Fred DeLuca, the president and co-founder of the Subway sandwich chain, is offloading some management duties to his sister as he recovers from a bone-marrow transplant.
DeLuca, who was diagnosed with leukaemia in July 2013, has remained active at the closely held sandwich chain during treatment, according to spokesman Kevin Kane. DeLuca’s younger sister, Senior Vice President Suzanne Greco, is broadening her role, but there hasn’t been a formal job change. The New York Post reported yesterday that Greco had assumed day-to-day control of the Milford, Connecticut-based company.
“Fred has and continues to lead the company as he further empowers his team to better position the company for growth,” Kane said in an e-mail. “As a family business, he has now shared some of that responsibility.”
DeLuca, 67, opened the first Subway sandwich shop in Bridgeport, Connecticut, in 1965. The chain now has more than 43,000 restaurants around the world, including 30,000 in North America. Subway plans to open another 2,500 restaurants this year as it works toward DeLuca’s global of having 50,000 worldwide by 2017.
The sandwich chain has built a following by offering a less greasy alternative to burger restaurants. Earlier this year, Subway began promoting all-white-meat chicken strips, aiming to maintain its appeal among health-conscious customers.
Bloomberg News, edited by Hospitality Ireland
