Subway Closed 729 Stores Last Year As Chain Continues To See Dwindling Number Of Locations, Report Says

Subway closed 729 stores crossed nan U.S. successful 2025, marking its 10th consecutive twelvemonth of decline, according to a report.

The sandwich concatenation peaked successful 2015 pinch complete 27,000 stores — a number that dropped to 18,733 arsenic of nan extremity of past year, according to QSR.

Despite nan closures, much of which are expected successful 2026, Subway remains nan largest concatenation successful nan U.S. in position of shop count. The concatenation hopes to tie backmost customers pinch a caller worth platform, featuring 15 paper items that each costs little than $5.

The closures are portion of a “rightsizing” strategy, a business buzzword that intends reducing a workforce to nan optimal size, according to nan report.

“In nan U.S., Subway is focused connected ensuring restaurants are successful nan correct locations pinch nan existent estate, visibility and operations that group franchisees up to win long-term,” a Subway spokesperson told QSR. “That activity is paying off. Operational improvements are showing up crossed nan system, pinch edifice information scores and Google reappraisal scores some climbing to their highest levels successful 2 years.”

Subway expects to unfastened 100 U.S. franchised locations successful 2026, according to Franchise Disclosure Documents. All of nan chain’s locations are franchises.

The documents do not opportunity really galore locations are expected to adjacent this year, though nan marque has consistently closed respective 100 locations each twelvemonth complete nan past decade, according to nan report.

The Independent has contacted Subway for comment.

The marque precocious rolled retired a worth paper pinch 15 items priced nether $5, shifting distant from limited-time deals arsenic it takes connected value-focused rivals for illustration McDonald's and KFC.

While Subway useful to lure backmost American customers, nan concatenation has been thriving overseas. Subway opened much than 1,000 locations worldwide successful 2025 and has agreements successful spot for much than 12,000 much units.

Last year, nan number of Subway locations across nan U.S. dropped beneath 20,000 for nan first clip successful 20 years.