On a hot and humid summer day back in 1965, Fred Deluca was racing off to take an exam at his high school. But he had other things on his mind. That was also Fred's first day in business as the owner of a local sandwich shop.
Luckily, Fred's friend Art had agreed to help out at the shop in his absence.
Stopping on his way out to teach Art how to make a submarine sandwich, Fred was confronted with a key obstacle‹he had never actually made a submarine sandwich himself. So they figured it out together. Soon after arriving at the shop, a young girl on a bicycle pedaled up to the little store in Milford, CT, and officially became the first customer of what would soon be known to millions as Subway.
Starting the business was just supposed to help Fred to make the money he needed to go to medical school, but destiny had a much bigger plan in store for him. Fred turned a $1000 investment from a neighbor when he was just 17 years old into a brand that is a household name. Today, with over 22,000 locations in 78 countries, Subway has grown to become the largest restaurant chain in the world, surpassing even McDonald's.
Fred's thoughtful and ambitious approach to growing his enterprise and to following his vision in his own unique way certainly places him among the Young & Successful legends of our time.
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