Subway has signed its 15th new master franchise agreement in two years as the US-based business continues to expand its global footprint.
The sandwich brand’s latest agreements will add more than 4,000 restaurants over the next 20 years across all its regions.
The latest deals are for Bahrain, Georgia, Mainland China, Uruguay, Costa Rica and Panama.
Since 2021, Subway has signed 15 master franchise agreements or country development agreements across Europe, Middle East and Africa, Latin America and Caribbean, and Asia Pacific; a total of more than 9,000 future restaurant commitments.
Master franchisees will have exclusive rights to manage and develop Subway locations in their respective countries. The new partners have committed to remodel existing locations and open new outlets.
New master franchise agreements
John Chidsey, CEO of Subway, said “There is significant opportunity for Subway to expand its presence around the world and the new master franchise agreements are a reflection of the confidence that operators have in Subway and our transformation journey.
“As we continue to execute against our international expansion strategy, we are excited to grow the brand with new and existing international multi-unit and multi-brand operators.”
The agreement in Bahrain will reestablish Subway’s footprint in the country. In 1984 Bahrain was the location for the first restaurant outside the US.
Bahrain and Georgia mark the sixth and seventh master franchise agreements in EMEA as the region plans to double its footprint in the coming years.
A deal with a consortium of investors for Mainland China is the largest franchise agreement to date. The investors are committed to grow the current footprint by more than seven times.
In LAC there are now four master franchise agreements, with Costa Rica and Panama adding to the existing agreement with Brazil, and Uruguay’s agreement expected to double its footprint in that country.
In the past 18 months alone, Subway has opened more than 1,000 new restaurants globally. Of these, more than 40 per cent have been led by master franchisees.
