Subway cut roast beef and rotisserie chicken — then made franchisees sell $5 footlongs

In June 2020 Subway faced a two-front backlash. Many locations had slashed roast beef and rotisserie chicken from the menu, and customers complained on Facebook and Twitter: 'Bring back roast beef and the rotisserie chicken... You just removed the best menu items. What gives?' and 'YALL DISCONTINUED ROTISSERIE CHICKEN AND I WILL NEVER FORGIVE YOU.' Subway did not respond to Business Insider's request for comment, saying only on Twitter that 'some' locations may still carry the ingredients.

The same week, Subway brought back its iconic $5 footlong promotion as a two-for-$10 sandwich deal, backed by a commercial starring Charlie Puth. Independent franchisees pushed back hard, saying they would lose money on every sandwich sold; some were so infuriated they filed complaints with the Federal Trade Commission, Restaurant Business reported. A survey by the North American Association of Subway Franchisees found 75% of franchisees would refuse to offer the deal.

One frustrated commenter tied the two moves together: franchisees should be able 'to keep products that make them money instead of just clearing everyone's inventories'. No company response or outcome figures are reported.

Customer backlash over the cut items, franchisee fury with FTC complaints, and 75% of surveyed NAASF members refusing to sell the promotion

Removing the two meats customers named as favourites handed critics a concrete grievance during an already hard year.

The $5-footlong nostalgia play ignored its own history: the price point was notoriously hated by franchisees.

Pushing an unprofitable deal onto independent owners produced regulator-facing complaints, not just grumbling.

Clearing franchisee inventories of discontinued items socialised the cost of a corporate menu decision.

A promotion the people who own the counters refuse to run isn't a marketing win — it's a civil war with receipts.

The promotion rolled out with celebrity marketing in June 2020 while 75% of surveyed franchisees said they would refuse it and complaints reached the FTC. Subway did not respond to press queries; no reversal or outcome is reported.