Subway and Asda have expanded their partnership, with plans to open up to 70 new Subway restaurants inside Asda stores across the UK over the next four years, a host-site model used by several fast food franchises in the UK. Announced on 3 November 2026, the deal would raise Subway’s presence in the supermarket’s estate by more than 50%, from a base of over 120 restaurants.
The two companies have worked together since 2013, when Subway opened its first restaurant in an Asda store, at the Old Kent Road superstore. The partners said the new rollout follows a period in which Asda’s estate grew to more than 120 Subway restaurants. The announcement does not name the stores, who will run the new units, or an investment figure.
It forms part of a wider plan by Subway to double its estate across Europe, the Middle East and Africa to 10,000 restaurants by 2031, growth funded by operators rather than the brand, as brands across the UK franchise directory do.
The UK element of the plan sits inside Asda
The Asda deal is the only UK element of the wider announcement. At up to 70 units over four years, it averages a little under 18 openings a year inside one grocer’s estate. Subway also said it had recorded positive net restaurant growth across the region, with average sales per restaurant at a record level and digital sales up by more than 20% this year. It did not publish a UK restaurant count, a UK sales figure or the share of its UK estate now trading inside supermarkets.
Six master franchise deals in 18 months
Outside the UK, Subway has signed six master franchise agreements over the past 18 months, covering 14 countries in central Europe, Azerbaijan, the Nordics, Iberia and Qatar. The most recent, with Emerging Bites, provides for 300 restaurants across Austria, Hungary, Slovakia, Slovenia and the Czech Republic over ten years.
Subway has also opened its first restaurants in Azerbaijan with N Sky Build. Tracy Gehlan, president of Subway EMEA, said: “We’re building on a strong foundation across EMEA.” She added that the plan to double the estate reflects the company’s confidence in the brand, its development partners and the long-term potential of the region.
What the announcement does not say
Neither company has said which Asda stores will take the 70 restaurants, who will operate them, or when the first will open. No fees, investment levels or job numbers were published. The Grocer and Grocery Gazette carry the same company statement, and no full release from either Subway or Asda had been published online by 4 November.
A new restaurant format from January 2027
Alongside the expansion, Subway is introducing a format called Blueprint, which becomes standard for new openings and refurbished restaurants across the region from 1 January 2027. It brings a redesigned interior and adds breakfast, coffee, a grab-and-go offer and an evening menu branded Subway After Dark, under the positioning “Get Your Own Way”.
Subway said its strategy will focus on restaurant profitability as well as estate growth, with its app, self-service kiosks and delivery platforms taking a larger share of sales. Grocery Gazette reported that the new format is designed to attract customers beyond the chain’s traditional lunchtime trade.
