American quick-service restaurant chain Firehouse Subs, operated in Australia by Retail Food Group (RFG), has made its long-awaited debut in the country, claiming to have exceeded “every international benchmark”.

The opening at Westfield Mt Gravatt, Brisbane, came after the brand spoke of its “ambitious plans” to expand through Australia, taking on Subway with its stated goal of bringing a “better sub to Australians”.

Within its first week, Firehouse claimed to have recorded “one of the brand’s strongest international opening results to date”, adding that consumers were drawn by “organic word-of-mouth and social media interest”.

Customers were also enticed by the chance to win a gold card, offering a year-long supply of free subs, along with servings of free fries on opening day.

“We knew Australians were ready for a seriously good sub, and the brand has had a loyal following here from afar for years,” said Firehouse Subs’ executive chairman, Peter George. “What we didn’t anticipate was breaking every international benchmark in our first days of trade, on a soft opening day, before our marketing had even begun.”

RFG has previously hedged its bets on the rollout of Firehouse through the country, which comes at the same time as a period of declining sales, one it credits to “difficult trading conditions”.

But Restaurant Brands International, the owner of Firehouse, said the success of the Mt Gravatt opening is a positive sign for the future with RFG.

“It reflects the appeal of our hearty, flavorful subs, our differentiated Firehouse Subs experience and the strength of our partnership with RFG,” Lucas Alperi, VP of Firehouse Subs at Restaurant Brands International, added. 

“We’re excited to build on this momentum as we continue introducing more guests to the brand and bringing Firehouse Subs to more communities over time.”