The top Subway Competitors are McDonalds, KFC, Starbucks, Domino’s Pizza, Burger King, Dunkin Donuts, Taco Bell and others. Many people have always been fanatical with fast foods for a very long time. The demand is often inspired by the fact that they help in quickly fixing hunger and are usually readily available whenever needed. Subway is one of the quick service restaurants chains that has been able to take advantage of the demand. It has always provided what most of the sandwich lovers yearn for and get it in top quality.
In 2021, Subway generated around $9.4 billion in sales in the US alone. Privately owned, Subway has close to 37,000 locations in over 100 countries as at 2023.
It is an American- based chain of quick-service restaurants that have been in this particular business since 1965. It has been majoring in serving sandwiches hence making it one of the most visited fast food joint in the first two decades of its establishment. However, with the demand for fast food increasing day by day, several players have also come on board to offer such services. Here are selected major Subway Competitors;
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Top Subway Competitors
1) McDonalds
- Product Type: Fast food, including burgers, fries, chicken, and milkshakes
- Industry: Foodservice
- Founded: 1940
- Founders: Richard and Maurice McDonald
- Headquarters: Oak Brook, Illinois, USA
- Area served: Worldwide
- Current CEO: Chris Kempczinski
- Revenue: $6.498B (June 30, 2023)
- Number of employees: 150,000 (2022)
- Market Share: 43.8%
- Market cap: $204.74B (September 04, 2023)
McDonald’s is known globally as one of the leading chains of fast food outlets. It has been in operation for quite a considerable time. Along the way, it has been able to establish a stable brand in this industry ranked as at number one for the longest time possible. It merely means that McDonald’s is way above in this sector alluding to the fact that its sales volume, net income, and brand value are ranked at position one in the industry.
McDonald’s net income for the quarter ending June 30, 2023 was $2.310B. McDonald’s gross profit for the quarter ending June 30, 2023 was $3.731B. McDonald’s operating income for the quarter ending June 30, 2023 was $3.104B. McDonald’s also has more than 37,000 restaurants worldwide making it the largest fast-food chain in regards to a number of units globally. In the US alone, McDonald’s covers a market share of about 43.8% of the fast food industry making it a considerable force in the market.
It has also been building and consolidating its customer base both in its country of origin as well as other foreign lands where it currently enjoys massive liking. McDonald’s remains one of the most influential fast-food brands to beat in the market.
2) KFC
- Product Type: Fried chicken, sides, and desserts
- Industry: Foodservice
- Founded: 1930
- Founders: Harland Sanders
- Headquarters: Louisville, Kentucky, USA
- Area served: Worldwide
- Current CEO: Tony Lowings
- Parent: Yum! Brands
- Revenue: $2.83B (2022)
It ordinarily refers to Kentucky Fried Chicken, which merely implies that it is a Kentucky- based fast food joint that serves chicken as its principal product. KFC has also been resilient in establishing most of its stores both in the US and overseas. Its brand value has even grown significantly, and it operates quite a number of its own outlets as well as other franchised units.
KFC has more than 25,000 KFC restaurants in over 145 countries and territories around the world. This makes KFC the 4th largest fast-food restaurant in the world.
KFC invests a considerable amount of money in a wide range of activities that help it in creating brand awareness even in unlikely areas hence increasing its brand visibility, which later translates to high-income generation when it ultimately gets to business. It is apparently among the top five players in the fast food service industry in the world.
3) Starbucks
- Product Type: Coffee drinks, pastries, and snacks
- Industry: Foodservice, retail
- Founded: 1971
- Founders: Jerry Baldwin, Zev Siegl, and Gordon Bowker
- Headquarters: Seattle, Washington, USA
- Area served: Worldwide
- Current CEO: Howard Schultz
- Revenue: $9.168B (June 30, 2023)
- Number of employees: 402,000 (2022)
- Market Share: 37%
- Market cap: $112.25B (September 04, 2023)
Starbucks is arguably the highest rated quick service restaurant chain that specializes in serving coffee. It came in handy after it was established and perfectly filled the gap that had been created by quick service restaurants that only served foods. As a beverage quick-service outlet, Starbucks has demonstrated how vital curving and specializing in a specific niche can lead to high dominance and success in your particular area of specialization.
