Remember Subway’s $5 footlong? The popular value sandwich may not be back, but the chain is officially jumping into the fast-food value wars this week.
For the first time in its nearly 60-year history, Subway Tuesday rolled out a permanent Fresh Value Menu with 15 entrée options under $5, shifting away from limited-time deals as it takes on value-focused rivals like McDonald's and KFC.
Subway’s value menu is divided into three main categories, with the first being Deli Faves, which include four customizable six-inch sandwiches – such as a BLT, Cold Cut Combo, Spicy Pepperoni and Ham & Salami – priced at $3.99.
Protein Pockets, tortilla wraps with more than 20 grams of protein, also start at $3.99, with options like Baja Chicken, Peppercorn Ranch Chicken, Italian Trio and Turkey Ham.
Finally, a rotating Sub of the Day will be available for $4.99, featuring a different six-inch sandwich each day of the week.
The Subs of the Day — each available to upgrade to a footlong, or 12-inch, for an additional $3 — include:
- 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
Value menu prices are higher in California, Washington, Alaska and Hawaii. Customers can upgrade any item to a meal with chips and a drink for an additional $2, though pricing may vary in some higher-cost states.
"Subway's Fresh Value Menu proves you don't have to choose between eating well and saving money," Dave Skena, Subway's Chief Marketing Officer for North America, said in a statement. "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 push into value pricing comes just days after McDonald's rolled out its new McValue menu, offering breakfast, lunch and dinner items for under $3, as competition heats up across the fast-food industry. Around the same time, The Independent reviewed major chains’ value menus, highlighting which options deliver the most bang for your buck.
Subway’s latest move arrives nearly two decades after the wildly popular $5 Footlong debuted in 2008, a promotion that included only a sandwich, made iconic by its TV ads and catchy jingle. The promotion was phased out in the mid-2010s and replaced by the Simple $6 Menu, which bundled a 6-inch sub, chips and a drink.
While the $5 Footlong returned for brief stints in later years, franchisees frequently criticized the deal as unprofitable.
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