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Chris Randall Sorensen, the former firefighter and entrepreneur who co-founded Firehouse Subs alongside his brother Robin Sorensen, has reportedly died at the age of 65. According to the obituary information provided, he passed away peacefully at his home on October 11, 2026, surrounded by family.

Sorensen helped turn a single sandwich restaurant in Jacksonville, Florida, into a nationally recognized brand while maintaining a strong connection to the firefighting profession that inspired the business. His life brought together several distinct paths, including music, emergency services, entrepreneurship and philanthropy.

His reported death marks the loss of a figure whose professional achievements were closely linked to his commitment to supporting firefighters and other first responders.

Chris Sorensen’s Early Life and Musical Ambitions

Born in Jacksonville, Florida, on October 16, 1960, Chris Sorensen grew up with interests that extended well beyond business. Music was one of his early passions, and he pursued the ambition of becoming a professional musician before his career took a different direction.

A talented guitarist, Sorensen reportedly spent several years performing and playing alongside musicians associated with well-known acts, including Earth, Wind & Fire, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Foreigner and Huey Lewis and the News.

Although he eventually moved into firefighting and entrepreneurship, music remained an important part of his personal identity. His varied interests reflected a curiosity and creativity that would later contribute to his approach to building a distinctive restaurant brand.

From Firefighter to Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department Engineer

Sorensen eventually followed his father into the firefighting profession, serving with fire departments in Florida before becoming an engineer and emergency medical technician with the Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department.

Working in emergency services placed him in a profession that demands teamwork, discipline and a commitment to helping people during difficult circumstances. Those experiences also gave him a personal understanding of the challenges faced by firefighters and other emergency responders.

That background became central to the restaurant business he later established with his brother. Rather than treating firefighting as a theme for a restaurant alone, the Sorensen brothers built their concept around a profession that had shaped their lives.

How Chris Sorensen Helped Build Firehouse Subs

In 1994, Chris and Robin Sorensen opened the first Firehouse Subs restaurant in Jacksonville, Florida. Their shared firefighting experience helped shape the restaurant’s identity, from its firehouse-inspired décor to its emphasis on supporting emergency responders.

The concept stood apart from many traditional sandwich restaurants. Firehouse memorabilia and public-safety imagery gave the locations a distinctive atmosphere, while the brothers’ personal connection to the fire service provided the business with a clear identity.

Chris played a role in developing the brand’s visual character and maintaining its connection to firefighting history. Over time, the original restaurant grew into a large chain with more than 1,200 locations, according to the information provided.

In 2021, the brothers sold Firehouse Subs to Restaurant Brands International in a transaction valued at approximately $1 billion. The acquisition represented a major milestone for the business they had started nearly three decades earlier.

For Sorensen, however, the story of Firehouse Subs extended beyond its commercial growth. The profession that inspired the restaurant remained an important part of his legacy.

Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation and His Philanthropic Legacy

In 2005, Chris and Robin Sorensen co-founded the Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation to help provide equipment, resources and other assistance to first responders and public-safety organizations.

The foundation reflected a practical approach to philanthropy. By supporting emergency-service agencies, it helped direct resources toward people whose work often involves protecting communities under demanding and dangerous conditions.

The initiative also strengthened the connection between Firehouse Subs and the firefighting community. Its public-safety mission gave the brand a purpose that reached beyond serving customers and operating restaurants.

Sorensen’s involvement in the foundation demonstrated how his professional experiences influenced his charitable priorities. Having served in emergency services himself, he understood the importance of appropriate equipment and community support.

That commitment forms a significant part of the legacy associated with his name: using the success of a business to help people who serve the public.

Family Life in St. Johns, Florida

Outside his work in firefighting and business, Sorensen maintained a family life and a range of personal interests that extended beyond his public profile.

The obituary information provided states that he lived in St. Johns, Florida, for approximately 30 years with his wife, Kirsten. He also leaves behind children, grandchildren and extended family members.

His interests included music, history, science and the space program. These pursuits offered another perspective on a man often recognized publicly for his role in building Firehouse Subs.

For his family and friends, his life encompassed more than a successful business or a professional title. It also included personal relationships, shared experiences and the interests that continued to shape his life away from work.

Chris Sorensen Cause of Death

According to the obituary information provided, Chris Sorensen died at home on October 11, 2026, at the age of 65, with his family beside him.

The announcement described him as a cancer survivor, but it did not specify the cause of death. His earlier experience with cancer should not be taken as confirmation that cancer caused his death.

Further details about his final illness have not been established in the information available for this article. The circumstances surrounding his death should therefore be described without speculation.

Celebration of Life in St. Johns, Florida

A celebration of life was scheduled for Friday, October 23, 2026, in St. Johns, Florida, according to the supplied obituary information. The gathering was intended to provide an opportunity for family, friends and others whose lives were touched by Sorensen to remember him.

Specific venue and service-time details were not included in the information provided for this article. Those planning to attend should confirm the arrangements through the family’s official announcement.

His reported passing has significance for several communities: the Jacksonville area where he was born and helped launch Firehouse Subs, the restaurant employees and colleagues connected to the company, and the first responders supported by the foundation he helped establish.

Chris Randall Sorensen Obituary: Personal Details

A Legacy Beyond Firehouse Subs

Chris Sorensen’s story connects public service, creativity and entrepreneurship. His time as a firefighter gave him firsthand experience of the profession that later inspired his business, while his musical background and interest in design helped shape his identity beyond emergency services.

With Robin Sorensen, he helped develop Firehouse Subs from a Jacksonville restaurant into a nationally recognized chain. The business’s growth represented a substantial commercial achievement, but the foundation established by the brothers also created a lasting way to support first responders.

For people who worked with him, knew him personally or benefited from the organization’s charitable efforts, his legacy encompasses more than the name on a restaurant sign. It includes the public-service values that helped define the business and the philanthropic work intended to assist emergency responders.

As family, friends and colleagues remember Sorensen, his life stands as an example of how personal experience can influence a business and how commercial success can be connected to a broader community purpose.

Chris Randall Sorensen will be remembered for helping build Firehouse Subs, serving as a firefighter, pursuing his love of music and supporting the first responders whose work inspired his entrepreneurial journey.

Disclaimer: This article is based on the obituary information supplied for publication. Details about the cause of death and memorial arrangements should be confirmed through an official family announcement or obituary. No unconfirmed cause of death should be inferred, and the family’s privacy should be respected during this time of mourning.