Former first responders with local ties to Springdale open newest restaurant featuring contemporary Community Design
Firehouse Subs is pleased to announce the grand opening of its first location in Springdale, Arkansas at 4914-1 Elms Springs Road. Franchisees Audie White and Jason Steele opened the doors to the first Firehouse Subs restaurant in Arkansas to sport the brand’s new Community Design on Monday, August 9.
White and Steele own and operate six Firehouse Subs restaurants: two in Fayetteville, Arkansas and four in the greater Tulsa, Oklahoma area. Prior to joining the restaurant brand, the business partners both worked as first responders. White was a Russellville, Arkansas police officer for over seven years, and Steele was a Springdale, Arkansas firefighter for over 15 years and worked for the volunteer fire department totaling more than 30 years of firefighting career experience.
“I’ve been wanting to open a Firehouse Subs restaurant in my hometown of Springdale for the last 15 years and am excited for our vision to come to life,” said Audie White. “We are proud to introduce the brand’s new and improved Community Design to the community and great state of Arkansas.”
“As the grandson of Joe Maurice Steele who founded The Steele Canning Company, the opening of this restaurant is very special to my family and our rich history in Springdale,” Steele added. “There is nothing better than supporting our local first responders through the sales of our hot and hearty subs with a portion of every purchase benefiting Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation.”
The Springdale Firehouse Subs restaurant will feature the brand’s new Community Design, which boasts enhancements made to provide a better dining experience for guests, in addition to a new back-of-the-house layout with a more efficient flow for crew members. The updated design of this new location has a repositioned ordering area and a designated space for Rapid Rescue To Go orders made online at FirehouseSubs.com or through the Firehouse Subs app, in addition to demonstrating the brand’s commitment to community, first responders, heartfelt service and quality food that satisfies.
The opening marks the eighth location to feature the new design. The Community Design, formerly known as the Restaurant of the Future prototype, first debuted in July 2019 in the brand’s hometown market of Jacksonville, Florida.
The Springdale Firehouse Subs restaurant opens at 10:30 a.m. and closes at 9 p.m. seven days a week. The restaurant offers subs to go via online ordering through the Firehouse Subs app or website, call-in phone orders or takeout service at the counter inside. It also offers third-party delivery and in-house catering services to accommodate occasions of all sizes, from office meetings to family gatherings.
White and Steele are dedicated to sharing the brand’s commitment to giving back through Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation, which has granted more than $417,000 in the greater Fort Smith area. A portion of every sale at any Firehouse Subs in the U.S. benefits the Foundation to help achieve its mission of providing lifesaving equipment and resources to first responders and public safety organizations across the country.
Firehouse Subs serves a variety of hot specialty subs, piled high with premium meats and cheeses that are sliced fresh daily in-restaurant and steamed together to bring out the ingredients’ natural flavors, served “Fully Involved®” with fresh produce and condiments. In addition to its signature subs, the restaurant offers a variety of catering options from sandwich and dessert platters to salads and snacks to fuel any occasion.
Founded by former firefighting brothers, the restaurant décor reflects the founding family’s decades of fire and police service with gear and photos donated by local fire departments. It boasts a custom, hand-painted mural by Chief Mural Artist Joe Puskas, featuring a firefighter, military member, an antique Springdale fire truck decorated with a Popeye spinach can as a special nod to the Steele Canning Company producing it. Since the opening of the first Firehouse Subs in 1994, Puskas and his team have painted more than 1,200 murals from his studio at Firehouse Subs Headquarters in Jacksonville, Florida.
In 2005, the Firehouse Subs founders established the Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation with the mission of providing funding, lifesaving equipment and educational opportunities to first responders and public safety organizations. The 501(c)(3) Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation has granted more than $60 million to hometown heroes in 49 states, Puerto Rico and Canada. Each restaurant recycles five-gallon pickle buckets, available to guests for a $3 donation to the Foundation. Donation canisters on register counters explain the nonprofit’s mission and collect spare change, while the Round Up Program allows guests to “round up” their bill to the nearest dollar. All funds raised benefit the Foundation.
Enjoy more subs. Save more lives. To learn more, visit http://www.firehousesubs.com.
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