20 Fun Facts About Subway
Long before “Eat Fresh” became shorthand for customizable foot‑long lunches, Subway was a scrappy college side‑hustle funded with less cash than a modern phone. Five decades later, that same brand powers more restaurants than McDonald’s, perfumes city blocks with the smell of baking bread, and even sneaks sandwich counters onto submarines (the naval kind). Ready to layer your trivia like a towering B.M.T.? Here are twenty bite‑sized truths that show why Subway still owns the sandwich game.
1. A US $1,000 Loan Launched It All
In 1965, 17‑year‑old Fred DeLuca borrowed US $1,000 from family friend Dr. Peter Buck to open Pete’s Super Submarines in Bridgeport, Connecticut. Buck suggested the idea to help DeLuca pay college tuition; within a decade they’d flipped that loan into a multi‑state franchise empire.
2. The Name “Subway” Arrived in 1968
After experimenting with “Pete’s Subway” and “Pete’s Subway Sandwiches,” the founders shortened it to Subway just three years after the first shop opened.
3. World’s Largest Restaurant Chain—By Units
At its 2013 peak, Subway boasted over 42 000 restaurants worldwide—outnumbering McDonald’s by several thousand. Even after a footprint trim, it still hovers around 37 000 stores in 100+ countries.
4. Each Store Bakes Bread at Least Twice Daily
Subway requires shops to bake dough in‑house every four hours, guaranteeing warm loaves and sidewalk‑filling aroma. The smell is so distinctive that brokers call nearby leases “Subway‑adjacent” when touting foot traffic.
5. Footlong Trademark Drama
Subway filed to trademark “Footlong” in 2007. Courts eventually ruled the term descriptive but still protected when linked to Subway—so long as the sandwich measures “close enough” to 12 inches (a class‑action over 11‑inch rolls fizzled out as legally trivial).
6. “Five. Dollar. Foot. Long.” Was Recession Gold
The 2008 jingle became an earworm heard ’round the world. Some franchisees groaned about margins, but the deal boosted U.S. sales roughly 25 percent during the Great Recession.
7. Jared’s 245‑Pound Weight‑Loss Story Fueled Expansion
College student Jared Fogle shed 245 pounds on turkey subs. His 2000–2015 ads rocketed brand awareness—until personal scandals ended the partnership and ushered in athlete spokespeople like Serena Williams and Tom Brady.
8. Cookies Are a Quiet Cash Cow
Subway sells more than 300 million cookies a year. In many college‑town stores, chocolate‑chip outsells the Italian B.M.T.
9. Breakfast Flopped, Then Rebranded
A 2011 toast‑your‑own‑flatbread breakfast rollout fizzled. Subway tried again in 2023 with “Subway A.M.”: egg wraps, cold‑brew coffee, and cookie‑butter doughnuts at select airports.
10. Ireland Says Subway Bread Isn’t Legally Bread
In 2020 Ireland’s Supreme Court ruled Subway’s bread contained too much sugar for a “staple food” tax break. Recipes stayed, but headlines about “dessert bread” flew worldwide.
11. The B.M.T. Isn’t a Train—Well, Not Anymore
The classic Italian B.M.T. originally stood for “Brooklyn‑Manhattan Transit,” nodding to NYC subway lines. Marketing later recast it as “Biggest, Meatiest, Tastiest.”
12. Non‑Traditional Locations Everywhere
Thanks to ventless ovens and small footprints, Subway appears on cruise ships, in Walmarts, zoos, car dealerships—even inside a Goodwill store and a U.S. Navy sub.
13. “Fresh Forward” Redesign Swapped Yellow for Lime
Unveiled in 2017, the remodel sports neon‑lime accents, LED halos above the order line, self‑serve kiosks, and chilled veggie displays that look like jewelry cases.
14. The Subway Series Menu Reboot
In 2022, Subway launched 12 chef‑crafted subs split into Cheesesteaks, Italianos, Chicken, and Clubs. The streamlined lineup delivered the brand’s highest single‑day U.S. sales ever.
15. Fresh Fit Helped Kick‑Start Calorie Labels
Years before U.S. menu‑label mandates, Subway promoted Fresh Fit subs under 400 calories, nudging the industry toward nutrition transparency.
16. The Longest Subway Sandwich Spanned 2,411 Feet
Built in Beirut in 2011, the Guinness‑record sub used 500+ pounds of bread and rotated fillings every few yards to honor Lebanon’s diverse cuisine.
17. Global Menu Surprises
Japan serves Avocado Shrimp; India offers Paneer Tikka; the UK rolled out a Coronation Chicken limited edition; and China’s Lunar New Year menu once featured Kung Pao Chicken on a sesame roll.
18. Franchise Fee Still Under US $20 K
A US $15,000 franchise fee (plus build‑out) makes Subway one of the most affordable QSR investments—a big reason it ballooned in the ’90s and 2000s.
19. A US $9 Billion Sale
In 2023, founding families sold Subway to private‑equity giant Roark Capital—adding it to a portfolio with Dunkin’, Baskin‑Robbins, Arby’s, and more.
20. Hearty Multigrain Bread Battles Carb Fear
Partnering with Aspire Bakeries in 2021, Subway reformulated all breads for more whole grains and fewer preservatives. The Hearty Multigrain loaf packs 6 g of fiber, part of a post‑pandemic comeback strategy.
Final Bite
Subway’s saga is a masterclass in low‑cost entrepreneurship and relentless franchising: a US $1,000 stand that grew into a global sandwich juggernaut baking millions of loaves each dawn. Whether you swear by Italian Herbs & Cheese, stockpile double‑choc cookies, or brave jalapeños on a 2 a.m. layover, you’re biting into a legacy that began with one teenager’s tuition dream and rose, yeast‑like, into a foot‑long phenomenon.
