Subway is a well known staple across all of the United States and even reaching out into other countries all around the globe, for a fast food chain type restaurant that doesn’t have as unhealthy of options and is more customized to individual tastes. You can build your own Subway sandwiches with 6 inch or foot long bread and a wide variety of options for meat, cheese, veggies, and sauces or condiments. Each location has its own twist on the classic concept, and different regions feature different specials or favorites for locals. But what do we actually know about this restaurant chain? Here are some interesting facts about Subway restaurants you may not know.
High Numbers
Let’s start out with a perspective thought on the actual size of Subway’s reign in the world. Per day, Subway as a whole entity serves approximately 7.6 million sub sandwiches all around the globe. And that was just a figure for 2014, when it was estimated there were over 5,000 sandwiches made and served across these restaurants every single minute.
Choices Galore
You’ve probably seen some of the range of items that are available to you at a Subway restaurant through going to one or seeing commercials and advertisements regarding their popular subs, but exactly how many options are there? Well, estimates and calculations put the number of sub combination choices at roughly 38 million. That’s an insanely high number, and it likely means anyone could find something here.
Lettuce For Days
Every single day, at least in 2013, Subway uses approximately 16 entire acres worth of lettuce. The brand tweeted this out back in that year as a little fun fact for fans, posing the question to everyone to wonder how many football fields that is equivalent to. The rough answer is about 12 entire football fields, if you’re wondering as well. A lot of people want lettuce!
Opening Costs
Subway began as a creation by a 17 year old, and he borrowed $1,000 to open the restaurant. It first opened in Bridgeport, Connecticut and subs were then priced at around 49 to 69 cents per sub. Just the first day of what would later become Subway led to selling over 300 subs in a single day, all at an absolute fraction of what costs are nowadays per sandwich.
Larger Than it Seems
And finally, to end off with a bit more perspective thoughts for those of us that may not know how truly large Subway is as a franchise and restaurant chain; let’s reference one large chain you do know. Subway has almost 44,000 restaurants and owns locations in 110 countries of the world. These numbers alone are huge, but think about the fact that it means this chain is even larger than McDonald’s in locations.
These are just a small part of the many different tidbits and unique facts you can learn about Subway and its history, especially if you think deeper about the chain and its locations around the world. But it certainly is a good start for those of us that are generally curious about the history and/or present day knowledge out there surrounding our favorite restaurant chains. Whether you’ve gone to Subway lots in your life, or never been to one, the curiosity still can be helpful to get some insight on the place you’ve been or are thinking about in the moment: the Subway restaurants all around your local area and the world.