2 Big Changes Coming To Subway In 2026

Subway isn't making too many moves in 2026, which makes some sense given the state of the economy. Then again, other fast food and fast casual chains seem to be working overtime trying to attract customers. Whether one approach is better than the other, we're hardly the ones to say, but there are signs Subway is struggling, so maybe it really should be doing more to get feet in the door. Will partnering with a prebiotic soda brand and doubling down on international expansion do the trick? Most of Subway's other big plans have already been rolled out for the year, but things haven't gone so well.

Subway tried to draw customers in with a loyalty program, which was implemented in December 2025 and promised free sandwiches after a certain number of purchases. Subway gave up on its Sub Club loyalty program in February 2026 after it realized it would lose too much money on it. This seems like a huge oversight given that all the company needed to do was run the numbers prior to spending all that money on marketing and getting customers fired up only to immediately disappoint them. If the person in charge of that debacle still works there, it would be a genuine miracle, and the flop should be studied at business school in the What Not To Do 101 class. The sandwich company is also trying to correct course by making a big change to its menu after 60 years and introducing a value menu, but only time will tell if the move is successful. 

One big change coming to Subway in 2026 is an expansion of its beverage line with the addition of Poppi prebiotic sodas. Most people have probably heard of this brand by now, which is frankly surprising given how little time the drinks have been on the market. Although the company has technically been around for longer, Poppi as we know it today really only sprang into existence in 2020 after a complete rebrand from its previous moniker, Mother Beverage.

Soda consumption has been in an absolute free fall since the 1990s, and beverage companies are desperate for a lifeline. That could help explain the nearly $2 billion PepsiCo spent acquiring the Poppi brand in 2025. With an investment of that size, it makes sense we'd start seeing the drink pop up in chains like Subway.

The duo makes some sense, honestly. Subway has long marketed itself as a healthy alternative to typical fast food options. Some Subway orders are healthier than others, but the recent press release that announced the arrival of Strawberry Lemon and Orange Poppi flavors at Subway went to great lengths to emphasize the good-for-you aspect that both brands share, so clearly there was some thought put behind the move in that regard.

This isn't so much a brand-new thing for Subway in 2026 as it is a continuation of a trend the sandwich company has been following. The United States has an unbelievable number of Subway locations (close to 19,000 restaurants), but there have been hundreds of store closures in recent years while the company continues to expand aggressively abroad. Since the beginning of 2026, Subway has announced it is entering Azerbaijan for the first time, for one. It has also come out with press releases detailing its efforts to expand its reach in both Taiwan and Panama.

With so many American stores already in place, maybe downsizing its presence stateside makes sense. But the fact remains that thousands of locations have been shuttered in recent years, while some 10,000 new stores are set to be built abroad in the near future.

It will be interesting to see how the transition pans out for Subway, who (like we mentioned) has been struggling in its home country. If its locations overseas prove to be more profitable than the American stores, the trend will likely only continue. Whether that will result in Subway bringing back menu items catered to other countries' cuisines for its American customers to enjoy remains to be seen.