Subway shuttered 729 stores across the United States in 2025, marking its tenth consecutive year of declining store numbers, according to a report from QSR. The sandwich chain, which peaked in 2015 with over 27,000 locations, now operates 18,733 stores as of the end of last year.
Strategic Rightsizing
Despite the closures, Subway remains the largest fast-food chain in the US by store count. The company describes the closures as part of a “rightsizing” strategy, a business term meaning reducing operations to an optimal size. A Subway spokesperson told QSR: “In the U.S., Subway is focused on ensuring restaurants are in the right locations with the real estate, visibility and operations that set franchisees up to succeed long-term. That work is paying off. Operational improvements are showing up across the system, with restaurant evaluation scores and Google review scores both climbing to their highest levels in two years.”
Value Menu and International Growth
To attract customers, Subway recently launched a value platform featuring 15 menu items each priced under $5, moving away from limited-time deals to compete with value-focused rivals like McDonald's and KFC. While US locations dwindle, Subway is thriving overseas, opening more than 1,000 stores worldwide in 2025 and securing agreements for over 12,000 additional units.
Subway expects to open 100 new franchised locations in the US in 2026, according to its Franchise Disclosure Documents. However, the documents do not specify how many closures are anticipated this year. The brand has consistently closed several hundred US stores annually over the past decade.
The Independent has contacted Subway for further comment. Last year, the number of Subway locations in the US fell below 20,000 for the first time in two decades.
