If I asked you which chain had the most locations in the United States you would probably say Walmart or McDonald’s, at least those would have been my guesses. I never would have guessed the biggest chain in the country is Subway.

According to Business Insider, the fast-food restaurant known for foot-long subs, wraps, and salads has more locations in America than McDonald’s and Burger King combined!

There are over 24,500 Subway restaurants around the country making them the number 1 chain by a lot. Starbucks is second with 14,608 locations and McDonald’s came in third with nearly 14,000 spots. Starbucks actually has more Med-City locations though. According to each company’s website, there are 7 Subway Sandwich Shops in Rochester Minnesota while there are 9 Starbucks locations.

Currently, there are over 41,000 Subways worldwide. It's a massive company that was started back in the 1960s by a 17-year-old. Its founder, Fred DeLuca, borrowed $1000 from a family friend to start a sub shop to help pay for his college tuition. Subway.com explains the history, "It was Peter Buck that gave college freshman Fred DeLuca the idea to open a submarine sandwich shop to help pay his tuition. Peter provided an initial investment of $1000, and a business relationship was forged that would change the landscape of the fast-food industry and the lives of thousands."

Did you know there’s one chain restaurant that has only one location in Minnesota and it is right here in Rochester? If you like Carlos Okelly’s this is the only place in the state to get it.

Here are 50 of your favorite retail chains that no longer exist.

 

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