In the heart of Toronto’s entertainment district, where thousands of commuters funnel daily between Union Station and the Gardiner Expressway, Firehouse Subs is preparing to open what may be its highest-profile downtown restaurant yet.
The April 23rd opening at 14 York St continues the brand’s rapid downtown Toronto expansion, which has seen multiple locations open across the core in less than two years. The location sits at one of the city’s most visible intersections, steps from both Scotiabank Arena and Rogers Centre – a positioning that franchisee Amit Seth believes offers unparalleled exposure.
“That intersection, with people exiting onto Lakeshore and the Gardiner, is probably the last thing they’ll see before heading back to Aurora, Newmarket, or Brampton,” Seth says. “We’re hoping it helps the brand’s exposure significantly.”
The strategic real estate play represents a continuation of the aggressive expansion Firehouse Subs outlined in early 2025, when the brand announced plans for six new Toronto locations. Since then, the company has grown from 112 to approximately 180 restaurants nationwide, emerging as one of Canada’s fastest-growing quick-service restaurant chains.
For Sam Gallant, General Manager of Firehouse Subs Canada, the ICE Condos location fills a critical gap in the brand’s downtown coverage.
“We’re excited to continue our downtown Toronto expansion,” Gallant says. “We’ve been growing rapidly in the core over the past two years. It felt like a node we were missing. As the official sub of the Toronto Maple Leafs, being right outside the arena – we’re hoping to become the destination for pre-game and post-game meals.”
The Leafs partnership means the ICE Condos location opens with built-in anticipation, even if this season didn’t deliver what fans hoped for. “I wish they were going deeper this year so we could celebrate with a playoff run,” Gallant says. “But next season’s opener, we’ll be ready to celebrate both the Leafs being back and our new location.”
Seth was quick to address a common frustration among sports fans when it comes to game-day pricing. “We’re promising no surge pricing like the street vendors charging $20 for a sausage that normally costs $6.”
The downtown expansion comes as Firehouse Subs targets its most ambitious growth year yet: between 60 and 70 new restaurants across Canada in 2026, with roughly 40% of that growth concentrated in Ontario and 50% in Western Canada.
“We’re one of the fastest-growing QSR brands in Canada, if not the fastest,” Gallant says. “We expect to maintain that pace through 2026 and into 2027 as well.”
The aggressive expansion timeline is backed by Restaurant Brands International, Firehouse Subs’ parent company, which identified the brand as a major growth driver at its February 2026 Investor Day. RBI projects Firehouse Subs will contribute 150-200 net new units annually by 2028 in the US and Canada – representing approximately half of all RBI’s net new units in the region. To support this growth, Firehouse Subs launched development incentive programs in March 2026 offering up to $150,000 per restaurant for qualified franchisees, with specific incentives targeting priority markets and multi-unit operators.
The urban push has required the brand to fundamentally rethink its approach to real estate. Traditional suburban locations spanning 2,500 to 3,000 square feet have given way to compact formats as small as 800 square feet, designed to accommodate the reality that delivery now represents a significant portion of downtown business.
Firehouse Subs works with Marcus & Millichap, with Jonathon Gray and Ryan McLaughlin handling the brand’s site selection strategy in Toronto.
For Seth, who operates multiple Firehouse Subs locations through Saisethsons Hospitality, the ICE Condos location represented an opportunity to activate retail space that Cadillac Fairview had been working to fill with the right tenant mix.
“We’re very local-driven operators,” Seth explains. “When Cadillac Fairview started working to activate that retail space a couple years ago, we saw an opportunity to bring something to the building that would serve multiple audiences – the condo residents, the office workers, and the sports fans all converging at that intersection.”
That multi-demographic approach reflects Seth’s broader understanding of downtown operations, particularly around staffing in an expensive market.
“Downtown Toronto poses a unique scenario,” he says. “As an employer, we believe in hiring local whenever possible. If somebody lives walking distance to our locations, they know the neighborhood and the dynamics. But the demographic of people who may want to build a career with us don’t always have the affordability to live in these neighborhoods. So we depend heavily on the TTC and expand our reach accordingly.”
The focus on local ownership remains central to the brand’s expansion strategy.
“Our franchisees don’t sit in an office in Toronto,” Gallant says. “They live in the markets where they operate and they’re in their restaurants every day. They know their team members, they know their guests by name, and they know their local fire departments.”
That local connection extends to the Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation, which Gallant describes as the root of everything the brand does.
“It’s incredible – there aren’t many brands doing what we’re doing,” he says. “We’re 180 restaurants across the country and we’re giving close to $1.5 million back to first responders every year. We’ve donated more than $2 million in southwestern Ontario alone since entering the market.”
Recent contributions include emergency carts for newborns at SickKids Hospital, a grant Seth was instrumental in securing.
“We were key in helping secure those emergency carts for SickKids as part of the Foundation’s giveback,” he says. “As we grow more restaurants downtown, we want to continue looking at how we serve these communities. The downtown fire departments should benefit as well.”
Seth’s commitment to community engagement mirrors the approach he’s taken at his other Firehouse Subs locations, where his team provides complimentary lunches for local teachers and supports community events.
The downtown locations are also serving as testing grounds for new initiatives. In the coming months, all downtown Toronto restaurants will launch breakfast service – a significant departure from the brand’s traditional focus outside of airport locations.
“We have premium meats, quality bread, and great cheeses,” Gallant explains. “Add an egg to that, and we believe we can have an exceptional breakfast product. In downtown Toronto, people are looking for convenience when they get off the GO train in the morning, including more breakfast options.”
The brand has also recently completed a national rollout of its Steak and Cheese Melt, featuring prime rib cut steak with enhanced cheese portions, red and green pepper blend, and caramelized onions with brown sugar.
“We need to focus on what we’re really good at, and that’s hot subs,” Gallant says. “You might see innovation in the future, but the priority is enhancing our ingredients and making our subs better.”
For Seth, the challenge now is building awareness in neighborhoods where Firehouse Subs remains relatively unknown despite its national growth.
“We’re doing our part growing the brand in the core where many brands avoid because locations aren’t easy to secure and rent isn’t cheap,” he says. “Having multiple locations in the core gives Torontonians an opportunity to discover what Firehouse Subs is. The downtown demographic doesn’t necessarily have the same brand familiarity as someone in the suburbs might. As they travel from the Esplanade to downtown or to the hospital district and see our logo, hopefully it prompts them to give us a try.”
The brand also encourages guests to order through the Firehouse app rather than third-party delivery services, offering exclusive discounts and points programs.
“The app has better pricing with exclusive discounts for members every week, plus you earn points toward free sandwiches,” Seth notes. “It’s significantly better value than ordering through third-party platforms.”
As Firehouse Subs continues to secure prime downtown real estate while competitors struggle with availability and rising rents, the brand appears to have found its rhythm in Toronto’s challenging urban market.
The restaurant opens April 23rd at 14 York St.
Dustin Fuhs is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of 6ix Retail, Toronto’s premier source for retail and hospitality industry news. As the former Editor-in-Chief of Retail Insider, Canada’s most-read retail trade publication, Dustin brings over two decades of expertise spanning retail, marketing, entertainment and hospitality sectors. His experience includes roles with industry giants such as The Walt Disney Company, The Hockey Hall of Fame, The Canadian Opera Company, Starbucks Canada and Blockbuster.
Recognized as a RETHINK Retail Top Retail Expert in 2024, 2025 and 2026, Dustin delivers insider perspectives on Toronto’s evolving retail landscape, from emerging brands to established players reshaping the city’s commercial districts.