It's not often that a restaurant chain gives a city another try after the first go-round doesn't work out. But Firehouse Subs is betting that a better location will mean a better outcome the second time around.
The sub sandwich chain plans to open its Lincoln store Monday at East Park Plaza, less than two years after closing a location downtown.
New franchisee Tom Mejstrik said the downtown location, which was in the Larson Building at 13th and Q streets for two years, was popular but was hampered by a lack of nearby parking.
Even though the restaurant had several floors of a parking garage right above it, it took too much time and was too much of a hassle for customers to park there, he said.
"If they had adequate parking, I wouldn't be talking to you today, Mejstrik said.
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He might not be talking about Firehouse Subs today, either, if not for a health scare with his wife, Pam.
Mejstrik said she was diagnosed with breast cancer two years ago, which led him to retire from Village Inn, where he was a vice president in charge of developing new locations.
After his wife recovered, she jokingly told him he needed to "get out of the house and get a job," he said.
That led him to Firehouse, which he had encountered down in Texas while scouting out Village Inn locations.
He said he was really impressed with the concept, not only the hot sub sandwiches but also the owners' commitment to supporting the communities in which they operate. The chain was started in 1994 by two firefighter brothers in Jacksonville, Florida, and it donates heavily to local police and fire organizations.
Mejstrik, who is an Omaha native and has lived in Lincoln for more than two decades, said he looked at locations for more than a year before settling on a spot at East Park in the strip mall building that fronts 66th Street.
He said he sees it as a perfect location that is close not only to shopping but also employment centers. It's also "underserved for the type of food we prepare."
He said he also was impressed by the amount of investment that is going into the mall from new owners and some of the tenants.
"This really is going to be a great location," Mejstrik said.
And it won't be the only one.
He said his franchise agreement requires him to open two more stores in Lincoln within five years, although he thinks the market can support three more.
Mejstrik didn't offer a timetable for additional restaurants, but he said he has his eye on a couple of other sites already.