Some lucky sandwich lovers will soon have a new shop to try out as a fast-growing chain plots dozens of new store openings.
Port of Subs, a Nevada-based sandwich chain with more than 135 stores across seven Western states, just scored a major development deal that will see it expand to a new corner of the country. The company plans to open a whopping 60 new stores in Minnesota in collaboration with a local entrepreneur named Pat Mancuso and his daughter, Ashley Mancuso.
According to the new development announcement published online by QSR Magazine, Mancuso became “immediately hooked” on Port of Subs’ food after trying it for the first time at the Las Vegas airport. In a statement, he raved about the chain’s freshly baked bread, sliced-to-order sandwich meats, and “fantastic” brownies made with Ghirardelli chocolate.
“Port of Subs truly is a business that wants to be a part of the communities it serves,” Mancuso said. “Whether that is partnering with local schools, catering to local businesses, or just getting to know your name when you walk in the door. It feels different from other food concepts, and I knew it would perform well in the Twin Cities.”
Port of Subs and the Mancusos are planning to debut the brand in the Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan area as part of the development deal. The Mancusos are aiming to open their first Port of Subs location in the next six months and at least 12 additional stores in the next 18 months. The announcement did not provide a timeline for the remainder of the 60 planned openings.
The new Port of Subs development push comes less than a year after the private equity firm Area 15 Ventures acquired the regional sandwich chain in April 2023. At the time, Area 15 Ventures pledged to accelerate the brand’s growth and expand it beyond the seven states where it currently operates, according to Restaurant Dive.
The firm certainly seems to be following through on that promise. In addition to the newly-announced 60-store development deal, Port of Subs announced another 40-store development deal in August 2023. Brothers Jay and Michael Taylor, who were already Port of Subs franchisees, plan to grow the brand’s presence in Utah as part of the agreement.
“We plan to open new locations in our region that span from Ogden to Provo, including Salt Lake, Weaver, and Utah Counties. Michael and I will open our own locations and accelerate growth by aligning with both single-unit and multi-unit franchisees.” Jay Taylor said in a statement at the time.
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Zoe Strozewski
Zoe Strozewski is a News Writer for Eat This, Not That! A Chicago native who now lives in New Jersey, she graduated from Kean University in 2020 with a bachelor’s degree in journalism. Read more about Zoe
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