5 Major Complaints Subway Customers Have in 2024
Subway is certainly not guilty of stagnation in 2024. The world's largest sandwich chain has undergone several major changes this year. Between its now-finalized $10 billion sale to Roark Capital, new menu additions on a near-monthly basis, and the announcement of an impending switch from Coca-Cola to Pepsi products, no one can accuse the submarine sandwich purveyor of standing pat.
From a fresh line of wraps to the launch of a new cheddar cheese sauce, Subway's menu has been expanding at a rapid rate as of late. The restaurant chain even released a new "Sidekicks" snack menu featuring items like the Cinnabon Footlong Churro and Auntie Anne's Footlong Pretzel to kick off the new year.
Still, beneath the glitz and glam of all those shiny new announcements and limited-time offers, business isn't quite as booming as most would assume. Sales are down this year, according to Restaurant Business, and the chain has experimented with new promotions to lure customers back, such as the recent online-only $6.99 Footlong Sub offer. (A subway footlong normally can cost up to $14 or more in certain markets right now.)
"Today's diner is stretched more than ever, and too often that means a tradeoff on quality, variety or flavor to find an affordable meal," said Doug Fry, president of Subway North America, in a press release announcing the new promotion. "At Subway, our definition of value is a mix of delicious options at the right price without compromising quality. Our menu is full of footlongs for every budget, and this new deal means our guests can get the sandwiches they crave at a great value."
Amid inflation, economic uncertainty, and a budget-conscious customer base, Subway finds itself walking a razor-thin wire when it comes to ensuring franchisees remain profitable and the food stays affordable. Awkwardly, many Subway franchisees don't feel the new promotion was a fair deal. According to the New York Post, the chair of the North American Association of Subway Franchisees (NAASF) advised franchisees to "opt out" of the $6.99 promotion, if at all legally possible.
What does the public have to say? Let's take a look at five major complaints Subway customers have in 2024.
The food is too expensive
For a long time, Subway was known for providing plenty of value in exchange for customers' hard-earned money. Unfortunately, that just isn't the case anymore thanks to ballooning prices and ever expanding costs. One recent post on Reddit titled "What happened to the prices?" sums up the issue well. The author described paying $17.50 for a footlong sandwich and bag of chips, writing, "I understand inflation has happened and Covid did effect the restaurant industry a lot, but I swear not even a decade ago they were running the $5 footlong deal…this recent visit was almost triple what I used to pay for a sub."
Another commenter doubled down on this critique, arguing Subway's prices simply don't match the quality of food being offered. "Let's all be honest here, subway is not $18 quality. You can go to the sandwich shop across the street to get better bread, better meat, bigger portions, and fresher ingredients and pay less," the commeneter wrote.
The aforementioned rollout of the new $6.99 digital is a clear sign that Subway is aware of the problem, but it remains to be seen if the limited-time offer is enough to change Subway's pricey perception right now.
Coupons aren't always honored
As touched on earlier, the larger Subway brand doesn't always see eye to eye with its small army of franchisees. In fact, the issue of individual franchises deciding not to honor brand-wide promotions, deals, and coupons became so prevalent that Subway announced late last year that all franchisees absolutely must "honor all digital programs and promotions" moving forward.
However, even that change still allows franchisees wiggle room, so to speak, when it comes to physical, printed coupons. Many locations pick and choose which coupons and promotions to honor, as evidenced by a recent Reddit post titled "Is this something that Subway stores can actually do? I've seen two stores doing this so far." The post includes an image of a sign stating the unit does not accept BOGO Footlong coupons.
Subway doesn't actually own the vast majority of its U.S. locations, which means the franchisees themselves still enjoy considerable control over the customer experience from unit to unit.
"Franchisees have full control over pricing and that includes dictating what coupons they accept or changing the terms of them. Corporate can't really do anything because they don't incur the costs of running each location," clarified one commenter in the same Reddit thread.
One menu change is especially unpopular
Subway made the unpopular decision to retire its much adored Buffalo sauce this summer, sparking an array of criticism from frustrated customers. News quickly spread on social media before the chain officially confirmed the change.
"Subway is constantly evaluating our products to innovate and evolve our menu to deliver flavorful, better-for-you options to our guests that are convenient, affordable and made fresh to order. Buffalo Sauce was recently removed to better align with guest preference," the chain told Eat This, Not That! in a statement.
"Literally only thing i eat at subway is buffalo chicken lol. i guess it's an eternal good bye with subway for me," wrote one Redditor in response to the news, while another urged everyone to take matters into their own hands: "Awful and makes no sense. Write online to Subway corporate and let them know you want it back. I did it this morning. Probably won't make a difference, but it takes a minute or two of your time."
Deli slicers are a dud
Subway made major news last year when it announced it would be adding automatic deli slicers to each and every location. The addition of freshly sliced meats was intended to boost the chain's overall quality and standing among customers, but reports emerged earlier this year that the assimilation of slicers into the larger Subway system has been anything but smooth.
Besides no indication that the slicers have improved business or sales, reviews from major outlets like The Washington Post suggest the new equipment haven't improved the eating experience or meal quality for customers either.
Sentiments across social media echo these opinions, with many users blaming the slicers for driving menu prices even higher. "You're paying for that slicer no one cares for. That's why the sandwiches are so expensive," commented one Redditor.
"Maybe I'm overthinking this but it seems like the slicer looked like a decent idea, but in practice it ended up lame marketing gimmick that fell flat," opined another user, noting how the slicers are only used in the mornings so customers don't actually get to see their sandwiches being sliced to order.
The portions seem smaller
Higher prices are much more palatable to the average customer if a satisfying meal is offered in return, but tons of social media posts over the past year have pointed out that Subway's sandwiches seem to be shrinking while prices keep expanding. "If footlongs are going to cost $16-$17, you're damn right I want more than 2 pieces of cucumber," said one Redditor.
"I got it yesterday, had to pay extra for 'double' meat when that was how big the servers were a few years ago," added another customer in a Reddit thread titled "Haven't had subway in years. the sandwich is way skinnier from what i remember"
Yet another commenter vented, "I went to Subway for the first time in years last week and was shocked. $16 for a footlong combo! And the bread was noticeably thinner! It was barely even filling, when back in the day, I'd feel full after eating a 6-inch sub. What a shame!"
Interestingly, someone else even said their local Subway location has begun using smaller meat scoopers to prepare sandwiches: "Don't take my word for it, but the next time you go to Subway, just ask if Corporate recently sent out smaller scoops for meat."
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