SUBWAY SANDWICHES — NATIONWIDE
1.--Missouri Avenue North of East Bay OK, next to school
2.--East Bay Drive Near Starkey — Owner Run OK
3.--New Store Not Checked Yet, Hopefully Not Same owner
4.--Ulmerton near Belcher — Not a busy place…
Breaking Bread News 07/17/2021 — New York (CNN Business) Subway restaurants are getting a makeover. But they're slapping on more than just a fresh coat of paint: Subway is updating its entire menu -- the biggest change in its history. CEO John Chidsey says customers are looking for fresh ingredients and healthy options. That's something people used to come to Subway for, but competitors have taken customers away over the years. Not helping: a controversy about how real Subway's tuna is.
CEO John Chidsey — And Great Change is Coming —
- When our new team came as a group in the last year and a half or so, we obviously did a lot of consumer research. We went out and talked to lots of our franchisees. And the one thing both groups really were looking for was food innovation — the brand hasn't had a lot of food innovation in the last five or six years — also looking for food that was a little more crave able.
- We went to work over the last 15, 16 months, really working on our core ingredients — upgrading our turkey, upgrading our ham, our new bread products, smashed avocado, lots of different core ingredients. Between new sandwiches and upgrades to core products, there's about 20 new things that we're going to expose to our guests or consumers, so it's really the biggest refresh in the 56-year brand history.
- It's a very innovative industry and you constantly need to refresh to stay fresh, so to speak, and what we really want to do is demonstrate to our guests and consumers that Subway is back on top of its innovation game.
- Given our footprint and how big our scale is, we've been working on this for 15 to 16 months, and we work very hard to offset all these costs by changes in packaging and other things we did, so we were able to do this on a cost-neutral basis -- so we thought.
- As you point out with inflation rising, obviously the entire quick-service restaurant industry is facing price pressure. And while we don't yet know how transitory it is or how permanent it will be, obviously if it continues at a sustained level and it's consistent, you will see some of that inevitably being passed through to the consumer.
- It is challenging, but we're a little insulated, at least in the short run, because of this big brand refresh. As an example, we're giving away 1 million free six-inch subs today in the US. Knowing how big this relaunch was, we pre-ordered as much food and protein as possible, so we're somewhat insulated. But obviously we will run through that, and again over time, we'll figure out how permanent a lot of these cost increases are.
- What are you hearing from franchisees about some of the challenges they are facing? Contactless pickup and delivery were more important to us because we don't have drive-throughs like Burger King or McDonald's. Despite that we've had a 217% increase in digital sales since 2019.
- Our third-party delivery sales are up 260%, so we've been improving our digital experience and really trying to drive consumers that way. So I would argue Covid was actually an accelerant in pushing the business where it was already headed.
- So franchisees are very happy and thinking of the investments that we're making in that space. The other thing I would say -- not just true in the US but in Europe and Asia and other parts of the world -- in the first six months of the year, the entire brand has been positive. If you look -- positive not just against 2020 but against 2019. The brand has started to move nicely over the last six months so I'm encouraged by what we've seen in the US and more importantly globally.
- Any challenges in hiring for your franchisees? Yes. It's a struggle in the US, for sure. It's a struggle globally, as you know, as well. The one advantage we have on our restaurant footprint though is we're a much smaller footprint so we need less labor than other people.
- And one of the things we did knowing we had this refresh was coming: We got out in front of it in May on our digital app and pushed heavy for hiring, and we were able to hire about 40,000 people in that timeframe so that helped. Labor has always been a big issue and this is one of the times when we have to fight our way through.
The Great Tuna Scandal — There was a report that went around like wildfire, that suggests that your tuna products don't contain tuna. I believe the suit has now been amended to say it's not made 100% with tuna because it doesn't always use skipjack or yellowfin tuna. What's the deal with Subway tuna? Can you just clarify for us?
Statement By Chidsey: I'm really glad you asked that question. The amended complaint to be corrected now does say it is 100% tuna. They question what kind of tuna it is. But they acknowledge it is 100% tuna. That's not the real issue.
I say follow the science, and if you follow the science, once tuna is cooked, its DNA becomes denatured, which means when you go to test it, you can't tell one way or the other. The last thing I would point out, is again, we've been working on this refresh for 15 to 16 months and the one thing we did not touch was our tuna. We worked on turkey. We worked on ham. We worked on chicken. We worked on steak. People love our tuna. We're very proud of our tuna, so I think that's really the end of the story.
MYTH — The New York Times reported Subway’s premium, fan-favorite tuna wasn’t actually tuna.
TRUTH — Not true! What actually happened is that the New York Times commissioned a test that couldn’t detect tuna DNA in their sample. According to scientific experts, this is not unusual when testing cooked tuna and it absolutely doesn’t mean the sample that was tested contained zero tuna.
