Founder Profile
Fred DeLuca
Last reviewed: October 2026 · By Swet Parvadiya
Who is Fred DeLuca?
Fred DeLuca is a founder of Subway, which was founded in 1965 with Dr. Peter Buck.
- Company founded
- Subway
- Founded
- 1965
- Co-founders
- Dr. Peter Buck
Background
High school graduate looking for a way to pay for medical school.
Founding Story
Fred DeLuca (1947-2015) co-founded Subway in 1965 at the age of 17 after borrowing $1,000 from family friend Dr. Peter Buck. DeLuca ran the day-to-day operations of the first submarine sandwich shop in Bridgeport, Connecticut. He drove the aggressive franchising model that transformed Subway into the world's largest restaurant chain by store count, serving as CEO for 50 years until his death.
Education: Central High School.
Frederick Adrian DeLuca was born on October 3, 1947 and died on September 14, 2015. He served as president of Subway. Fred DeLuca was born in 1947.