their interiors, including custom murals reflecting local fire and police services. Those murals made each location’s decor specific to its community rather than relying on a uniform national design.
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His interest in collecting and preserving historical material also made him the brand’s informal archivist. That role helped maintain the connection between the restaurants’ public identity and the emergency-services culture that inspired them.
How large was Firehouse Subs when it was sold?
Restaurant Brands International acquired Firehouse Subs for $1 billion in 2021. Reports at the time put the chain at more than 1,200 locations. A later Action News Jax report described the brand as having more than 1,500 locations nationwide, so the two figures refer to different points in time and should not be treated as a single count.
| Measure | Figure | Date or context |
|---|---|---|
| First restaurant | Jacksonville, Mandarin area | October 10, 1994 |
| Restaurant count | More than 1,200 | At or around the 2021 sale, according to the obituary and industry coverage |
| Annual system sales | More than $1 billion | Before the 2021 sale, according to the obituary |
| Acquisition price | $1 billion | Restaurant Brands International acquisition in 2021 |
| Later reported footprint | More than 1,500 locations | Action News Jax report; later than the sale-era count |
What was the Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation?
Chris and Robin Sorensen founded the Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation in 2005 to improve the lifesaving capabilities of first responders and their communities. The foundation supports public-safety organizations with equipment, disaster relief and other resources.
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Sorensen’s obituary credits the foundation with awarding more than $118 million in grants to 7,700 departments in the United States and Canada. Firehouse Subs U.S. and Canada president Mike Hancock said that, alongside Robin, Chris built the brand and helped establish the foundation.
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Sorensen died at his home on October 11, 2026, with family at his side. The funeral-home obituary describes the death as peaceful. Neither that obituary nor local reporting identifies a cause of death; his description as a cancer survivor is not evidence of a specific cause, and no such inference should be made.
Longtime friend and veteran firefighter Randy Wyse remembered Sorensen as “a really great guy” and said it was very sad that he had died so early. The company’s statement emphasized both the business he built with Robin and his role in creating the public-safety foundation.
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What does Sorensen leave behind?
Sorensen’s legacy combines a national restaurant company with a direct investment in emergency responders. He brought professional firefighting experience into the chain’s names, visual identity and community relationships, while the foundation translated that identity into grants for departments across two countries.
His story also explains why Firehouse Subs locations look and feel different from a generic sandwich outlet: the local murals, collected history and public-service references were deliberate parts of the concept he helped create.
Frequently Asked Questions
When and where was Chris Sorensen’s Celebration of Life held?
A Celebration of Life was scheduled for October 23, 2026, at The Church of Eleven22 in St. Johns, Florida. The family’s notice directed people seeking service details to the funeral-home announcement.
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Where can people direct a memorial donation?
The family identified the Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation as one memorial option. Donations were also requested for Brooks Rehabilitation’s Eric Sorensen Motor Speech Program.
Did officials release a cause of death?
No. Public statements report only that Sorensen died peacefully at home with family on October 11, 2026. A cause has not been disclosed.
What emergency-service jobs did Sorensen hold before opening the restaurant?
He worked for the Brevard County Fire Department, Jacksonville International Airport Fire and Rescue, and Jacksonville Fire and Rescue. His Jacksonville Fire and Rescue work included roles as an engineer and EMT.
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