‘Just a super good guy’: Firehouse Subs co-founder Chris Sorensen remembered for service beyond the sandwiches

Chris Sorensen helped build Firehouse Subs into a national brand, but a longtime friend says the Jacksonville native never lost the easygoing nature and commitment to service that defined him.Sorensen, a former firefighter who co-founded the sandwich chain with his brother, Robin, died Oct. 11 at 65. His family said he died peacefully at home, surrounded by family. He was a cancer survivor.Randy Wyse, who worked with Sorensen at a Jacksonville fire station, remembers the early days of the business. Sorensen brought lunch meat to the station for firefighters to try, asking what they thought.The brothers opened the first Firehouse Subs in Jacksonville in 1994. The business grew to more than 1,200 restaurants and more than $1 billion in annual system sales before they sold it in 2021.“Chris was a real, a lot of times people use the word laid-back, but he was a laid-back guy,” Wyse said. “I loved his music. I remember him playing some music at the fire station sometimes. So just a super go