Starbucks net income for the quarter ending June 30, 2023 was $1.142B. Starbucks gross profit for the quarter ending June 30, 2023 was $6.304B. The company is ranked 120th on the Fortune 500 and 303rd on the Forbes Global 2000 as of 2022.
As a matter of interest, Starbucks is regarded as the number two quick service restaurant just behind the giant McDonalds in regards to the customer base, sale volume, the rate of expansion in both local and foreign markets and revenue generation among others.
4) Domino’s Pizza
- Product Type: Pizza, sides, and desserts
- Industry: Foodservice
- Founded: 1960
- Founders: Tom Monaghan and James Monaghan
- Headquarters: Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
- Area served: Worldwide
- Current CEO: Russell Weiner
- Revenue: $1.025B (June 30, 2023)
- Market cap: $13.73B (September 05, 2023)
- Number of employees: 11,000 (2022)
Domino’s Pizza is to a great extent among the major direct Subway competitors. It serves pizza as takeaway and also delivers to customers in their respective delivery locations. It has been in business for a considerable time long enough to understand the various dynamics of the industry. It has made it relatively easy for it to expand its wings to international markets where it has established multiple stores.
It is spread across in more than 90 international markets.
Domino’s Pizza Inc net income for the quarter ending June 30, 2023 was $0.109B. Domino’s Pizza Inc gross profit for the quarter ending June 30, 2023 was $0.405B.
A significant element that also makes it a competitor to beat is the fact that it has been able to obtain loyal client base along its way hence making its service easily admirable and increase sales volume.
5) Burger King
- Product Type: Fast food, including burgers, fries, chicken, and milkshakes
- Industry: Foodservice
- Founded: 1954
- Founders: James McLamore and David Edgerton
- Headquarters: Miami, Florida, USA
- Area served: Worldwide
- Current CEO: José Cil
- Revenue: $1.9B (2022)
- Number of employees: 150,000 (2022)
- Brand Value: $7.13 billion (2022)
- Parent: Restaurant Brands International
Burger King is a chain of fast food restaurant that majors in serving quite some fast food dishes on its menu. It is a US-based company that primarily deals with a burger but also serve soft drinks, breakfast menu and fries. Burger King once merged with a Canadian-based chain of coffee restaurants known as Tim Horton’s in 2014 as an approach of making sure it increases in brand visibility that would ultimately yield increased revenue.
With a revenue of 1.9 billion dollars as at 2022, burger king has positioned itself as a force to reckon with in the fast food industry. Burger King operated and franchised a total of 19,789 restaurants worldwide in 2022. It is currently estimated that 90% of Burger King stores are owned and operated by independent franchisees. Burger King has continued to expand its menu and brand and a brand value of more than 7.13 billion dollars in 2022 highlights some of the company’s success.
This move apparently has helped it in improving its brand value in the broader market albeit that each entity operates independently. It thus explains why Burger King has stood out as a strong competitor in this industry.
6) Dunkin Donuts
- Product Type: Coffee drinks, donuts, and other baked goods
- Industry: Foodservice
- Founded: 1950
- Founders: William Rosenberg
- Headquarters: Canton, Massachusetts, USA
- Area served: Worldwide
- Current CEO: David Hoffman
- Number of employees: 200,000
- Market capitalization: $8.77 Billion (August 2023)
Dunkin Donuts was fundamentally established as a quick service restaurant that would serve coffee and donuts to its clients. It is an American-based multinational brand that has over the time devised means of growing to become one of the most renowned players in this industry.
With over 3,100 stores in over 30 countries outside of the US, Dunkin’ Donuts has been serving loyal customers around the world for over 60 years. There are 9,461 Dunkin Donuts locations in the United States as of July 25, 2023.
Dunkin Donuts apparently serves a broader area of the American market and also has many other outlets in different parts of Europe, including UK, Germany, Spain, and France among others. Its continuous expansion and revenue generation are clear signs of the stake that this particular industry has in the quick service industry, which to a large extent cannot be downplayed.
