Cookie Policy

Last Updated: June 23, 2026

1. What Are Cookies?

Cookies are small text files that are placed on your computer, smartphone, tablet, or other device when you visit a website. These files are stored by your web browser and contain information that helps websites remember your preferences, improve your browsing experience, and provide website owners with valuable insights about how their site is being used.

Cookies were first introduced in the early days of the internet to solve a fundamental problem: websites have no built-in memory. Without cookies, every time you loaded a new page on a website, it would treat you as a completely new visitor. Cookies allow websites to "remember" you and your preferences across multiple pages and visits.

Cookies typically contain the following information:

  • The name of the server the cookie was sent from
  • The lifetime of the cookie (how long it will remain active)
  • A value — usually a randomly generated unique number

It is important to note that cookies by themselves cannot be used to identify you personally unless you have provided personal information to the website. Cookies do not contain viruses or malicious code and cannot access other information on your device.

2. How Do Cookies Work?

When you visit fire-housesub.com for the first time, our web server sends a cookie to your browser. Your browser stores this cookie on your device. On your next visit, your browser sends the cookie back to our server, which allows us to recognize your device and recall your previous interactions with our website.

This process happens automatically in the background and is generally invisible to you as a user. Cookies can be set by the website you are visiting (known as "first-party cookies") or by third-party services that provide functionality to the website, such as analytics platforms or advertising networks (known as "third-party cookies").

Cookies operate based on two main duration categories:

  • Session Cookies: These are temporary cookies that are deleted when you close your browser. They are used to maintain your session as you navigate through our website.
  • Persistent Cookies: These remain on your device for a set period of time, even after you close your browser. They are used to remember your preferences and recognize you on return visits.

3. Types of Cookies We Use

We use several categories of cookies on fire-housesub.com. Below is a detailed explanation of each type and why we use them.

3.1 Strictly Necessary / Essential Cookies

These cookies are essential for the proper functioning of our website and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions you take, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in, or filling in forms. Without these cookies, certain parts of the website will not function correctly.

These cookies do not store any personally identifiable information. They are fundamental to delivering a secure and functional online experience and are therefore exempt from cookie consent requirements under Canadian privacy law, including the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) and applicable provincial legislation.

3.2 Analytics and Performance Cookies

Analytics cookies help us understand how visitors interact with our website. They collect information about which pages visitors go to most often, how long they spend on each page, and whether they receive error messages. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. These cookies help us improve the way our website works and provide a better user experience.

We use Google Analytics to collect this data. Google Analytics is a web analytics service provided by Google LLC. The data collected is used solely to improve our website performance and user experience. For more information on how Google uses data, please visit Google's Privacy Policy.

3.3 Functional Cookies

Functional cookies allow our website to remember choices you make (such as your language preference, your region, or your menu preferences) and provide enhanced, more personal features. These cookies can also be used to remember changes you have made to text size, fonts, and other parts of the website. The information these cookies collect may be anonymized, and they cannot track your browsing activity on other websites.

3.4 Advertising and Targeting Cookies

Advertising cookies are used to deliver advertisements that are relevant and meaningful to you and your interests. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advertisement and to help measure the effectiveness of our advertising campaigns. These cookies are usually placed by third-party advertising networks with our permission. They remember that you have visited our website and this information may be shared with other organizations, such as advertisers.

We use Google Ads cookies to track conversions and improve the relevance of advertisements displayed to users who have previously visited our website. This practice is known as "remarketing" or "retargeting."

4. Specific Cookies We Use

The following table provides detailed information about the specific cookies deployed on fire-housesub.com, including their names, purposes, types, and durations.

Cookie Name Provider Purpose Type Duration
_session_id fire-housesub.com Maintains your session state across page requests. Enables core website functionality such as shopping cart and order processing. Essential Session
csrf_token fire-housesub.com Security cookie used to prevent cross-site request forgery attacks. Protects form submissions and user actions. Essential Session
cookie_consent fire-housesub.com Stores your cookie consent preferences so you are not repeatedly asked to accept cookies on every visit. Essential 12 months
user_preferences fire-housesub.com Remembers your language and regional preferences to provide a more personalized browsing experience. Functional 6 months
location_pref fire-housesub.com Stores your preferred Firehouse Subs location so we can display relevant menu items, promotions, and hours for your nearest restaurant. Functional 3 months
_ga Google Analytics The main Google Analytics cookie. Used to distinguish unique users by assigning a randomly generated number as a client identifier. It is included in each page request in a site and used to calculate visitor, session and campaign data for site analytics reports. Analytics 2 years
_gid Google Analytics Used to distinguish users. Stores and updates a unique value for each page visited and is used to count and track pageviews. Analytics 24 hours
_gat Google Analytics Used to throttle request rate, limiting the collection of data on high-traffic sites. Prevents an excessive number of requests being sent to Google's servers. Analytics 1 minute
_ga_[ID] Google Analytics (GA4) Used by Google Analytics 4 to persist session state and measure user engagement on the website. Tracks page views, events, and user interactions. Analytics 2 years
_gcl_au Google Ads Used by Google Ads to store and track conversions. Helps measure the effectiveness of advertising campaigns and enables remarketing to users who have visited our website. This cookie links the user's browsing session to a Google Ads click. Advertising 90 days
_fbp Facebook / Meta Used by Facebook to deliver advertising services, including real-time bidding from third-party advertisers. Also used to measure the effectiveness of Facebook ad campaigns and to build audience segments for retargeting. Advertising 90 days
fr Facebook / Meta Used by Facebook to deliver, measure, and improve the relevance of ads. Contains a unique browser and user ID, used for targeted advertising. Advertising 90 days
NID Google Registers a unique ID that identifies a returning user's device. The ID is used for serving ads that are relevant to the user. Advertising 6 months

5. Legal Basis for Using Cookies in Canada

In Canada, our use of cookies is governed primarily by the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) at the federal level, along with provincial privacy legislation such as Quebec's Act Respecting the Protection of Personal Information in the Private Sector (Law 25 / Bill 64), Alberta's Personal Information Protection Act (PIPA), and British Columbia's Personal Information Protection Act (PIPA BC).

