Firehouse Subs is giving away free sandwiches — but only if your name is “From Mike’s Family.”
The popular sub-chain, which has more than 1,200 locations in the US, revealed that it will be offering medium sandwiches on May 6 to anyone named “Michael” or any other type, including “Mike”, “Mickey”, “Michela”, “Michelle”, “Michelle” and “Miguel”, to promote its new Steak & Cheese Melt.
The promotion quickly sparked speculation from fans that the meal was a swipe at competitor Jersey Mike’s, especially after a previous marketing email carried the subject line “Firehouse Subs Trolls Jersey Mike’s,” according to Taste the nation.
“Our president’s name is Mike,” Communications Director Mike Visa said in a statement, referring to CEO Mike Hancock.
“We’re going to let people enjoy the serendipity. We’re just focusing on our guests and celebrating with our new steak and cheese platter.”
Hancock added that the giveaway “seems like a great way” to launch the sandwich, which consists of prime rib, provolone cheese, caramelized onions and green peppers.
Customers will need photo ID showing an eligible name to redeem the offer at participating U.S. locations.
The company also noted that “middle names count if they are listed on your ID,” and that eligibility may depend on “franchisee discretion.”
The promotion is limited to participating restaurants nationwide, and the chain did not provide any estimate on how many free sandwiches it expects to hand out.
Firehouse Subs also did not say how long the offer will last at each location, beyond the one-day event.
If the campaign was intended as a jab at Jersey Mike’s, the company didn’t explain how offering free sandwiches to people named Michael is tantamount to “trolling.”
But fans — especially those named Mike — seem to love him.
“Finally, one day naming Mike is useful,” one Instagram user wrote.
“All those years of searching for my name on a pendant or keychain, turns out my name wasn’t meant for a keychain — it was meant for a free sub at Firehouse Subs,” another added.
“If I were a boy, my parents would have named me Mike. Does that matter?” asked the third.
Meanwhile, Jersey Mike’s is making moves of its own.
The sandwich chain, which started as a small deli on the Jersey Shore, recently filed confidential paperwork for an initial public offering.
This move comes more than a year after Blackstone bought a majority stake in the company in a deal valued at about $8 billion.
For everyone else, this might be the day you wish your name was Mike.