7) Taco Bell
- Product Type: Mexican-inspired fast food, including tacos, burritos, quesadillas, and nachos
- Industry: Foodservice
- Founded: 1962
- Founders: Glen Bell
- Headquarters: Irvine, California, USA
- Area served: Worldwide
- Current CEO: Mark King
- Revenue: $14.653 billion (2022)
- Parent: Yum! Brands worldwide outside of China, Yum China within China
Taco Bell has been successful in carving a niche in the market by ensuring that it provides first-class Mexican dishes. It started as a small outlet when it was formally founded but has grown over the time to become a substantial force in this particular industry. Taco Bell has in the recent past been able to increase its net revenue, which merely implies that it continues to grow as a brand.
Mexican inspired quick service chain Taco Bell operated a total of 8,218 restaurants in 32 different countries worldwide in 2022. However, close to 7,817 of these outlets are based in the United States of America while the remaining are located in different countries where this particular restaurant chain operates.
The net effect of this is that it offers intense competition in the market that any player coming on board has to consider. Its ability to provide high-quality food consistently means that it regularly finds new customers and also maintains the existing ones, which makes it ideally a brand to beat. As of the second quarter of 2017, Taco Bell had increased its total income revenue and has also added more stores on top of what it had by close of 2016 fiscal year.
8) Wendy’s
- Product Type: Fast food, hicken sandwiches, fries, and Frostys
- Industry: Foodservice
- Founded: 1969
- Founders: Dave Thomas
- Headquarters: Dublin, Ohio, USA
- Area served: Worldwide
- Current CEO: Todd Penegor
- Revenue: $562 million (June 30, 2023)
- Number of employees: 14,500 (2022)
- Market Capitalization: $4.51B (August 2023)
- Parent: The Wendy’s Company
Wendy’s has been in the business for a considerable time which places it at a better place as one of the key competitors in this industry. Its specialty in serving burger made it possible for it to become a household name in the fast food service industry. It has also invested a significant amount of money as a way of making sure that its activities are efficiently facilitated for better results.
Wendy’s’ currently has 6,500 restaurants in the United States and 29 countries. Wendy’s own more than 100 quick service restaurants in Florida alone. The company was formed in 1969 by Dave Thomas.
Wendy’s revenue as at 2023 stood at about 562 million dollars with a net income of over 60 million dollars.
Wendy’s has over the tome expanded to different local and international markets, which is great has enabled it to have a strong foundation in regards to the popularity of the industry. It thus implies that as an international brand that it has since become, it is ideal for any competitor in this sector to factor it in.
9) Chipotle
- Product Type: Mexican-inspired fast food, including burritos, bowls, tacos, and salads
- Industry: Foodservice
- Founded: 1993
- Founders: Steve Ells
- Headquarters: Newport Beach, California, USA
- Area served: Worldwide
- Current CEO: Brian Niccol
- Revenue: $0.342B (June 30, 2023)
- Market cap: $53.48B (September 04, 2023)
- Number of employees: 104,958(2022)
Chipotle’s direct competitor in this particular industry is Taco Bell. The reason for this is that both brands of fast food restaurants serve a wide range of Mexican dishes as their primary specialty. Chipotle on its own way has nonetheless, portrayed that it can be a force to figure out in the industry since it has over the time managed to expand not only its local market but also international market.
Chipotle had over 3,200 restaurants as of March 31, 2023, in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, France and Germany and is the only restaurant company of its size that owns and operates all its restaurants. There are 3,236 Chipotle restaurants in the United States as of August 16, 2023.
As at 2023, Chipotle’s revenue was $0.342B while it had assets worth $7.552B with a net income of $0.342B in the same year.
That alone is a strong statement that no any player, whether existing or planning to set should ever overlook the potency that Chipotle has in the market. The fact that it started out as a small outlet but has with time made a name in the industry should be an indicator to any player disregarding it as a potentially strong competitor.
10) Tim Horton’s
- Product Type: Coffee, donuts, and other baked goods
- Industry: Foodservice
- Founded: 1964
- Founders: Tim Horton and Ron Joyce
- Headquarters: Oakville, Ontario, Canada
- Area served: Worldwide
- Current CEO: Alex Macedo
- Revenue: 2.63 billion U.S. dollars (2022)
- Net sales: US$2 billion (Q2, 2023)
- Number of employees: over 100,000
- Parent: Wendy’s (1995–2006) and Restaurant Brands International (2014–present)
Tim Horton’s upsurge in the quick service industry is a testimony that indeed it is a solid competitor in the market. It currently occupies more than 50% of the Canadian market share, an indication that it offers not only quality service but also has a mass customer base. Most of its stores are located in Canada, but it has even managed to establish some outlets in other parts of the US.
