Firehouse Subs co-founder Chris Sorensen dies at 65 in Florida
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The gist
Former Jacksonville firefighter Chris Sorensen, who co-founded Firehouse Subs, died at 65 at his St. Johns County home.
His foundation gave $118 million in grants to first responders.
Background
Chris Sorensen was a former Jacksonville firefighter — an engineer and EMT — who came from a family of firefighters and followed his father into the service. In 1994 he and his younger brother Robin, also a Jacksonville firefighter, opened the first Firehouse Subs on San Jose Boulevard in Mandarin, Jacksonville, with less than $100 in their checking accounts. The brothers later created the Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation, a nonprofit that raises money for lifesaving equipment, education and disaster relief for first responders. News of his death drew tributes from those who knew him, including a family friend and former Firehouse Subs CEO.
How it unfolded
- Oct 16, 1960Chris Sorensen is born in Jacksonville, Florida, to Robert and Wanda Sorensen.
- 1994Chris and Robin Sorensen open the first Firehouse Subs on San Jose Boulevard in Mandarin, Jacksonville, with less than $100 in their checking accounts.
- 2005The brothers create the Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation; they also deliver food and supplies after Hurricane Katrina.
- 2021The brothers sell Firehouse Subs to Restaurant Brands International for $1 billion, with the chain grown to more than 1,200 locations and more than $1 billion in annual system sales.
- Oct 11, 2026Sorensen dies at his home in St. Johns County at 65, days before his 66th birthday; the family says he died peacefully surrounded by family.
- Oct 19, 2026News outlets report his death; a Celebration of Life is set for Friday, Oct. 23 at 10 a.m. at The Church of Eleven22 in St. Johns County, with a reception at Marywood Retreat & Conference Center.
Who’s saying what
- Official
- Don Fox, a family friend and former Firehouse Subs CEO, said the news came as a shock and that Sorensen never really left the fire service, honoring it through the restaurants and the foundation.
- Public
- Randy Wyse, who worked with Sorensen at a Jacksonville fire station, called him a laid-back, super good guy and praised the family for building such a successful business.
Still unverified
Sorensen's cause of death has not been made public; online obituaries say he died peacefully at home with loved ones.