Is It Time to Say Goodbye to Quiznos?

Way back in 1981, a humble New York transplant named Jimmy Lambatos opened an innovative toasted sub shop at the corner of 13th Avenue and Grant. Denverites quickly fell in love with Quiznos, fueling the rise of a sandwich empire to more than 5,000 locations around the world by the mid 2000s. But now, as Westword’s food editor Molly Martin reported last week, Quiznos is on the ropes, and that first location has been shuttered due to non-payment of taxes. So today, Molly returns to the show with producer Paul Karolyi and newsletter editor Peyton Garcia to talk through the rise and fall of Quiznos and the surprisingly Denver story of founder Jimmy Lambatos. 

We discussed Molly’s interview with Quiznos founder Jimmy Lambatos and Peyton’s deep dive into the fall of Quiznos. Paul mentioned the recent auditor’s report on Denver’s response to the homelessness crisis. 

All the other great local sandwich places we mentioned:

• Subculture (Cap Hill)
• Snarf’s (Various)
• Cheba Hut (Various)
• Carmine Lonardo’s Meat Market (Lakewood)
• Spinelli’s (Park Hill)
• Little Arthur’s Hoagies (Food Truck)
• Olive & Finch (Uptown and Cherry Creek)
• Marczyk Fine Foods (Cap Hill, Hale)
• Curtis Park Deli (Curtis Park, Cherry Creek, Boulder)
• Leven Deli Co. (Golden Triangle)

For even more local sandwich goodness, we settled the great Snarfs vs. Cheba Hut debate on the show last fall. 

Do you have nostalgia for Quiznos’ early years? Text or leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear your story on the show: (720) 500-5418‬

For even more news from around the city, subscribe to our morning newsletter Hey Denver by texting “Denver” to 66866

Follow us on Twitter: @citycastdenver

Or instagram: @citycastdenver

Chat with other listeners on reddit: r/CityCastDenver

Learn more about the sponsor of this episode:

• The North Face

Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise