Subway unveils new prototype overseas
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The chain hopes to double its footprint in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa in five years.Photo courtesy of Subway
Subway is going for a new look and feel at its restaurants in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, the region known as EMEA.
The sandwich giant on Thursday unveiled a new prototype and brand experience it calls Blueprint, which it plans to roll out in the region next year in new restaurants and for remodeled units.
It’s described as a complete re-imagining, which has been tested in units in the United Kingdom and the Netherlands. For Subway, the EMEA region also includes India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.
The Blueprint format, for example, is a more “digitally connected” space that “flexes around guests and their choices,” the company said.
The layout is designed to be more intuitive, and also easier for the Sandwich Artists to manage as they build sandwiches. Guests will have the option to order at a self-service kiosk, if they prefer, to customize at their own pace. A digital screen will show when orders are completed and the collection point will be clearly marked.
Ordering from the app or delivery sites will also be made simpler.
“Guests want to eat their way, on their own schedule, and Blueprint is how we deliver on that,” said Tracy Gehlan, president, Subway EMEA, in a statement. “We celebrate our guests’ individual choices, from how they order to when they visit to what they want in their meal, always with great food, great service and a great environment.
“For our franchisees, it means stronger restaurant economics and a stronger brand built for the long term,” Gehlan added.
The Blueprint format also includes new breakfast offerings and a coffee program, with a morning playlist setting the tone.
New grab-and-go options will be available in places like transportation hubs.
And then, at night at some units, restaurants will shift to Subway After Dark.
At the stroke of 6 p.m., the lighting will become warmer, the evening playlist will take over, staff members will have a new dedicated uniform, and the digital menu boards will display more dinner-friendly options, like mac and cheese, footlong pizzas, and waffle fries, all made to order. Drinks and desserts will also be on offer.
Branding, meanwhile, will be driven by a “Get Your Own Way” marketing campaign that celebrates the choices guests have at Subway, the company said.
The 35,000-unit chain franchises around the world, with about 18,773 in the U.S. at the end of 2025, according to Technomic data. Roughly 5,000 units are in the EMEA region, and Subway said it hopes to double that count in the next five years.
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