The fan-favorite complimentary Hot Sauce Bar features 13 bold sauces, from mild to extra hot, and returns with a full-scale national creative campaign celebrating the passion of Firehouse Subs guests
Jacksonville, FL (RestaurantNews.com) Hot sauce enthusiasts can rejoice! Firehouse Subs®, the beloved hot sub chain founded by former firefighters, today announced its iconic Hot Sauce Bar with a cult-like following is back and better than ever, available now at participating restaurants nationwide. The timing of its return couldn’t be more perfect after new insights from a national study show that 85% of Americans now use hot sauce in their meals.* After the removal of the Hot Sauce Bar in March 2020, followed by a public outcry demanding its return, Firehouse Subs is now giving guests the ultimate flavor experience they have been craving with 13 unique and complimentary hot sauces perfect to pair with any sub in restaurant.
The return of the Hot Sauce Bar is being celebrated in a big way with a 360-multimedia campaign grounded in a simple consumer insight — life without a hot sauce bar is simply unacceptable. The campaign spans broadcast with three new national TV commercials, social media components, playful out-of-home billboards in strategic locations and places, and digital advertising. Firehouse Subs was built on community roots, and this will come to life in select restaurants with custom “I Brought It Back” plaques to honor the Firehouse Subs super fans who were instrumental in bringing the Hot Sauce Bar back.
“Over the past few years, we’ve heard from countless guests on social channels, by email and even through handwritten letters begging for the return of our Hot Sauce Bar,” stated Dena vonWerssowetz, Chief Marketing Officer at Firehouse Subs. “The Hot Sauce Bar has always been a fan-favorite, and we are beyond excited to celebrate guests and bring back this iconic piece of Firehouse Subs’ history. Our fans are passionate and this complimentary addition of the Hot Sauce Bar delivers a customized, flavorful experience that remains unmatched.”
The Hot Sauce Bar boasts a wide range of sauces, each labeled with a heat scale from 1 to 10. There is something truly for everyone, from those who just want to add some unique flavor to those who really want to test their taste buds’ boundaries for spice. This customization is available for Firehouse Subs guests to add complimentary to their sub when in restaurant or picking up an order placed online or through the Firehouse Subs app via Rapid Rescue To Go®. Here is what guests can expect if they want to take their sub to the next level:
- Captain Sorensen’s Datil Pepper Hot Sauce (Heat Scale: 1) – Named after the Firehouse Subs founders’ father who was a firefighter for four decades, this sauce is made with the unique and delicious Datil Pepper for a bold flavor profile that’s subtly sweet with a tangy kick
- Bee Sting® Honey n’ Habanero Pepper Sauce (Heat Scale: 2) – A sweet and spicy hot sauce that combines the floral sweetness of honey with the fiery heat of habanero peppers
- Fat Cat Peach Maple Bourbon Hot Sauce and Glaze (Heat Scale: 2) – A rich, sweet, and savory sauce combining ripe peaches, maple syrup, and bourbon with a mild heat for a taste that is truly unique
- Backdraft Fire Sauce (Heat Scale: 3) – A bold, mustard-based hot sauce with the perfect blend of sweetness and a hint of fiery heat
- Frank’s RedHot® Original Cayenne Pepper Hot Sauce (Heat Scale: 3) – A classic, versatile hot sauce made from aged cayenne peppers, delivering a balanced, medium heat with tangy flavor
- Gator Hammock Gator Sauce (Heat Scale: 3) – A unique blend of peppery, garlic flavor with a vinegar zing, creates a moderate yet balanced level of heat
- Hot N Saucy Carrot N Chipotle (Heat Scale: 3) – A blend of naturally sweet carrots with a touch of smokiness from chipotle peppers, creating a uniquely rich hot sauce with moderate heat
- CHA! by Texas Pete® Sriracha Sauce (Heat Scale: 4) – Abold and flavorful sriracha sauce that adds a kick of spicy sweetness to any dish with its perfect balance of heat and tang.
- TABASCO® Brand Green Jalapeño Pepper Sauce (Heat Scale: 4) – A tangy sauce with the flavor of fresh jalapeños. Zesty and vibrant flavor with just the right amount of heat
- Cholula® Original Hot Sauce (Heat Scale: 5) – A smooth, flavorful hot sauce with a mild, spicy kick, made from a blend of arbol and piquín peppers and Mexican spices
- TABASCO® Original Red Sauce (Heat Scale: 6) – Known for its signature heat and versatile flavor, this tangy, spicy hot sauce is made from three simple ingredients—aged red peppers, vinegar, and a pinch of salt
- Florida Man’s Lunacy Pineapple Hot Sauce (Heat Scale: 7) – A tropical, tangy hot sauce blending sweet pineapple, Florida Key Limes, agave nectar and vanilla with a bold kick of heat from Carolina Reaper
- Deep Canyon Co. Sizzlin’ Scorpion Scorching Hot Sauce (Heat Scale: 8) – A fiery hot sauce featuring the intense heat of scorpion and habanero peppers, balanced with savory spices for a scorching yet flavorful experience
Guests can also purchase full bottles of their favorite hot sauces at Firehouse Subs to enjoy at home, at participating restaurants.
To find your nearest restaurant and pick your favorite hot sauce to pair with your favorite sub, visit FirehouseSubs.com.
About Firehouse Subs
Firehouse Subs® is a restaurant chain with a passion for hearty and flavorful food, heartfelt service, and public safety. Founded in Jacksonville, Florida in 1994 by two former firefighting brothers, the brand is built on decades of hot and hearty subs piled with high quality meats and cheeses, and committed to saving lives through the Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation, providing lifesaving equipment and needed resources to first responders and public safety organizations. Firehouse Subs is a subsidiary of Restaurant Brands International Inc. (“RBI”), one of the world’s largest quick service restaurant companies with over $35 billion in annual system-wide sales and approximately 30,000 restaurants in more than 100 countries. RBI owns four of the world’s most prominent and iconic quick service restaurant brands – Burger King®, Tim Hortons®, Popeyes®, and Firehouse Subs®. To learn more, visit FirehouseSubs.com and FirehouseSubs.ch.
*Online survey conducted by Wired Research to 1,016 nationally representative Americans ages 18 and over between 9/11/24-9/13/24, with a margin of error of +/- 3.1 percent.
