Firehouse Subs coming to Cedar Rapids

CEDAR RAPIDS - Firehouse Subs, a fast casual restaurant chain founded by former firefighting brothers Chris and Robin Sorensen, will open its first location in Cedar Rapids on Monday.

The restaurant is located in Collins Crossing at 180 Collins Rd. NE, near Lindale Mall. Firehouse Subs is known for serving hot sandwiches on a toasted sub roll.

John Chadima, owner of the new Firehouse Subs, said the restaurant's firehouse décor is based on the founding family's decades of fire and police service. The Cedar Rapids location is decorated with firefighter memorabilia from the Cedar Rapids, Marion and Hiawatha fire departments.

Firehouse Subs restaurants feature a custom, hand-painted mural that pays tribute to the local community. The Cedar Rapids mural pays homage to Grant Wood with a depiction of his 'American Gothic” painting and includes the Cedar Rapids Fire Department, the City of Five Seasons Tree and a Hawkeye chasing a Gopher.

Chief mural artist Joe Puskas and his team paint every mural in his studio at Firehouse Subs headquarters in Jacksonville, Fla. Since the opening of the first Firehouse Subs in 1994, Puskas has painted more than 840 murals.

Firehouse Subs has more than 840 locations in 42 states.