Tim Horton’s is the largest fast-food restaurant chain in Canada with more than 5000 outlets worldwide as at 2023 in 50 countries. It serves donuts and coffee. Its revenue as of 2022 was 2.63 billion dollars. Tim Hortons is Canada’s fifth most valuable brand.
This might have resulted as the merger it got into together with Burger King back in 2014, which has seen its revenue also increased. Tim Horton’s has a brighter future in this industry and writing it off as non-starter competitor, or somewhat an inferior competitor should be at your own peril.
11) Papa John’s Pizza
- Product Type: Pizza, sides, and desserts
- Industry: Foodservice
- Founded: 1984
- Founders: John Schnatter
- Headquarters: Louisville, Kentucky, USA
- Area served: Worldwide
- Current CEO: Robert Lynch
- Revenue: $515 million (June 30, 2023)
- Number of employees: 12,000 (2022)
One element that informs the potency of Papa John’s Pizza as one of the leading brands in the fast food service industry is its customer base. Apparently, the client base has been growing from time to time especially in the last decade. This has also seen it recording high sales volume and in addition, contributed in a considerable way to its expansion outside the USA.
As at 2023, its revenue is 515 billion dollars with over 12,000 employees working in the more than 5,706 branches that it operated. Papa John’s is the fourth largest pizza delivery restaurant chain in the United States.
Papa John’s Pizza provides one of the best services if the customer satisfaction levels are anything to go by. As a point of interest, their consistent quality pizza delivery and take-out services have made it a reliable competitor that needs to be considered whenever deliberations revolving around the same are checked.
12) Pizza Hut
- Product Type: Pizza, sides, and desserts
- Industry: Foodservice
- Founded: 1958
- Founders: Dan and Frank Carney
- Headquarters: Plano, Texas, USA
- Area served: Worldwide
- Current CEO: David Gibbs
- Revenue: $12.853 billion (2022)
- Number of employees: 350,000+
- Parent: Yum! Brands
Pizza Hut is a global pizza chain that has been in business for over 60 years. The company has faced some challenges in recent years, including declining sales and the closure of some of its dine-in restaurants in the US. However, Pizza Hut has continued to invest in innovation and new menu items. The company is known for its excellent customer service, quality pizza, and many novelties that have helped it become a global giant with over 16,000 individual stores worldwide.
Pizza Hut has also recently announced the return of its famous ” New York-style pizza, “The Big New Yorker,” which will be available for a limited time starting February 1, 2023, at participating Pizza Hut restaurants nationwide.
Pizza Hut has grown and expanded to the over 19,034 stores worldwide as of 2022. In 2022, Pizza Hut also records an average US sales of $5,487.
It is operated by Yum Brands
13) Arby’s
- Product Type: Fast food, including roast beef sandwiches, curly fries, and milkshakes
- Industry: Foodservice
- Founded: 1964
- Founders: Forrest Raffel and Leroy Raffel
- Headquarters: Atlanta, Georgia, USA
- Area served: Worldwide
- Current CEO: Paul Brown
- Number of employees: 80,000 employees (2022)
Arby’s Restaurant Group, Inc. is the franchisor of the Arby’s Brand and is part of the Inspire Brands family of restaurants headquartered in Atlanta, Ga. Arby’s, founded in 1964, is the second-largest sandwich restaurant brand in the world with more than 3,500 restaurants in nine countries.
The company’s headquarters are located in Sandy Springs, Georgia, a suburb of Atlanta. Arby’s is the flagship property of Inspire Brands, the renamed Arby’s Restaurant Group, Inc. (ARG). Arby’s has locations in six countries outside the United States: Canada, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Egypt, and South Korea.
Arby’s is one of the most popular restaurant franchises in the US: they had over 3,400 restaurants across the US in 2022. Arby’s has restaurants in 8 countries.
