Subway is withdrawing its $6.99 meal deal due to poor performance and introducing a new alternative

UNDATED (WKRC) – Subway is withdrawing its $6.99 meal deal due to lower-than-expected sales.

According to Restaurant Business Online (RBO), citing a message sent to operators last Friday, fast food giant Subway is withdrawing the $6.99 meal deal earlier than originally planned due to lagging performance Expectations fell short.

The $6.99 Subway meal deal offered guests the following:

• A 6-inch submarine
• A bag of chips or two cookies
• A little fountain drink

The deal, which was first floated on November 3, will be withdrawn on Wednesday, according to the RBO. The company noted that the offer will remain available through Subway’s digital channels until December 26.

“The Meal Deal was intended to help increase traffic, sales and ultimately profitability at the restaurant level and has achieved these objectives during market testing,” the notice to operators said, according to RBO. “While the nationwide Meal Deal promotion is delivering the expected number of daily redemptions, the promotion overall is not producing the expected results.”

According to the outlet, Subway will offer a 20 percent off coupon on any Subway, with the offer expected to be available to customers through January 5th.

The company said in a statement to RBO that it would quickly adjust value propositions as necessary.

“Subway’s approach to value is thoughtful and strategic, leveraging data to balance consumer needs while protecting franchisees’ profits,” the company told RBO. “We are continually testing new value-added platforms designed to help generate profitable traffic and encourage repeat visits. We take feedback and data seriously and quickly adjust course when necessary to ensure we are doing what is best for our franchisees, guests and the entire company.”

RBO reported that Subway had difficulty implementing value deals due to franchisee resistance, noting that some franchisees refused to cooperate with value deals, which impacted their effectiveness.