What Changes Will Floridians See to Subway Restaurants Since They've Been Acquired by An Equity Firm

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Floridians have many options from which to choose when they want a sub sandwich. Examples are Pub Subs, Wawa, Jersey Mikes, Jimmy Johns, and Subway.

However, Florida Subways may see some changes in the coming months, as the company, currently owned by the family of the founders, was just acquired by a large equity firm.

Florida currently has over 1,100 Subway stores, and Miami has more Subways than most other U.S. cities with 114 stores.

The Subway franchise is also partly headquartered in Miami, Florida. The headquarters are located in the Waterford business district.

This article will discuss the acquisition and what is known so far as to any changes that Florida Subway customers might see because of it.

The Acquiring Company, Roark Capital, Already Owns Many Food Francises, Including Competitors to Subway: The large equity firm who purchased Subway, Roark Capital, already owns multiple food chains, such as Arby's, Dunkin, and Buffalo Wild Wings.

Interestingly, it also owns Jimmy Johns, which is a competitor of Subway.

The Deal is the Company's Third Largest of All Time - At 9.6 Billion Dollars: According to The Wall Street Journal, Roark Capital has agreed to buy Subway for 9.6 billion dollars, making the deal the third largest deal the firm has brokered, with the biggest being Dunkin.

Subway Had Already Begun Implementing Changes To Its Florida Menus and Food Offerings Prior to the Acquisition: According to Eat This Not That reporting on August 24, 2023, Subway has been struggling with lagging sales in previous years.

In response, the company began its "Eat Fresh Refresh" campaign in 2021 which revamped the chain's bread, meat, and sandwich offerings. As a result, the company began to see positive same-store sales once again.

The CEO of Subway Has Hinted that Customer and Franchise Experience Will Remain Positive, Leadership With Not Change, and Restaurants Will Be Modernized: Subway franchises units to independent operators. Subway's CEO, John Chidsey, has made statements that hint that the company is trying to maintain positive experiences for franchisees, stating, in part:

“Subway has a bright future with Roark, and we are committed to continuing to focus on a win-win-win approach for our franchisees, our guests, and our employees.”

According to reporting by ABC News, Subway has implied that the deal will help to modernize current Subway restaurants and expand with new ones. The company wrote in a statement:

"The company will continue to execute its strategy with a focus on sales growth, menu innovation, modernization of restaurants, overall guest experience improvements, and international expansion."

Roark Has Been Described As a "Quiet Empire:" Wolf of Finances has written that Roark Captial typically remains "entirely behind the scenes" and prefers to let their brands run autonomously in the spotlight.

If all of the above is true, Floridians arguably may not see many major changes to their local Subways other than the modernization of existing stores, a continuation of what Subway sees as continued improvements to the menu, and possible expansion.