Subway, the fast food sandwich franchise, is considering a move into schools after its successful expansion into hospitals.
Peter Dowding, Subway UK and Ireland director, told MCA the brand’s positive Public Health Eating CQUIN (Commissioning for Quality and Innovation) rating, opened up the possibility of going into schools.
He was speaking as the brand launched its first new look pilot store in Manchester which it will trial at eight stores across the UK, and which features a new design, logo and uniform, with digital technologies to be trailed including remote and touchscreen ordering.
The rebrand comes as the UK and Ireland Subway business nears its 2,500th site, part of a bid to get to 3,000 by 2020, with 50 new sites so far this year, and a further 150 in the pipeline.
Dowding also revealed the brand was preparing to launch new breakfast items later this year, part of a focus on the mornings, while next year the brand will focus on evening products.
He said: “We have been quite good at expanding into the secondary marketplace already, like travel hubs and airports, and there a lot more opportunities for us. We are so ahead of the game on CQIN that it gives us a great opportunity to look at schools, as well as more hospitals, and universities.
“It’s something we will look at in the future, and it’s one of those things that if the opportunity arises we will look at it.”
Dowding said: “With the new store design we’ve looked at everything from top to bottom, it’s the first time we’ve launched something of this magnitude in conjunction with changing the brand.
“We’re also looking at digital tech side, which is what consumer say they want, like remote ordering, online ordering, touchpoint ordering.
“All this will become part and parcel of a crisp, cleaner look, with new uniforms and a pick up point.”
The first pilot store in Manchester was an existing Subway site, to allow for customer feedback and like for like comparisons, while the second will be a brand new site near Bristol.
