Subway makes big menu change diners will love

Subway’s origin story feels like the setup to a bad joke: a college student and a nuclear physicist walk into a bar…

While a bar may not have been their actual meeting place, the beloved sandwich chain is the result of a partnership between a nuclear physicist, Dr. Peter Buck, and a young college student, Fred DeLuca, looking to fund his education. In a handshake deal back in 1965, Buck loaned DeLuca $1,000 to get his first location up and running. The rest is franchise history.

Today, there are 35,000 Subway locations worldwide. That ubiquity hasn’t diminished the chain’s appeal — in 2025, diners rated Subway the #1 deli sandwich spot in YouGov’s U.S. Restaurant Brand Rankings survey. 

But beneath that surface-level popularity, the numbers are starting to shift as Subway’s sales have been slipping in recent years. The chain is privately held, and doesn’t release regular public earnings reports, but data from Statista indicates that U.S. sales fell below $9 billion in 2025, a significant drop from the $9.5 billion it did in 2024.

One reason for the drop in revenues may be Subway’s lack of a value menu. Value or discount menus are the top feature fast food diners are looking for when deciding where to visit, YouGov found. 

With that consumer preference in mind, and an eye towards its earnings, Subway announced the debut of its first-ever value menu in late April. 

Subway’s all-new value menu

On April 28, Subway launched its inaugural value menu.

“Subway’s Fresh Value Menu offers guests what other on-the-go options have promised but never delivered: quality, variety, convenience and satisfying portions at an unmatched price,” the chain said in a statement accompanying the menu’s release.

The current lineup features 15 items, all for less than $5. The menu isn’t just wallet-friendly, it’s also diet-friendly, with most items featuring 20 grams of protein or more.

“Subway’s Fresh Value Menu proves you don’t have to choose between eating well and saving money,” Subway Chief Marketing Officer Dave Skena said. “Your wallet and stomach deserve freshly-baked bread, real protein, and the perfect combination of sauces and hand-chopped veggies – all for under $5.”

Subway’s Fresh Value Menu

The new menu includes items in three categories:

Deli Faves
NEW Spicy Pepperoni: Aged pepperoni, Pepper Jack, lettuce, Roma tomatoes, red onions, jalapeños, creamy Sriracha

NEW Ham & Salami: Black Forest ham, Genoa salami, Italian-style Provolone, lettuce, Roma tomatoes, honey mustard

B.L.T.: Bacon, lettuce, Roma tomatoes, mayo

Cold Cut Combo: Black Forest ham, Genoa salami, Bologna (all turkey-based), Italian-style Provolone, lettuce, Roma tomatoes, red onions, mayo
Protein Pockets
Baja Chicken: Grilled chicken, Monterey cheddar, smoky Baja Chipotle, lettuce, Roma tomatoes, jalapeños

Peppercorn Ranch Chicken: Grilled chicken, Monterey cheddar, zesty Peppercorn Ranch, lettuce, Roma tomatoes, pickles

Italian Trio: Black Forest ham, aged Pepperoni, Genoa salami, Monterey cheddar, lettuce, Roma tomatoes, garlic aioli

Turkey Ham: Oven-roasted turkey, Black Forest ham, Monterey cheddar, lettuce, Roma tomatoes, honey mustard
Sub of the Day
Meatball Monday: Meatball Marinara

Tuna Tuesday: Classic Tuna

Sweet Onion Teriyaki Wednesday: Sweet Onion Chicken Teriyaki

Turkey Thursday: Oven-Roasted Turkey

Forest Ham Friday: Black Forest Ham

BMT Saturday: Italian B.M.T.

Spicy Italian Sunday: Spicy Italian

Source: Subway

Subway released its all-new value meal, offering diners 15 options under $5.

Getty Images

Subway’s $5 footlong promotion

When whispers about Subway’s value menu first started to swirl, many diners were hoping for the return of the $5 footlong. 

The deal, which launched in 2008, was a hit with diners. Recently, HubSpot’s blog, The Hustle, wrote a retrospective on the offer.

“Within a year [of introducing $5 footlongs], foot traffic skyrocketed across the franchise’s thousands of locations,” The Hustle writes. “Revenue from $5 footlongs alone topped $3.8 billion. It was, according to many industry analysts, one of the most successful promotions in American cuisine.”

Ultimately, inflation undermined the promotion, and Subway abandoned the $5 foot long once and for all in 2020. But that hasn’t kept fans of the chain from hoping for a return.

“That thing is never going to die,” Restaurant Business Editor-in-Chief Jonathan Maze told The Hustle. “It’s going to come back in some different form, at some point in time.”

The value menu wars

2008 marked one of the worst financial crises in recent history. When the housing bubble popped, many Americans found themselves struggling to make ends meet.

While the circumstances may be different, these old financial tensions have returned. In 2026, a record 55% of Americans say their financial situations are getting worse, according to a recent Gallup poll. The findings are in line with sentiments from 2008, the company says.

In instances where spending power and confidence is low, value menus and promotions proliferate. 

More restaurants:

McDonald’s new drink menu looks to take down StarbucksCava protein strategy leaves Chipotle and Sweetgreen in the dustPizza Hut launches generous new effort to win back customers

Earlier this year, Taco Bell launched its new value menu, offering a selection of $10 fan favorites for $3 or less. McDonald’s followed suit, introducing its own value menu, with breakfast and dinner items.

Subway’s value menu, then, is entering into a crowded space. Its one advantage over competitors’ offerings may be the chain’s footprint.

There are about 20,000 Subway restaurants in the U.S., according to data from ScrapeHero. In comparison there are about 14,000 McDonald’s locations and just 8,000 Taco Bell locations. With its wider reach, Subway is in a strong position to become the value menu wars champion. 

Related: Target’s taps big name to lean into growing food trend

#Subway #big #menu #change #diners #love