Blimpie International, Inc. was founded in Hoboken, New Jersey in 1964 by three friends, Tony Conza, Peter DeCarlo and Angelo Baldassare. The trio had been high school friends and classmates from Saint Peter's Prep in Jersey City. After a decision was made to close one of Border Cafe's restaurants and sell the other four, Conza and DeCarlo decided to take a fresh look at Blimpie.
They created a list of 101 small improvements, such as baking fresh bread in each store, hiring a new advertising agency, and redesigning the appearance of the stores. This was the revival of Blimpie, which went from 275 stores in 1987 to more than 2000 locations. Blimpie's also became part of the first restaurant section of Home Depot grocery stores located in Atlanta. In 1994, the company launched several new concepts to boost its commitment to non-traditional places.
Over the past 15 years, Blimpie has closed stores and changed owners. In 2001, Blimpie was losing revenue and needed to make a change. Unlike Maui Tacos, Pasta Central was not a standalone concept but was created as a co-branded vehicle along with Blimpie Subs & Salads. As Conza turned his attention away from submarines, his competitor Subway, which was founded a year after the first Blimpie's opened, was beginning an expansion that pushed him far ahead of Blimpie as the world's leading submarine sandwich chain. During this time, Blimpie's finances were jeopardized by Subway's growth across the country. So did Blimpie Subs go out of business? The answer is no.
Despite its struggles over the past 15 years, Blimpie is still alive and well today. The company has continued to innovate and expand its menu offerings to include salads, wraps, smoothies and more. It has also opened new locations across the United States and Canada. While it may not be as popular as Subway or other sandwich chains, Blimpie is still a viable option for those looking for a quick and tasty meal. Blimpie offers a variety of vegetables on its subs including lettuce, tomatoes, onions, pickles, peppers and olives.
Customers can also customize their subs with different sauces and dressings. So if you're looking for a delicious sub sandwich with fresh vegetables and customizable options, then Blimpie is definitely worth checking out.
