Firehouse Subs, a Jacksonville, Fla.-based restaurant chain, plans to open a restaurant in the Northgate Center retail complex, at 7808 N. Division, says Natasha Wojcik, a company spokeswoman.

The 2,100-square-foot restaurant, to be located at the southeast corner of Division Street and Lincoln Road on Spokane’s North Side, is scheduled to open in early June, Wojcik says.

Eric Johnson, of Austin, Texas, is the Spokane franchisee, she says.

Brothers and former firefighters Chris and Robin Sorensen founded Firehouse Subs in 1994.

The restaurant chain’s niche is serving hot subs loaded with meats, cheeses, and fresh vegetables, Wojcik says.

Each restaurant offers an assortment of 50 complementary sauces, including the chain’s spicy sweet Captain Sorenson’s datil-pepper hot sauce, the company’s website says.

The parent franchise operation, Firehouse Restaurant Group Inc., boasts more than 1,000 restaurants in 44 states, Puerto Rico, Canada, and Mexico, including five Firehouse Sub restaurants on Washington state’s West Side. The company emphasizes its commitment to front-line public safety providers through various fundraisers and grants to purchase lifesaving equipment, training, and support for first responders, the company’s website says.

The Spokane restaurant is part of the Firehouse Restaurant Group’s current expansion initiative emphasizing growth on the West Coast and Northeast regions, the website says.

Apollo Spas had occupied the Northgate Center site before moving to larger quarters in 2015. The building has been remodeled and converted into a multitenant retail building.

Firehouse Restaurant Group isn’t affiliated with another firefighter-themed sandwich shop, which has an active business name of Sparky’s Firehouse Subs, according to Washington State Department of Revenue business license information. Sparky’s Subs, currently located at 3003 E. Mission, was founded by a Spokane-area firefighter in 1994 and purchased by current owners Sue and Wayne Wendt in 2007.