In addition, we align our practices with the international standard established by the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) of the European Union, which represents global best practice for data privacy and cookie consent.

Under these laws:

  • Essential cookies may be used without explicit consent, as they are strictly necessary for the website to function.
  • Analytics, functional, and advertising cookies require your informed consent before being placed on your device.
  • You have the right to withdraw your consent at any time.
  • We are required to be transparent about the cookies we use and their purposes.

Quebec's Law 25, which came into full force in September 2023, introduced stricter requirements for obtaining consent before collecting personal information through cookies. We are fully committed to complying with these enhanced obligations.

6. How to Manage and Disable Cookies

You have several options available to manage, restrict, or disable cookies. Please be aware that restricting certain cookies may impact the functionality of our website.

6.1 Browser Settings

Most web browsers allow you to control cookies through their settings. You can typically find cookie controls in your browser's "Settings," "Preferences," or "Privacy" section. The following links provide instructions for managing cookies in the most commonly used browsers:

For mobile devices, please refer to your device manufacturer's support documentation for instructions on managing cookies in your mobile browser.

6.2 Opt-Out Tools for Third-Party Services

You can also opt out of specific third-party cookies using the following tools provided by our partners:

  • Google Analytics Opt-Out: Install the Google Analytics Opt-Out Browser Add-on to prevent your data from being collected and used by Google Analytics across all websites you visit.
  • Google Ads Personalization: Visit Google Ad Settings to manage your ad preferences and opt out of personalized advertising from Google.
  • Facebook / Meta Ads: Visit your Facebook Ad Preferences page to manage your ad settings and opt out of interest-based advertising from Meta.
  • Digital Advertising Alliance of Canada (DAAC): Visit youradchoices.ca to opt out of interest-based advertising from participating Canadian companies.
  • Network Advertising Initiative (NAI): Visit the NAI Opt-Out Tool to opt out of targeted advertising from NAI member companies.
  • European Interactive Digital Advertising Alliance (EDAA): Visit Your Online Choices for additional opt-out options.

6.3 Our Cookie Consent Manager

When you first visit fire-housesub.com, you will be presented with a cookie consent banner that allows you to accept or decline non-essential cookies. You can update your preferences at any time by clicking the "Cookie Settings" link available in our website footer. Your preferences will be saved for future visits.

7. Impact of Disabling Cookies

While you have every right to restrict or disable cookies, doing so may affect your experience on our website. Below is a summary of the potential impacts:

Cookie Type Impact of Disabling
Essential Cookies Disabling these cookies will severely impact website functionality. You may be unable to place online orders, access secure areas of our website, or use core features. We strongly advise against disabling these cookies.
Functional Cookies Your preferences (such as your preferred restaurant location and language settings) will not be saved between visits. You may need to re-enter your preferences each time you visit our website.
Analytics Cookies We will be unable to track how you use our website. While this does not affect your experience directly, it limits our ability to improve the website based on user behavior data. Our website will still function normally.
Advertising Cookies You will still see advertisements, but they will no longer be tailored to your interests or previous interactions with our website. You may see the same ads repeatedly, and they may be less relevant to you.

8. Third-Party Cookies and External Links

Our website may contain links to third-party websites, including our social media pages on platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter/X. Please be aware that these third-party websites have their own privacy and cookie policies, which are entirely independent of ours. We have no control over the cookies placed by third-party websites, and we encourage you to review their respective policies when you visit those sites.

Third-party services that may place cookies on your device when you use or interact with content on our website include:

  • Google LLC — For analytics (Google Analytics) and advertising (Google Ads) services
  • Meta Platforms, Inc. (Facebook/Instagram) — For social media integration and advertising
  • YouTube (Google LLC) — If embedded video content is present on our website

We are not responsible for the content or privacy practices of these third-party services. Their cookie usage is governed by their own privacy policies.

9. Children's Privacy and Cookies

Our website is not directed at children under the age of 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children through cookies or any other means. We do not use advertising cookies to target children. If you believe that a child has provided us with personal information, please contact us immediately using the contact details below so we can take appropriate action.

10. Changes to This Cookie Policy

We reserve the right to update or modify this Cookie Policy at any time to reflect changes in the cookies we use, changes in applicable laws and regulations, or other operational reasons. Any changes will be posted on this page with an updated "Last Updated" date at the top.

We encourage you to review this Cookie Policy periodically to stay informed about how we use cookies. Your continued use of fire-housesub.com after any changes to this policy constitutes your acceptance of the updated policy.

If we make significant changes that affect your rights or how we process your personal information, we will take reasonable steps to notify you, which may include displaying a prominent notice on our website or, where appropriate, sending an email notification.

11. Contact Us

If you have any questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Cookie Policy, our use of cookies, or the handling of your personal information, please do not hesitate to contact us using the details below:

Firehouse Subs — Privacy & Cookie Inquiries

We are committed to responding to all privacy-related inquiries within 30 days of receipt, in accordance with our obligations under PIPEDA and applicable provincial privacy laws. If you are not satisfied with our response, you have the right to file a complaint with the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada (OPC) at www.priv.gc.ca, or with the applicable provincial privacy commissioner in your province.

This Cookie Policy was last reviewed and updated on June 23, 2026. It applies exclusively to the website fire-housesub.com and its associated digital properties operated by Firehouse Subs in Canada.