Subway has closed hundreds of restaurants across the United States in its latest round of downsizing.
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This continues a years-long contraction that has dramatically reduced the footprint of one of America’s largest fast food chains.
According to recent franchise disclosure data and reports cited by multiple business outlets, Subway shuttered 729 U.S. locations during 2025 alone. The closures marked Subway’s 10th consecutive year of declining domestic store numbers and pushed its U.S. restaurant count below 19,000 locations.
The sandwich chain once operated more than 27,000 restaurants across the country at its peak in 2015. Since 2016, Subway has closed more than 8,000 U.S. stores. Franchise operators struggled with rising costs, lower foot traffic, and intense competition in the fast-food industry.
Subway executives have framed the closures as part of a broader “rightsizing” strategy designed to improve profits and strengthen remaining locations. Company representatives said the brand has focused on securing stronger real estate locations and improving long-term operations for franchisees rather than simply maximizing store numbers.
Subway Still Maintains The Store Count Lead
The Daily Mail reported that Subway still maintains the largest restaurant footprint in the United States by location count. However, the company now faces mounting pressure from rivals, including McDonald’s, Jersey Mike’s, and other fast-growing fast-casual chains.
Industry analysts have linked Subway’s prolonged downturn to several factors, including market oversaturation, declining franchise profits, and reputational damage following the 2015 criminal case involving former spokesperson Jared Fogle. Some franchise owners have also criticized the company’s value promotions and renovation requirements. They are concerned that the mandates squeezed already-thin profit margins.
Despite the domestic closures, Subway has continued to expand internationally. Reports indicated that the company opened more than 1,000 new locations worldwide last year. They are also planning additional growth outside the United States.
The company also recently introduced new value-focused menu offerings in an effort to attract inflation-weary customers. Subway leaders have expressed confidence that a smaller but more strategically placed restaurant network will help stabilize the brand in the years ahead.