- Subway is bringing back its Footlong Pass subscription program.
- Subscribers get 50% off footlong subscriptions. Last year, the company sold 10,000 passes in six hours.
- The passes will be available on the channel’s app, which has seen a surge in downloads of late, as well as online.
Subway app downloads are skyrocketing. And, they’re set to increase even more as the chain plans to bring back its hugely popular $15 Footlong Pass offer.
The pass, valid once a day in April, entitles customers to 50% off a footlong sandwich. Subway Rewards members can purchase a pass starting March 21 at 8:00 a.m. EST through the chain’s website or app, the chain announced Friday.
In August, when Subway first launched the subscription program, the chain sold 10,000 passes in six hours. Expecting strong demand again, Subway is offering 250,000 passes exclusively to members of its loyalty program, Subway MyWay Rewards.
“The first 10,000 passes sold out within hours, and although we have 250,000 available this time around, we expect them to go very quickly,” said Barb Millette, Senior Director of loyalty and gift cards, in a press release.
However, there is a catch.
Only participating franchise stores will accept the pass. Subway declined to disclose the number of restaurants accepting the pass. Subway franchise owners routinely balk at the chain’s discount programs, with some refusing to accept coupons.
The relaunch of the Footlong Pass program comes as Subway spent nearly two years revamping its menu. Since 2021, the chain has added new sauces, breads and proteins. Last year, it also introduced a dozen “chef-created” sandwiches, where customers order by name and number instead of creating their own sub. The Metro series was billed as the chain’s “most significant menu update” in its 60-year history.
This year, the chain is rolling out deli slicers to restaurants across the United States as part of its menu overhaul.
One million Subway app downloads in a month
According to app intelligence firm Apptopia, Subway’s menu redesign and recent promotions are causing an increase in app downloads.
In February, Subway’s app was the third most downloaded fast food app in the United States, recording 1 million downloads, Apptopia said in a post. published in QSR magazine. McDonald’s (3.2 million downloads) and Starbucks (1.3 million downloads) ranked No. 1 and 2 respectively for the month.
While not close to beating McDonald’s or Starbucks, Subway’s ranking was the highest on Apptopia’s fast food tracker chart since June 2021.
“Subway’s new menu gave it a higher level of daily downloads, but it also promoted a BOGO deal in early February that was only available through the mobile app,” said Adam Blacker, vice president of Subway. Insights at Apptopiawriting.
Are you a Subway franchisee or developer with ideas to share? Do you have any advice? Contact this reporter by e-mail at nluna@insider.com.