Blimpie’s roots can be traced back to three friends armed with an entrepreneurial spirit and a business itch to introduce what the world now knows as the beloved submarine sandwich. After months of research and planning, all the components were in place for them to begin their journey of becoming business owners, with one exception - they needed a name. With a desire to set themselves apart from their competition, they decided to call their sandwiches something other than submarines or hoagies. Hoping to find some inspiration, they paged through a dictionary until they came to the word "blimp" and a picture resembling the healthy, generous-size sandwiches they saw as their competitive edge. That was the "eureka" moment, and the Blimpie sandwich and restaurant chain was born! On April 4, 1964, the three friends opened for business in Hoboken, N.J.

Today with more than four decades of history and locations from coast to coast, the Blimpie brand continues to grow with the strength of its past propelling it forward. Though times have changed since those three friends began their journey, enjoying a meal at Blimpie is still like returning to your neighborhood deli. With fresh sliced meats and high quality ingredients, Blimpie keeps the dream of its founders alive while still setting itself apart from the competition.

Led by the vision of entrepreneurial industry leaders, Blimpie’s parent company, Kahala, is one of the fastest growing franchise companies in the world. With a large selection of high-quality, quick-service restaurants brands, Kahala is a privately held corporation dedicated to developing proven business models while providing the tools for your success.

Kahala has spent more than 20 years building not only a company, but rather a community based on support, trust and independence through interdependence. Our community is made up of passionate franchisees, respected vendors and a dedicated and talented support staff who all work together to ensure your success.

Kahala is structured to support your success by achieving synergies and costs-savings for the franchise community by bundling “back of the house” functions, where the entire franchise community benefits from shared teams in purchasing, legal, finance, real estate, business training, IT and human resources to capitalize on economies of scale. Each brand, however, operates independently when it comes to developing, operating and marketing the individual concepts. A brand president is at the heart of the business and is equipped with a team of passionate sales, marketing and operations talent to support Blimpie and its franchisees. This type of support is unique in the franchise industry and sets Kahala apart from its competitors.