Who would have thought that healthy sandwiches would replace the days of French fries and Big Macs?  That’s right; Subway is officially the world’s largest and fastest-growin restaurant chain.  Subway sells around 2,500 sandwiches a minute from more than 30,000 locations in over 90 countries.

In 1965, Dr. Peter Buck was working as a nuclear physicist.  Fred DeLuca had barely graduated high school and was dying to make some money for college.  It was an unlikely pair of entrepreneurs to say the least.  The two men were connected through family friends, and after a BBQ one summer day, Buck pulled out a checkbook and wrote a $1,000 check to DeLuca.  “Open a subway shop Fred.”  That’s where it all began.

Today, Buck and DeLuca are thought to be billionaires, although they work hard to stay out of the public spotlight.  In some ways, the total number of locations—like all records—is just a symbol.  It doesn’t necessarily account for revenue or popularity, but it does point to a distinct business method. McDonald’s for instance, entered into the international market years ago and is now focused on making profits in existing locations rather than opening up new ones (Subway’s current strategy).   Subway is also different from European chains like Pret a Manger and Benjys, which offer only pre-wrapped and pre-made sandwiches.

They’ve definitely hit upon a branding strategy that has stimulated the public’s appetite for subs. It’s all about eating healthy on the run.  Anyone can be healthier if they choose Subway over any of the competition in the market. That message has struck a chord with many consumers at a time when obesity rates are up and many people feel they lack the time to prepare home-cooked meals.

Good ideas = strong brands.  After all, who wouldn’t want to “Eat Fresh”?