Subway taps Burger King veteran Jonathan Fitzpatrick as next CEO

Sandwich chain Subway has tapped former Burger King executive Jonathan Fitzpatrick as the company’s latest CEO, effective July 28.

The announcement on Monday follows a months-long search for former CEO John Chidsey’s successor. Chidsey retired at the end of 2024 after five years with the company. His tenure included the $9.6 billion sale of the then-family owned chain to private equity firm Roark Capital in 2023.

Fitzpatrick joins Subway after spending more than 12 years leading another Roark-backed company, Driven Brands, an automotive services provider. Prior to Driven Brands, he served as Burger King’s chief brand and operations officer after holding other roles across the chain’s business. Fitzpatrick stepped down from Driven Brands earlier this year.

Chidsey’s resume also included time at Burger King. A decade before joining Subway, Chidsey led Burger King until its buyout by 3G Capital, which eventually formed Restaurant Brands International.

The leadership changeup comes during the tough time for fast-food restaurants. Consumers aren’t dining out as often, and when they do, they’re looking for deals. Such discounts can weigh on restaurants’ already razor-thin profit margins.

Subway itself comes with its own set of challenges. With more than 19,500 locations, it is the largest U.S. restaurant chain by number of stores, but competition from fast-casual eateries and other sandwich chains has eroded its market share over the last 15 years.

Last year, its sales fell 3.8%, according to Technomic data.