14) Panera Bread Company
- Product Type: Fast casual, including soups, salads, sandwiches, and baked goods
- Industry: Foodservice
- Founded: 1981
- Founders: Ronald Shaich
- Headquarters: Sunset Hills, Missouri, USA
- Area served: Worldwide
- Current CEO: Niren Chaudhary
Panera Bread Company is an American chain store of bakery-café fast casual restaurants with over 2,000 locations, all of which are in the United States and Canada.Panera began in 1987 as St. Louis Bread Company, a humble community bakery founded with a sourdough starter from San Francisco and a dream of putting a loaf of bread in every arm. In 1999, the company changed its name to Panera Bread and was operating in 25 states.
Panera offers a wide array of pastries and baked goods, such as bagels, brownies, cookies, croissants, muffins, and scones. The menu also includes flatbread pizzas, pasta, salads, sandwiches, soups, and specialty drinks. The company is owned by JAB Holding Company, which is, in turn, owned by the Reimann family of Germany. Panera is the first and only restaurant company to commit to and achieve 100% clean food. Its MyPanera loyalty program is the largest in the industry, with 28 million members.
Panera generated a revenue of US$5.795 billion in 2022. Current Panera Bread Market Capitalization is 7 B .
15) Chick-fil-A
- Product Type: Fast food, including chicken sandwiches, waffle fries, and milkshakes
- Industry: Foodservice
- Founded: 1946
- Founders: S. Truett Cathy
- Headquarters: College Park, Georgia, USA
- Area served: Worldwide
- Current CEO: Dan Cathy
Chick-fil-A is a fast-food chain that was founded in 1946 by S. Truett Cathy in Hapeville, Georgia. The company is known for its signature original Chick-fil-A Chicken Sandwich, which was developed in the Dwarf Grill (now known as The Dwarf House® restaurant). The sandwich is made with a hand-breaded, perfectly seasoned, and pressure-cooked filet served on a toasted, buttery bun with two pickle chips. The company has grown beyond its roots in Atlanta and is now delivering its signature brand of service and food to guests in 48 states, Washington, D.C., Canada, and Puerto Rico.
Chick-fil-A is committed to a workplace culture where everyone is treated with honor, dignity, and respect. The company’s policies, practices, and benefits support this commitment. Chick-fil-A is purpose-driven, and its purpose is to create positive impact on all who come in contact with the company.
Chick-fil-A’s revenue in 2022 was $5.8 billion. Chick-fil-A’s domestic system sales reached $18.8 billion in 2022.
16) Popeyes
- Product Type: Fast food, including fried chicken, chicken sandwiches, and sides
- Industry: Foodservice
- Founded: 1972
- Founders: Al Copeland
- Headquarters: Miami, Florida, USA
- Area served: Worldwide
- Current CEO: Sami Siddiqui
Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen, Inc., also known as Popeyes, is a popular fast-food chain that has been expanding globally since its inception in 1972. The chain is known for its delicious chicken dishes in mild and spicy flavors. The chain was founded by Al Copeland in 1972 in New Orleans, Louisiana. Popeyes was expanding regionally, nationally, and internationally throughout the 1980s, and it was a time of innovation and experimentation for the brand.
Popeyes’ system-wide sales grew nearly 13% in 2022, with digital sales accounting for over a third of system-wide sales, amounting to over $13.5 billion. The company boasts over 4,000 locations across the globe including locations in 40 states in the United States and over 30 countries globally with over $500 million in annual revenue. They recently made plans public to further expand their franchise business with 35 new locations.
17) Costa Coffee
- Product Type: Coffee, pastries, and other food items
- Industry: Foodservice
- Founded: 1971
- Founders: Sergio Costa and Bruno Costa
- Headquarters: London, England
- Area served: Worldwide
- Current CEO: Dominic Paul
Costa Coffee is a British coffeehouse chain founded in 1971 by Sergio and Bruno Costa. The brothers moved to London from Parma, Italy, with a desire to make great-tasting coffee a part of everyday life. Costa Coffee started as a wholesale operation supplying roasted coffee to caterers and specialist Italian coffee shops. They opened their first store in London in 1981 and now have over 3,800 stores worldwide. Costa Coffee sells hot and cold drinks, sandwiches, cakes, pastries, and snacks. As of April 18, 2023, there were reported to be 13,540 Costa Coffee locations in the United Kingdom.
