Can a streamlined menu beat customization? Our food writer weighed in after sampling four sandwiches from Subway's new menu.
That was my thought when I learned that Subway is rolling out a new menu of 12 sandwiches that are created to be served in a set way. And to celebrate the rollout, Subway is offering free six-inch versions of those subs today.
Subway’s move is also described by the chain as its biggest menu shake-up in six decades. And it could be a game-changer for the industry as a whole, coming after years and years of fast-food chains embracing customization. Think of Chipotle CMG, -2.22% and its assembly-line approach to burrito making where you can pick and choose what type of beans you want . Or think of Starbucks SBUX, -0.18%, where ordering a simple cup of coffee has become almost a spectacle worthy of a daytime drama .
Plus, in the case of Subway, the need to shake things up could be a way to stand out from the competition, says Mark Kalinowski, a veteran analyst of fast-food chains. He notes a range of similarly styled sub chains that are gaining growing attention, such as Jersey Mike’s and Firehouse Subs . Plus, there’s intense competition from other fast-food chains — consider Popeye’s and the chicken sandwich that the world can’t stop devouring.
My final nit to pick: There doesn’t seem to be a way to shape these subs to your exact preferences, beyond the choice of bread that Subway provides. I tried to convince my local Subway to throw a few jalapeño slices on my Outlaw sub to make it more, um, outlaw-ish. No dice, I was told: These subs stay as they are.
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