Jacksonville-based Firehouse Subs was spinning around the “Wheel of Fortune” television game show last week.
And on Friday night, a contestant’s spin landed on the Firehouse Subs tag and he won a $1,000 Visa gift card, courtesy of the company.
Senior Public Relations Manager Liz Anderson said by email she is an avid fan of the show and approached the company’s PR team at The Zimmerman Agency about negotiating a promotional opportunity.
The first Firehouse Subs promotion was a gift tag in November that aired during Veterans Week, tying into the chain’s first responder focus. A contestant won a $1,000 gift card then, too.
Anderson said Firehouse Subs was informed about two weeks ago the gift tag would be featured last week, during the show’s Great American Cities theme week celebrating San Diego.
“The agency team informed us that it’s rare a brand is featured more than once during the promotional calendar year, so we were excited,” Anderson said.
Host Pat Sajak didn’t dwell on Firehouse when the contestant landing on the restaurant’s tag and won the prize. “They are required to mention us as a sponsor, but nothing more,” Anderson said.
But others have responded.
“It’s exciting to hear franchisees, friends and Firehouse fans comment on seeing Firehouse Subs on the Wheel,” she said.
“Wheel of Fortune” airs to more than 30 million viewers and is considered America’s most popular game show, said Brittany Mirvil with The Zimmerman Agency.
She said it ranks as the longest-running syndicated game show in the United States with more than 6,000 episodes in the last three decades.
It isn’t Firehouse Subs’ first national TV appearance.
Mirvil said Firehouse Subs appeared on “Let’s Make a Deal” twice in 2016 and on “The Steve Harvey Show” in 2015.
The widespread exposure can reach new and existing customers. Firehouse Subs has more than 1,050 restaurants in 44 states, Puerto Rico, Canada and Mexico, where the company opened its first location in January.
Mirvil said no additional promotional opportunities are secured now, but the team is always considering such types of deals.
Atlantic North to add retail buildings
Sleiman Enterprises will add two shell retail buildings at the Atlantic North shopping center at northwest Kernan and Atlantic boulevards.
The city is reviewing permit applications for two 7,521-square-foot buildings that comprise almost 6,000 square feet each for retail space and about 1,500 square feet for storage.
Developer Toney Sleiman said the multitenant buildings will be leased to small tenants.
He said he is aware of a couple of national tenants that want to lease there as well as some Jacksonville restaurants.
Atlantic North is anchored by LA Fitness, Academy Sports + Outdoors, Earth Fare and Belk.
Asked about future tenants, Sleiman said only there is “a lot of good stuff that’s coming.”
The two buildings will be at 11957 Atlantic Blvd. TCI Construction Co., a Sleiman company, is the contractor for the two $420,000 buildings.
@MathisKb
(904) 356-2466