Mike Liautaud, who founded the business now known as Milio’s Sandwiches, died last Friday. He was 61.
Liautaud, who originally called his sub sandwich restaurants Big Mike’s Super Subs, had sold the business a year ago and retired. He died after a brief illness, according to an article in the Wisconsin State Journal.
He was widely praised by acquaintances in the business community for his entrepreneurial success and people in the nonprofit sector for his contributions to philanthropy, particularly the UW Children’s Hospital and the Boys & Girls Club of Dane County.
Liautaud opened the first of his Big Mike’s Super Subs locations in 1989 in downtown Madison and the business eventually grew to 19 locations. Late last year, he sold the business to a new ownership group that includes Brian Bergen, Timm Heller, Todd and Tony Mancusi, and Chris Gentilli, a group that has long-standing ties to Milio’s.
Gentilli was Milio’s first franchise owner in 2004, the year the company began franchising and changed its name to Milio’s Sandwiches.
Current Milio’s President Gerard Helminski worked with Liautaud for all 32 years of the company’s existence, starting as a food vendor.
Liautaud is survived by wife Kathleen and three children. A visitation will be held on Wednesday, Nov. 17, from 4 to 8 p.m., at Farber Funeral Home, 2000 Viking Drive, in Reedsburg. Another visitation will be held on Thursday, Nov. 18, at 10 a.m., prior to a Mass at 11 a.m. at Holy Family Catholic Church, 310 Bluff St., in La Valle.
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