Subway restaurants | British Cuisine

Subway restaurants history

Subway wants you to eat fresh!

Being one of the fastest-growing franchises in the world, Subway has approximately 45,000 stores located in more than 100 countries.

Subway is an American fast food restaurants franchise that sells submarine sandwiches and salads.

Subway is the largest single-brand restaurants chain in the world.

The founder, Fred DeLuca, opened the first shop in Bridgeport, Connecticut in August 1956.

Today, the Subway brand is the world's largest sandwich chain with more than 40,000 locations around the world.

The story of the Subway brand started more than 50 years ago when Dr. Peter Buck, a nuclear physicist, changed the life of a college student with a few simple words, “Let’s open a submarine sandwich shop.”

It was Peter Buck that gave college freshman Fred DeLuca the idea to open a submarine sandwich shop to help pay his tuition. Peter provided an initial investment of $1000, and a business relationship was forged that would change the landscape of the fast food industry and the lives of thousands.

The partners opened their first restaurant in Bridgeport, Connecticut, where they served fresh, affordable, made to order sandwiches. The popularity of the sandwiches and the brand continued to grow over the decades but one thing remained the same and that was their core values and principles:

Always provide exceptional service to your valued guests;
Provide the highest quality menu items at a price everyone can afford and enjoy; and
Keep operating costs low and ensure you have great systems in place and never stop improving.

These early principles continue to serve as the foundation for Subway restaurants around the world.

By 1974, the duo owned and operated 16 submarine sandwich shops throughout Connecticut. Realizing they would not reach their 32 store goal in time, they began franchising, launching the SUBWAY® brand into a period of remarkable growth which continues to this day.

In January 2015, Suzanne Greco became president and CEO after her brother Fred DeLuca, the company's first CEO, died of leukemia in September 2015 after being ill for two years.

In 2016, Subway closed hundreds of restaurants in the U.S., experiencing a net loss in locations for the first time. However, with 26,744 locations, it remained the most ubiquitous restaurant chain in the U.S. (with McDonald's in the #2 spot).

Interior of a Subway

franchise in Huntington, Virginia designed in the new style.

In July 2017, Subway unveiled redesigned restaurants, dubbed “Fresh Forward“. With a new company logo. Features include self-order kiosks; USB charging ports at tables; and new menu items, including additional condiments, and bread made without gluten. The company is piloting the changes at 12 locations across the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom, with many features expected to be implemented into stores worldwide by the end of 2017.

In 2017, the chain closed more than 800 of its U.S. locations. In April 2018, the chain announced it would close about 500 more that year.

Today, the SUBWAY® brand is the world's largest submarine sandwich chain with more than 40,000 locations around the world.

We’ve become the leading choice for people seeking quick, nutritious meal options that the whole family can enjoy.

From the beginning, Fred has had a clear vision for the future of the SUBWAY® brand.

As we continue to grow, we are guided by his passion for delighting customers by serving fresh, delicious, sandwiches made-to-order right in front of you.