Debt led to shop closing

By Bill Shaner, News Staff

The Quiznos sandwich shop at 263 Huntington Ave., between Symphony Hall and Gainsborough Street closed Nov. 4, eliminating an eating choice near the Northeastern campus.

The restaurant closed after HA Limited Partnership, the building’s property management company, filed a lawsuit against Quiznos Oct. 14, resulting in closure and an outstanding payment of $21,929. HA Limited Partnership’s attorney, Michael Dilulio, declined to comment why the suit was filed.

Nationwide, approximately 1,000 Quiznos stores have closed since 2007, according to published reports. A quarter of the company’s franchises with Small Business Association (SBA) loans have failed, compared to just 7 percent of Subway locations with the same type of financial assistance.

The company announced in August a restructuring program to open new storefronts in areas where old Quiznos shops have closed.

Some students said they frequented Quiznos and will miss it, like junior business major Rob Ayers.

“It’s too bad,” Ayers said. “They had a lot of good $5 subs and were a lot healthier than other options in the area.”

Supid Rithik Data, a sophomore business administration major, said it was the most convenient place for him to get a good sub.

“There’s nothing like it around,” he said. “The Husky subs [at Wollaston’s] aren’t great and Subway is far.”

However, others said they were ambivalent toward the loss.

“I’ve been there a total of two times,” Niti Shah, a sophomore finance and marketing major, said. “So I guess I’ll live.”

With the amount of dining options available in the area, she said, the loss of one won’t make the biggest impact on students’ options.

Quiznos was one of the businesses near Northeastern that accepted Husky Dining Dollars. The loss of Quiznos won’t lead directly to another restaurant being put on dining dollars, but dining services is always looking for new Husky Card options, said Maureen Simmons, director of Northeastern’s dining services.

There are no other businesses looking at the space, said Greg Kiep, the director of marketing at Real Estate Boston, an agency that has rights to to the property.

Ayers also said the new Panera Bread opening in a former Burger King location on Huntington Avenue will help fill the dining gap left by Quiznos.