The smell in Subway stores isn’t the usual pleasant smell of bread baking but a slightly sour one.
Yeah, I watched a documentary on Subway (and Blimpie and Jersey Mike’s, basically the rise of the original sub sandwich franchises) and they used to have to deliver fresh bread to each store from a central location. That limited how far their stores could be spread because bread can only stay fresh for so long. Then they had the idea of instead sending unbaked frozen bread that could be baked at each store, which solved the shipping and storage problems, and also allowed them to have franchises all over the country.
I go to Subway from time to time, and as far as I can tell, yes, they still bake the bread in-store. And, the article which I linked to earlier indicates that part of the Subway franchise agreement is that franchisees must use the same ingredients, and purchase their food ingredients from the same, specific, corporate-approved vendors, to ensure a consistent end product for consumers. As a result, yeah, they all have the same distinctive smell when they are baking bread.
It’s just Starkist canned tuna in water mixed with mayo.
You can usually see the huge ovens behind the counter. I’m sure that’s done intentionally to remind people that they’re buying bread that was baked that day.
I know that the stuff at Jimmy John’s is, because when I am at the drive thru window, I can see the giant tuna cans on a shelf. They are indeed StarKist, they look like something you could pick up at Costco. (I have never ordered tuna at Jimmy John’s and don’t know if it’s any good, but I imagine it’s probably fine unless they mix something else into it.)
Subway though claims to get their tuna from elsewhere:
https://www.subway.com/en-us/-/media/northamerica/usa/tuna-facts/pdf/subway-tuna-infographic.pdf
Subway’s North American importers – Jana Brands and Rema Food Group – source wild-caught skipjack tuna from Thailand, the Philippines and Indonesia, the top tuna-sourcing markets globally.
I love StarKist myself, I’ve been buying it and eating it my whole life, and I’d prefer it if Subway used it. But they don’t seem to be, unless you have another source saying otherwise.
These are the suppliers according to Subway:
And I was curious if maybe StarKist got their tuna from the same people Subway does, and just rebranded it, but apparently not.
Frequently Asked Questions | StarKist®.
All our tuna is wild caught in the Pacific or Atlantic Ocean. The majority of our tuna is produced in American Samoa (which is a territory of the United States), Ecuador or Senegal. A few of our products are manufactured in Thailand.
The time I had an oppurtunity to see into the back of a Subway it was literally Starkist tuna out of a giant can. Maybe that particular franchise was doing its own thing. This Subway was located in a grocery store.
Mayo is 100% the only thing they add, though.
This post isn’t about hating Subway, it’s about a convenience store I remember that had fantastic subs. It was located not far outside the gates of Ft. Lewis, Washington, in the mid 70’s It called it’s subs Colassals. The British had roast beef and Cheddar, and all the others had meats and cheeses typical for their countries. In Washington state you could also buy wine and liquor in places like that. Being right near a military compound got them TONS of business.
They may have been a little defensive after a lawsuit (since dismissed) a couple of years ago claiming that the tuna used in their restaurants contained no tuna.
This I can confirm from what Subway claims at least. Apparently Jimmy John’s adds “fresh vegetables” so even if I wasn’t already wary, that’s going to be a firm “no” for me.
What’s funny is that the first time I ever remember setting foot in a sub sandwich shop, it wasn’t a big chain like Subway, it was a little sandwich place on a Navy base here in Washington. I can’t remember the name of the place, it was like 40 years ago.
Also, I just remember something that changed about Subway. They used to cut their bread in a “U-gouge”, where they would cut the bread out from the top to form almost a bread taco shape. Now they just slice it from the side with a hinge, like it’s a huge hotdog bun. I totally forgot about that change. I liked the old way they did that.
I remember when they did that (cut the bread in a v-shaped groove). BTW, here is a 21-year-old thread on the change in how they cut the bread.
(I grew up in the area which Subway stores came from, and the headquarters was in the next town over, so I’ve been going to them for probably 40-50 years. I can’t be sure, but in my memory, the sandwiches used to be tastier.)
I did, too, though I imagine that someone in Corporate figured out that the single slice was simpler, easier to do with little training, and saved time.
If you like the BMT, (or whatever it’s name is now),
Every pizza joint makes a better Italian sub sandwich.
That tracks! That thread was started around the same time that the company I worked at (that was in the same building as a Subway) downsized everyone (including me) then got bought out, so that bread cut change coincided with a time when I stopped going to Subway all the time.
Funny enough, the sandwiches at Domino’s are pretty darn good too.
And Jimmy John’s has a fantastic Italian as well.
I’ve never understood how a place that bakes their own bread has it come out so completely tasteless. I’d rather have a roll from the supermarket.
The pricing at Subway is such that I could buy a loaf of bread, a deal of lunchmeat, a small mayo, and even some veg–all for less than a footlong.
I literally just priced it out, and got $11.77. And I’m getting way more mayo and lettuce than I need. Could maybe instead get cheese on a second loaf.
That’s tough to do if you’re traveling or on your lunch break at work.
I could plan ahead, but some don’t wanna.
In this eat out/on the run society it’s how it is.
What gets me is those who have these sandwiches delivered at an up price and tip.
Not me.
Indeed; you’re paying a premium for convenience. That’s why fast food joints exist. It’s not to get the cheapest meal possible.
Not just fast food joints; all restaurants cost more than food made at home.
With the exception that a traditional restaurant is less about convenience and more about having a positive dining experience.
I’ve certainly eaten at restaurants that took so long to get seated and served that I could more quickly have driven to a grocery store, grabbed the items to prep a meal, and cook it myself. But again, convenience isn’t the purpose there (at least not always).