A former firefighter and co-founder of an American restaurant chain has died at the age of 65.
The Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department said in a post on Facebook that Chris Sorensen followed in his father’s footsteps and became a firefighter, later opening Firehouse Subs with his brother.
“Before his business accomplishments, Chris was first and foremost a firefighter. Following in the footsteps of his father, Rob ‘Captain Video’ Sorensen, Chris began his JFRD career on March 14, 1988, before launching Firehouse Subs in 1994. He retired at the rank of Engineer four years later,” the department said. “In 2005, he volunteered alongside his father and brother in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, and that experience led to the creation of the Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation, turning a commitment to disaster relief into a lasting mission to support first responders.”
The Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation, the department said, has helped equip fire departments and public safety agencies across the country with lifesaving equipment and critical resources.
According to Sorensen’s obituary, the foundation has awarded more than $118 million in grants to 7,700 departments in the United States and Canada.
In 1994, Chris co-founded Firehouse Subs with his brother, Robin. The first location opened in their hometown of Jacksonville, Florida.
After being sold in 2021 for $1 billion to Restaurant Brands International, which also owns Burger King, the Firehouse Subs fleet grew to more than 1,200 locations.