Dive Brief:
- Subway launched its first-ever value menu on Tuesday at participating restaurants that features 15 entrees under $5, according to a press release.
- The Fresh Value Menu includes Deli Faves, which are four classic and fully customizable six-inch sandwiches, plus Protein Pockets at $3.99. Subway will also offer a Sub of the Day that features a different six-inch sub daily for $4.99, which guests can add chips and a drink to for $2. Prices are higher in California, Washington, Alaska and Hawaii.
- Subway’s value menu comes on the heels of McDonald’s launching its Under $3 Menu last week, which features 10 items throughout the day under that price point. Taco Bell updated its value menu earlier this year, also featuring 10 items under $3.
Dive Insight:
While this is Subway’s first value menu, it has attempted to offer steeply discounted sandwiches in the past often with pushback from franchises.
In 2008, it offered $5 footlongs that led to an uptick in traffic and revenue, but faced significant backlash from franchises who struggled with rising costs. Subway attempted to bring back the promotion in early 2020, but franchisees filed complaints with the Federal Trade Commission saying they were bullied into supporting the promotion even though it doesn’t make money.
Earlier this year, franchisees pushed back again after Subway brought back its Sub Club that included a free footlong sandwich after purchasing three footlongs. On April 1, the rewards program was revised to instead offer a $2 reward for every 400 accumulated points.
At the same time, Subway has had success with lower-priced items. In 2024, it added a Sidekicks menu to offer low-priced snack items, selling 3.5 million Sidekick items within the first two weeks of launch. Later that year it added Footlong Dippers wrapped in lavash bread for $3.
Subway’s Fresh Value Menu includes a mix of old and new items that could help drive trial. Its Protein Pockets are a new grab-and-go option that launched earlier this year, offering over 20 grams of protein mixed with vegetables in a tortilla wrap. The flavors available are Baja Chicken, Peppercorn Ranch Chicken, Italian Trio and Turkey Ham. Under the Deli Faves category, it offers a new Spicy Pepperoni sandwich and a new Ham and Salami sandwich alongside its existing B.L.T. and Cold Cut Combo.
Other chains have used value menus to help bring back lapsed consumers, particularly low-income cohorts. McDonald’s saw an uptick in foot traffic with this demographic in December along with improvements in its value and affordability scores. Taco Bell, long-known for its value offerings and new menu items, has had a long streak of same-store sales growth even as other chains have slipped.
