Subway was founded in 1965.
The business began in Bridgeport, Connecticut, under the name Pete’s Super Submarine Sandwiches. Seventeen-year-old Fred DeLuca borrowed $1,000 from family friend Peter Buck to open the shop, hoping its profits would help pay for medical school. Buck, a physicist with a doctorate, became DeLuca’s business partner.
The company initially focused on submarine sandwiches rather than the broad menu associated with the modern chain. Its name changed several times: Pete’s Super Submarine Sandwiches, Pete’s Subs, and Pete’s Subway preceded the shorter Subway name, adopted in 1972. The business also developed its franchise model as it expanded beyond its original Connecticut locations.
A common mix-up is confusing Subway’s founding year with the year it adopted the Subway name or began franchising. The founding date refers to the first shop’s opening, not those later milestones. The chain’s holding company, Doctor’s Associates, reflected DeLuca’s medical-school ambition and Buck’s academic background.