COLONIE, N.Y. (NEWS10) — Bill Pompa, the owner of Mr. Subb, has been in the sub business for more than 50 years. The company has undergone a lot of changes over the years and it’s not as big as it used to be, he said, but they’re still here.

When Pompa started the sub business in the 1970s, it was called Neba-Mike’s. In 1986, he changed the name to Mr. Subb. The chain currently has 11 shops in Troy, Colonie, East Greenbush, Green Island, Guilderland, Halfmoon, Latham and Rotterdam.

At one point, Pompa said he had around 30 shops in the Capital Region. That was when he tried franchising, which didn’t end up working out, said Pompa.

In 2022, Pompa closed Mr. Subb’s Colonie Center location due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In December, the Clifton Park location closed when it’s lease expired. Pompa decided to consolidate that store with the nearby Halfmoon location. “I had to make economic changes that made economic sense, and that has helped the overall company,” he said.

“Since the pandemic especially, the business has changed considerably,” said Pompa. “Labor has definitely been a challenge.”

The shops have undergone many changes over the years such as adding credit card machines and paying the associated fees, as well as delivery fees, said Pompa. All of those things have impacted his business, but it continues to survive.

“Mr. Subb has been around since 1986,” said Pompa. “We happen to have a very loyal customer base. We’ve survived a lot of competition because we’ve been able to adapt.”

At 73 years old, Pompa spends most of his time in Florida, away from his stores in the Capital Region. He’d eventually like to retire.

“I didn’t expect to be doing this, this long,” he said. “I’d like to find the right person to buy it. I wouldn’t want someone to come in and change everything.”