Leadership

Hoping to earn enough money to go to college, DeLuca borrowed $1,000 from a family friend and opened his first sub shop in 1965. Though he struggled for a few years, he did pay his way through college. After graduation, DeLuca jumped on the franchising boon in the fast food marketplace and rapidly expanded his operation. By the mid-nineties, there were tens of thousands of Subway shops in the world, far outpacing any competitor. DeLuca designed a new bread making machine to enable his franchises to offer fresh sandwiches everyday and successfully positioned Subway as a healthy alternative for fast food.