What Kind Of Mayo Does Subway Use? Here's What We Know

Subway has had a bit of a rough go of things in recent years, hasn't it? Various factors, including a business model that relies on overfranchising and widespread dissatisfaction with its menu and pricing, have resulted in many Subway locations closing their doors — and while there are still plenty of locations, many fast food fans, including those on Reddit, steer clear of the green and gold. But if you're jonesing for some cold meat on a spongy submarine bun, you could do worse than Subway, so don't let us stop you if you want to pay a visit. In fact, we'll even answer a question you may have: What brand of mayonnaise do they use? Well, it's not something you can buy from your local supermarket — it's a proprietary recipe.

"It's not a brand," said one Redditor who worked at Subway. "It comes in large plastic bags, with Subway branding on it." Another Redditor who worked at Subway reported that, at one point, they saw their lite mayo with the Kraft label on it. If you want to recreate a similar taste at home, they suggested a hack: "I've found comfort in Kraft lite mayo as a replacement and just add a little lemon juice and paprika." It's good to keep in mind if you really have a taste for the mayo Subway uses, we suppose — just make sure to put the sauce on the bread first.

So why does Subway use their own brand of mayo? Would it really leave that much of a dent on their bottom line if they drizzled some Hellman's on their sandwiches? One Redditor had some insight on the matter. "They discover[ed] that they can make side revenue and alot [sic] of it by making a profit off their own branded materials and making the franchise pay for it." If that sounds familiar, it might be because similar practices led to the downfall of Quiznos, Subway's one-time competitor in the sandwich fast food arena.

Subway hasn't succumbed to the same fate just yet, but their business model is notoriously hostile to franchisees — while it's easier to become a Subway franchisee than, say, one for McDonald's, they have to deal with high fees and a hyper-aggressive parent company that thinks nothing of opening another location just blocks away from the existing one, cutting into both locations' profit margins. Subway's mayo isn't the most egregious example of these policies, but it's an example all the same.