Subway on Tuesday unveiled a new prototype that the company believes will improve the restaurants’ convenience and ambiance while paving the way for more digital sales.
The design, called “Fresh Forward 2.0,” is an update of a redesign introduced in 2017. The company said that more than 20,000 of its nearly 37,000 global restaurants have been updated to that image.
The new one, the company said, adds more vibrant décor, including wall graphics and localized messages and signs, better lighting and warmer wood tones.
The company said that it has tested the new iteration across all regions and it received “overwhelmingly positive feedback from guests, franchisees and their team members.” Subway said customers said the new design makes them more likely to visit the chain’s restaurants.
The prototype is also designed to make way for new technology, notably self-ordering kiosks that are currently in test. The prototype is also designed to accelerate other technology, such as new kitchen display systems and order-ready screens, all of which are designed to improve convenience.
“Each restaurant design has represented a significant milestone for Subway, leading us to where we are today,” Mike Kehoe, chief development officer for Subway, said in a statement. “Fresh Forward 2.0 stands out as a design with the potential to make the greatest impact on our guests and franchisees and it brings our marketing, culinary and digital efforts to the forefront.”
Cost figures weren't available. A company representative said the costs are being negotiated but are expected to be comparable with the previous prototype. Subway said that the new design will begin rolling out across the world in the coming months in the U.S., the U.K., Germany, France, Saudi Arabia, Panama and Australia.
Cost is key for the chain’s operators, particularly those in the U.S., where franchisees have closed about 7,000 locations since 2015. Many of the system’s franchisees argue that they cannot afford to remodel their stores, particularly amid thinning profit margins and sales weakness this year.
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