Dive Brief:
- Subway will bring back its Fresh Fit menu nationwide on Sept. 17, the company said in a Wednesday press release.
- The four items, which have at least 20 grams of protein and no more than 500 calories in a six-inch sandwich, will be permanent, a spokesperson said in an email.
- The revamped Fresh Fit lineup is the chain’s latest addition to its permanent menu. Last year, the company added snackable menu items, three Signature Subs and a new lineup of wraps as part of its strategy to drive traffic and sales.
Dive Insight:
Subway originally introduced its Fresh Fit menu in 2007, offering customers fewer grams of fat, an option of water or 1% milk and a choice of raisins, apple slices or baked potato chips. The current iteration of the menu focuses more on vegetables and protein-forward options to create low-calorie meals.
The Fresh Fit menu helped contribute to the health halo over Subway in the 2000s, as did earlier efforts with former spokesperson Jared Fogle to market its sandwiches as a contributor to weight loss, according to Restaurant Business. In 2008, Subway introduced the $5 Footlong deal that helped boost sales during the Great Recession. The company hit its stride and low franchise fees helped it grow rapidly, surpassing 30,000 in 2008.
This aggressive growth came at a price. Stores were clustered around each other and often cannibalized sales, franchisees started to suffer and average unit volumes remained far below $1 million. Then in 2015 Subway ended its marketing relationship with Fogle after he was arrested on child pornography charges.
For the past few years, Subway has tried to regain traffic and sales with various menu iterations and remodels. In 2022, the company launched its biggest menu update in its history with the addition of its Subway Series. In 2023, it invested $80 million in deli slicers to improve the quality of its meat options and added six sandwiches to the menu. Last year, the chain rolled out its Fresh Forward 2.0 redesign, which it says is meant to create a better dining experience.
The chain now has the backing of its owner Roark Capital, which bought the brand in 2023, and is under new leadership — Jonathan Fitzpatrick took the CEO role in July and Damien Harmon joined as president of North America last month. Subway has commitments for 10,000 restaurants globally, and is also offering a special reinvestment program to domestic franchisees to boost profitability. When combined with this new menu innovation, it’s possible this growth perspective could help the chain improve AUVs, traffic and sales.