- The New York Times test results only show that the type of DNA test done by the unnamed lab wasn’t a reliable way of determining whether the sample was tuna or not. If the test had confirmed the existence of a protein other than tuna, questions could have been raised. However, their “non-detect” conclusion really just means that the test was inadequate in determining what the protein was. In other words, it was a problem with the test, not the tuna.
- Yes. We test our tuna regularly to ensure it meets Subway’s stringent quality and safety requirements. And, of course, we have to comply with FDA regulations. But you don’t have to take our word for it.
- Applied Food Technologies is one of the only labs in the country with the ability to test broken-down fish DNA, which makes it more accurate in testing processed tuna. AFT conducted 30 tests on 150 pounds of Subway’s tuna for Inside Edition and confirmed yellowfin and/or skipjack tuna in every sample.
- Still not convinced? Check out USA Today’s independent fact check of the New York Times’ conclusion, which found it lacked important context about the limitations of DNA testing of denatured proteins, and some additional information from food DNA testing firm Applied Food Technologies about why DNA testing isn’t always conclusive in testing processed tuna given the cooking and packaging process breaks down the DNA fragments. The challenge of accurately testing processed tuna DNA has been known for a while, and even studied by scientists.
- In addition to standard testing and food quality measures taken to ensure the premium quality of all the food Subway serves, there are several certificates associated with the tuna in Subway’s U.S restaurants.
- The Fisheries Certificate of Origin—a form provided by NOAA Fisheries—lists the exporter and importer information for the tuna, the exact species of the tuna, and the catch method.
- The Captain’s Statement includes the boat captain’s name and verification of the catch method and traceability information, including the Food and Agriculture Organization’s major fishing area identification number.
- And the Catch Certificate lists the name of the boat that caught the fish and each volume of species harvested on that ship in metric tons. Subway’s tuna is also certified Dolphin Safe and Kosher.
- After being presented with information about Subway’s tuna and the unreliability of DNA testing, the plaintiffs in the California lawsuit abandoned their original claim that Subway’s tuna product does not contain tuna.
- However, rather than dismiss the claims altogether, as they should have, the plaintiffs’ lawyers filed an amended complaint that states entirely new and equally wrong claims.
- The plaintiffs no longer claim that Subway tuna products contain no tuna. Instead, they now claim that Subway’s tuna is not 100% wild-caught skipjack and yellowfin tuna.
- The plaintiffs do not allege facts or claim that they did any testing to determine that Subway’s tuna is not 100% wild-caught skipjack and yellowfin tuna. In fact, the amended complaint does not remedy any of the serious flaws in the plaintiffs’ case that should result in the case being dismissed.
- Given the facts, the lawsuit constitutes a reckless and improper attack on Subway’s brand and goodwill, and on the livelihood of its franchisee’s.
- Accordingly, Subway will bring a motion to dismiss the plaintiffs’ complaint. If the Court will not dismiss the claims at the pleading stage, which does not take into account any evidence, Subway will prove these facts and obtain judgment in the suit based on the evidence. Let the countersuits begin in earnest…
Out With The Old — I had in the past been satisfied with their product, their franchise values and generally I preferred nice sandwich to a burger and give my stomach a break. My partner was with me from the paper and we agreed food was our next priority. Till I walked in to this location and met a moron. From another country and brought his habits with him.
I should be so lucky, and I sauntered in and saw a photograph above the backdrop of the counter. The most enticingly beautiful sandwich I had ever seen, brimming, overflowing with meats and salad material on a wheat roll. My decision was made and I told the clerk of obvious foreign origination, “Make me one of those”. He laughed in his native language made a remark to an associate, at me and in English he replied, “You don’t believe everything you see in pictures do you”. Never say that to a Journalist with a huge Nikon D-series Camera wrapped with my press pass hanging off my shoulder.
I advised him just won the friggen idiot award for 2017, with 100 perfect pints.
Meanwhile my partner came out of the mens room to order, literally gagging and said forget it, and told me there was a gaping hole in the floor and he could easily see and smell the toilets cracked pipe and odor. Then I looked up at the ceiling and it was black close to the air vents over the food.
I told him forget it, “ Sorry to bother you, for your information I am a photographer and I believe everything I see in pictures that I take”. I replied to the clerk he was in violation of health codes and to forget my order and said it loud enough for others. Since a cracked floor, exposed main pipe, hole in the floor with the toilet at an angle, and the smell I had enough.
I snapped a pic or three and left, I called the County Health Department and the Subway Franchise World Headquarters,
325 Sub Way, Milford, CT 06461-3059 USA, Ph: 203.877.4281 The food police responded and shut the joint down.
Editor — In the course of any coverage you sometimes fall into stories and they become the ones you remember the most. The strange part is SUBWAY is one of the strongest company policy franchises there is period. No leeway, you do it the company way or else. How this guy got past the health department and SUBWAY franchise management, I never know but they got a scathing letter.
