Subway Thailand franchise owner faces backlash over quality issues
Franchise owner Go Luck claims 105 unauthorised branches are to blame for bad sandwiches, adding it was moving to take legal action against them soon
Concerns about the service at some Subway outlets in Thailand recently went viral, with netizens complaining about the quality of the food, shortage of ingredients and bad quality wrapping paper.
Franchise operator Go Luck responded on Sunday with a comment on the Subway Thailand Facebook page, saying these complaints come from consumers who had eaten at outlets that had lost their franchise licences as of July 26 this year. Go Luck is a subsidiary of the PTG Energy Group.
Go Luck’s post said that the franchise licence of 105 Subway outlets had been revoked and only 51 branches were allowed to serve Subway-brand sandwiches and wraps.
The post included a list of both authorised and unauthorised branches, which showed that most of the unlicensed branches were located in petrol stations, shopping malls and office buildings like CP Tower in Bangkok’s Silom area and the PTT Station in Chonburi’s Bang Saen resort town.
Go Luck said consumers should only buy sandwiches at Subway outlets that carry the authorised logo, adding that it was expediting legal action against the unauthorised outlets.
However, the popular Facebook page E-sor Khayi Laek (sister-in-law dissecting facts) asked Go Luck to explain why so many unauthorised outlets still existed.
“These branches are obviously sourcing supplies from somewhere and they are not good. Many people reported ink stains from the wrapping paper on their sandwiches,” the page claimed. “Also, many of these eateries accept delivery orders even after losing their licences.”
Subway is a US-based fast food franchise that specialises in submarine sandwiches and wraps. The first outlet was opened in Connecticut in 1965 under the name Pete’s Super Submarines, and after many name changes it was named Subway in 1972. The franchise operations began in 1974 and it is believed that by 2015, there were as many as 44,000 Subway branches worldwide.
However, the number of branches dropped to around 36,000 this year due to intense competition. Of these, 20,000 are located in the United States.
Subway first entered Thailand in 2003 and its franchise operator has been changed many times. In 2022, the franchise was taken over by About Passion, who sold it to Go Luck this year for more than 35 million baht.