The average daily sales of Costa Coffee operated by Devyani International Limited across India in the fiscal year 2022 was around 29 thousand rupees.
Costa Coffee is the second-largest coffeehouse company globally, after Starbucks, but the biggest in the UK. The company is highly innovative and leads the park in most of the countries in Europe where it operates. Costa Coffee is known worldwide, and it has a wide variety of products that vary based on the cultures and the needs of the different countries in which it operates. The differentiation strategy helps the company to design products that are suited for the various customers. Costa Coffee is a business that has a mission to provide the best coffee experience to its customers. The company’s strategy is to provide high-quality coffee and excellent customer service to its customers
18) Pret a Manger
- Product Type: Sandwiches, salads, soups, and coffee
- Industry: Foodservice
- Founded: 1983
- Founders: Sinclair Beecham and Julian Metcalfe
- Headquarters: London, England
- Area served: Worldwide
- Current CEO: Pano Christou
- Revenue: £357.8m (H1, 2022)
Pret a Manger is a British sandwich and coffee chain that was founded in London in 1983. The company has grown to become ubiquitous in central London with the mantra “follow the skyscrapers,” serving up London’s harried office workers Posh Cheddar & Pickle baguettes and Classic Super Club sandwiches to eat at their keyboards. Pret a Manger has a unique approach to customer service and to training and motivating its staff.
Pret a Manger has expanded globally and has shops in France, the US, Hong Kong, and several other countries. The company’s sandwiches, salads, and wraps are freshly made each day in shop kitchens using quality ingredients. Pret a Manger has partnered with a unit of Reliance Industries, which is owned by India’s richest man Mukesh Ambani, to open its first shop in India’s financial hub Mumbai. The company’s CEO, Pano Christou, said its offering in the country will reflect the company’s brand “while also adapting to local preferences and food habits”.
Pret operates 442 shops in the UK and 558 shops internationally. Pret has 8,700 employees in the UK and 11,500 internationally.
19) Jack in the Box
- Product Type: Fast food, including burgers, tacos, and breakfast items
- Industry: Foodservice
- Founded: 1951
- Founders: Robert O. Peterson
- Headquarters: San Diego, California, USA
- Area served: United States, Mexico, and China
- Current CEO: Darin Harris
- Revenue: $402.8 million (Q4, 2022)
- Market cap: $1.53 Billion (September 2023)
Jack in the Box is a fast-food restaurant chain that was founded in 1951 by Robert O. Peterson in San Diego, California. The restaurant became popular in 1994 after a highly successful marketing campaign that featured the fictitious Jack in the Box chairman Jack character.
Jack in the Box reported a surge of 44.6% in total revenues, to $402.8 million, in the fourth quarter (Q4) ended 2 October 2022. Jack in the Box same-store sales increased by 4.0% in Q4 2022 and 0.9% for FY 2022. Jack in the Box to open 25-30 restaurants, expects positive net unit growth in FY 2023.
20) Sbarro
- Product Type: Italian food, including pizza, pasta, and salads
- Industry: Foodservice
- Founded: 1956
- Founders: Gennaro and Carmela Sbarro
- Headquarters: Melville, New York, USA
- Area served: Worldwide
- Current CEO: David Karam
Sbarro is an American pizzeria chain that specializes in New York-style pizza sold by the slice and other Italian-American cuisine. The company was founded in 1956 by Gennaro and Carmela Sbarro, who opened their first salumeria (an Italian grocery store) in Brooklyn, New York. Carmela Sbarro made pizza slices for shift workers looking for a quick meal, and her slices were so popular that they soon opened a second location focused solely on pizza. Since then, Sbarro has brought the best pasta, salad, and of course the XL NY slice to 630 eateries across 28 countries. However, the original location closed down in 2004.
Sbarro’s reputation for excellent management has grown steadily along with its striking financial results. However, the company faced challenges in the 21st century, and in 2014, it filed for bankruptcy due to declining sales. The company has since restructured and continues to operate. As of 2023, the company has 56 stores in the Philippines. Sbarro is a testament to the entrepreneurial spirit of Italian immigrants and their ability to create a successful business that has become a household name in the pizza industry.
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