Subway debuts limited-time cheesesteak, tests crispy chicken sandwichSubway debuts limited-time cheesesteak, tests crispy chicken sandwich

Subway is working toward fulfilling its promise of a “tsunami” of new offerings on its menu while, at the same time, giving operators more flexibility on operational decisions.

The Milford, Conn.-based sandwich chain on Friday added a Chipotle Cheesesteak sandwich to its national menu for a limited time. Made with steak, Monterey cheddar cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, green peppers, red onion and jalapeños, the new sub is part of the chain’s Steak Collection.

It is served on Sunflower Crunch bread, a new baked offering that is an option for other sandwiches, Subway said.

The pipeline of beef options also includes the Steak & Cheese sub and the Chipotle Southwest Steak & Cheese Signature Wrap.

The LTO is part of the chain’s strategy to offer new ingredients and sandwiches while keeping mainstay items and specials. For example, this month, some franchisees are bringing back the $4.99 footlong deal.

The sub deal, formerly known as the $5 Footlong promotion, is now an option for franchise operators, Subway said.  Some restaurants are choosing to keep the $4.99 price point, while others are focusing on promotions such as Sub of the Day deal, Subway said.

“The $5 Footlong promotion ended in 2014, and the national $4.99 Footlong Favorites promotion was also designed to be a temporary promotion to appeal to our price-conscious guests,” Subway said in a statement. “As with any promotion, we consistently listen to our franchise owners, evaluate and evolve our offerings to provide franchises with pricing flexibility, while still offering a compelling price point to our guests.”

Subway also confirmed reports that the brand is testing a crispy chicken sandwich in Arkansas.

“The new sandwich features a breaded white-meat crispy chicken strip patty, cheese, salad toppings and new Smokey Honey Mustard Sauce on your choice of bread,” according to the Chewboom food blog.

Subway said this “regionally generated sandwich” is similar to the paninis the company is testing in the United States following a success pilot in Canada. The company said it is “always testing new products and exploring regionally generated offerings. This sandwich is example of that.”

The regional testing is part of a handful of initiatives Subway is focusing on to increase profitability for its franchisees. That plan includes relocating restaurants to better locations, modernizing stores and adding new flavors and ingredients to regional menus.

For example, over the summer in San Diego, about 200 restaurants rolled out four new sandwiches that feature new sauces and spices.

“There will be a tsunami of new products,” James Walker, Subway’s vice president of North America, told NRN during a summer interview.

Subway has about 44,000 restaurants in more than 100 countries.

Contact Nancy Luna at [email protected] 

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