1. Who founded the SUBWAY® restaurant chain? When and where did the first restaurant open?
The SUBWAY® restaurant chain was founded in 1965 by Fred DeLuca, a 17-year-old college freshman, and family friend Dr. Peter Buck. The first restaurant opened in Bridgeport, Conn., on August 28 and was called Pete’s Super Submarine.
2. When did the first SUBWAY® franchised unit open and where was it located?
The first franchised SUBWAY® unit opened in 1974 in Wallingford, Conn. The first restaurant in Singapore opened in December 1996 and can be found at the Orchard Hotel !
3. How many SUBWAY® franchises are open and in how many countries?
There are more than 22,000 SUBWAY® franchises in 80 countries and territories worldwide (as of 08/02/05). Check out the SUBWAY® home page for a daily update. There are 23 restaurants open in Singapore.
4. Where is the SUBWAY® chain headquartered and how many people does it employ?
Doctor's Associates Inc., the franchisor of SUBWAY® restaurants, employs more than 600 people at its Milford, Conn., headquarters. Worldwide, its franchises employ more than 150,000 men and women throughout the system.
5. Is the SUBWAY® chain a publicly held company?
No, the SUBWAY® chain is a privately held company and is not traded on the stock exchange.
6. Who are the doctors in Doctor’s Associates Inc (DAI)?
When the company was founded, Dr. Peter Buck, co-founder, was a scientist with a doctoral degree, and Fred DeLuca had aspirations of becoming a medical doctor. Hence the name Doctor’s Associates.
7. What percentage of SUBWAY® restaurants are company-owned?
Almost all SUBWAY® restaurants are franchised. There is only one company-owned unit. It is operated as a testing facility by DAI’s Research and Development department.
8. What is the SUBWAY® brand’s most popular sandwich?
Tuna, Turkey Breast and Cold Cut Trio are some of the SUBWAY® brand’s most popular sandwiches. It varies depending on the season, the current promotion and location.
9. What steps does the SUBWAY® chain take to ensure food safety in its restaurants?
Gloves are required to be worn during all food handling procedures. Also, all franchises are provided with detailed information on proper food handling procedures in order to properly train their crewmembers. Topics that are covered include proper hand washing and glove-use procedures, and food rotation. Food is prepared fresh daily and temperatures are monitored regularly. Also, a one-day ServSafe food safety program is offered to franchisees and other field staff from the greater New England area at the SUBWAY® chain’s headquarters. Franchisees in other regions are encouraged to take the course in their local area.In addition, the SUBWAY® chain has initiated a number of "Gold Standard" policies regarding prepared food and produce manufacturing and inspection specifications.
10. How many variations can be made from the SUBWAY® menu choices?
There are nearly two million different sandwich combinations available on the SUBWAY® menu.
11. How many sandwiches have been served at SUBWAY® restaurants?
Worldwide, the chain serves approximately 1,900 sandwiches every 60 seconds. If you place all of the sandwiches made by SUBWAY® restaurants in a year, end to end, they would wrap around the Earth almost six times.
12. How does the SUBWAY® chain select new countries to expand into?
The SUBWAY® chain does not select new countries to expand into. In a way, they choose us! Since all SUBWAY® restaurants are owned and operated by local business people, the chain seeks partnerships with folks who are already in the area. If an individual approaches the chain from a country where there are no SUBWAY® restaurants, the development team will work with that person to provide assistance in opening their first SUBWAY® restaurant.
13. Who is the president of SUBWAY® Restaurants?
Fred DeLuca is the president and co-founder of the SUBWAY® restaurant chain. He was 17 years old when he began the business with a $1,000 loan from family friend and partner, Dr. Peter Buck. Dr. Buck suggested that Fred open a sandwich shop in order to make enough money to pay for college tuition.
14. What types of foods are served at SUBWAY® restaurants?
SUBWAY® restaurants offer a delicious variety of foot long and 6-inch sandwiches, salads and wraps that are made with a wide assortment of meats, cheeses, vegetables and toppings. All SUBWAY® sandwiches are made on freshly baked bread and are prepared right before your eyes, just the way you like it.
15. Who is Jared? Is he a real person?
Jared Fogle is the young man who lost 245 lbs. by eating nothing but SUBWAY® sandwiches for almost a year in a diet program of his own design that included lots of walking and, yes, he is real. Jared came to our attention after Men’s Health magazine ran an article that featured his amazing weight-loss success story. Appearing in a series of SUBWAY® TV commercials beginning in January 2000, Jared has since inspired many others to follow his lead. These days, he keeps busy by traveling throughout the United States and Canada, making public appearance and doing thousands of interviews for television, radio, newspapers and magazines.
16. What did Jared eat to lose all that weight?
Jared Fogle had a 6-inch SUBWAY® turkey sub for lunch and a foot-long SUBWAY® Veggie Delite® sub for dinner. He drank diet soda and occasionally snacked on a bag of baked chips. Jared also included lots of walking as part of the diet program that he invented, which allowed him to lose 245 lbs. in a little less than a year.
17. What are the goals of SUBWAY® restaurants for the future?
SUBWAY® restaurants’ goal is to be ranked the number one restaurant by consumers and number one in restaurant count in every market that we serve.
18. Does the SUBWAY® chain do any children’s marketing or have any products aimed specifically at kids?
Yes, the chain offers the Kids’ Pak®, a specially designed meal package for children that includes a sandwich prepared on a 4-inch round deli-style roll, a fruit roll fruit snack, a 100% juice box and a toy premium.
19. How does the SUBWAY® chain adapt its menu to allow for religious and cultural needs in international markets?
Although the SUBWAY® chain tries to keep its menu the same all over the world so that patrons can expect to enjoy the same great-tasting sandwiches no matter where they are, it is very conscious of the different religious and cultural dietary needs of consumers and takes steps to adapt its menu accordingly. For instance, in India, where the population is either Hindu and does not eat beef or Muslim and does not eat pork, these ingredients are appropriately substituted with chicken, lamb or turkey.
20. How can I learn more about the nutritional values of the food at SUBWAY® restaurants?
SUBWAY® sandwiches are a healthier alternative to traditionally greasy fast food. The SUBWAY® chain is proud to be able to provide the tools necessary for health-conscious consumers to make educated and informed decisions about what to eat with nutritional information that is av5ailable on our Web site, in our restaurants and over the phone.
21. Is there an age requirement to purchase a Kids’ Pak®?
The Kids' Pak® is recommended for children under 9 years of age because of the smaller portion size. However, any customer may purchase a Kids’ Pak®. Children need not be present at the time of purchase.
22. Are there charges for extra vegetables requested on a sub or salad?
All restaurants must follow a formula when preparing subs and salads. Charging for extra toppings is not recommended.
23. Why can’t I purchase bread with my soup or salad?
SUBWAY® breads are made for the sole use of preparing sandwiches in SUBWAY® restaurants. However, some test markets do offer a piece of bread with the sale of a salad.
24. Are your select sauces available for purchase?
Sauces are produced for SUBWAY® restaurant use in preparing our sandwiches and salads. At present time we do not offer these SUBWAY® Select Sauces for retail sale.
25. What does BMT stand for?
The acronym BMT stands for Biggest, Meatiest, and Tastiest. In the early days of SUBWAY® restaurants, it was a promotion that was based on the Brooklyn Manhattan Transit that went along with the subway theme.
26. All SUBWAY® restaurants are individually owned and operated. In Singapore, there are multiple owners of the 23 restaurants which are open (as of December 31st, 2004).