Update 2014-2016 : The store is gone and so is the strip mall located on one of the busiest crossroads in town. The entire area three of the four corners is revamped with a Super Wal-mart and Wa-Wa’s New Majors and new buildings, three new fast foodies. And they’ll have a deal to come back and I will be looking over their shoulder. And thats what happened, it’s called Tri-City center. Besides I’ll have Chipotle’s to keep a Listeria eye on. Smash Burger, not setting great numbers and a New Pizza joint born from the one that closed across the street and went take out only in the smaller mall store.
A Pedophile Spokesperson — And then there’s the guy Jared Fogle, who lost all that weight and you are motivated to go there. He pushed health, good food, fresh, great place to eat. In fairness, many of the SUBWAYS I have eaten at have been clean. My only complaint is when they give you a sandwich which looks nothing like the one in the picture right over the guys head.
OK their standard bearer was a pervert they made into a hero, and they became the laughing stock of the food industry. The next 15-plus years will be difficult for Fogle, even if he is transferred to a different prison. “That stigma of what he did will follow him wherever he goes,” “He’s four months into a 16-year sentence and he’s already been assaulted several times by a hierarchy, with varying degrees of respect shown for a wide-ranging array of offenses with sexual assaults against children, the most deplorable. “People like Jared are with the rats and the snitches. No prisoner wants to associate with a child molester.
Representation in any form is critically analyzed and must be perfect. But this was whats part of the food rub, what they show you is not what you get. That's why they rate a three. And portion control does not impress me. Portion control is like a marriage without love. Sure they will fill you with the fillers but like the old lady screamed, wheres the beef, or the chicken or an extra meatball ?
The Subway Franchise — Industry wise SUBWAY is a very successful franchise environment, ranked in the top and most places do well for the lunch and casual eater crowd. They had gone to five dollar specials in their advertising and actually did it with some of their favorites. It became popular and a jingle and ads came forth for their “5.00 sandwiches" and they made a following.
But sometimes it also lowers the bar. If you cut the meat portion by 10% and raise the drink and chip prices by 10%, you just hit the bar at about $7.50 per ticket. The food business is a carefully balanced game of cost vs. profit and to the average consumer most times you will not notice subtle changes like one less slice of something, the cheap stuff , all you want to fill the bread hole. Most, a very high percentage are excellent.
Food writer and Health Guru Chris Powell’s 2nd best pick was Subway. He likes Subway's easy-to-follow nutrition guide. "We can create the body we want simply by following these numbers right here," Powell said. "It's like the blueprint to our body just waiting to be discovered." From Channel 10 News.
At around 300 calories, Powell picks Subway's Fresh Fit sandwiches, but forget about the cheese, avocado and dressing. "I'll tell you what a fantastic option is; vinegar," Powell said. "Believe it or not just a little vinegar, not vinaigrette because vinaigrette is vinegar and oil, and here at Subway they've got that."
Powell said another good choice at the sandwich shop is a turkey flatbread sandwich with loads of veggies. So for $4 you're out the door with a wholesome, well-rounded meal. If ordering a combo meal at Subway, Powell recommends skipping the chips and soda and going with apple slices and a bottled water instead. “It’s going to keep you, No. 1, within your budget, and No. 2, on your diet," Powell added.
Unfortunately we have received information many of their shops due to COVID -19 have closed…
FOOD POLICE — Adamo Drive Tampa — TAMPA, Fla. - New this fall, Subway is offering an ‘Autumn Carved Turkey Sandwich’ but one local subway couldn’t serve that or anything for over seven hours last week.
Our ABC Action News I-Team uncovered that on Tuesday, October 11, Subway at 1951 East Adamo Drive Unit C in Tampa had to temporarily close from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. after inspectors saw over 20 live and dead roaches near the bread warmers, bread machine, sandwich cooler, counter, near chips for customers, reach in cooler, and the cookie display.
🐭 Rats — The state also found evidence of rats inside the kitchen with over 35 rodent droppings under the dry storage shelving area, behind the bread warmer on the front line and rodent chew marks on the wood under the shelving area.
Pesticide/insecticide labeled for 'household use only' was also present in the establishment, which is a violation as restaurants need to have a commercial company spraying for insects.
Among the 30-violations documented last week, inspectors also discovered employees failing to wash their hands, build-up of a mold-like substance near the customer's fountain machine and ice chute on the self-service drink machine and no required employee training certificates for the staff.
Just three months ago, inspectors also found other high priority violations with cold food at dangerous temperatures that could make you sick. The state found Swiss cheese at 45 degrees, egg patties at 47 degrees and milk at 49 degrees. All cold food should be 41 degrees or below. The state also documented hot food not hot enough with chicken at 128 degrees when it should be over 135 degrees or above.
Subway’s Statement: The franchisee took immediate corrective action to address the issues brought forward by the Board of Health. As a result, everything is in compliance and running smoothly now. The Health Department has given the location a clean bill of health. We have taken this opportunity to re-inspect all shops in the area to ensure compliance with our strict food safety standards.