Subway’s Blueprint combines restaurant redesigns, new dining occasions and a shared EMEA brand platform, with a regional rollout already underway.
Subway is tying its next phase of restaurant growth to a broader redesign of how customers order, collect and eat. From 1 January 2027, every new restaurant and remodel in the region will follow Blueprint, a multi-year strategy that extends the brand’s customization offer beyond the menu and into the restaurant experience.
The timing comes amid growth across the business. In the UK and Ireland, comparable sales have risen by double digits over the past two years, year-to-date average unit volume (AUV) has reached a record, digital sales are up by double digits, and net restaurant growth remains positive. Across Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA), AUV is also at a record high, up 8.4% over two years, while digital sales have increased 25% year to date.
Those figures give Subway a strong backdrop for a program that will require franchisees to adapt their premises and service routines. The company says Blueprint grew from feedback from customers and franchisees. Its three parts cover the physical restaurant, additional reasons to visit, and a brand platform intended to give Subway a consistent voice across EMEA.
Redesigning the order and collection experience
The restaurant concept puts visible ingredients and choice at the centre of the space. Salad ingredients, sauces and freshly baked bread are showcased, while customers can choose among several ordering routes: speaking with a Sandwich Artist at the customization counter, placing an order at a self-service kiosk, or using Subway’s app and delivery options.
That range matters operationally because guests arrive with different needs and levels of time. A counter order supports the familiar made-to-order interaction; a kiosk allows customers to browse and customize at their own pace; digital ordering lets them place an order from home, work or while travelling. The aim, as described by Subway, is to preserve the same ability to customize across those channels.
Once an order is placed, an order-ready screen displays its progress and a marked collection point directs customers to pick it up. Cookies and coffee are positioned nearby. These details connect the ordering system with the layout: clear handoffs can help customers understand where to wait and collect, while accessible add-ons give the restaurant another opportunity to serve a small extra purchase.
For operators, the practical test will be how well the redesigned space handles its mix of counter service, kiosk orders, app orders and delivery pickups during busy periods. Blueprint sets out the customer-facing elements, while the article does not provide build costs, staffing requirements or expected returns. Those details will shape how individual franchisees assess the changes at their locations.
More occasions for customers to visit
Blueprint also broadens the dayparts and situations Subway wants to serve. The planned offers include breakfast and coffee, Grab & Go, and Subway After Dark, an evening experience with a different menu and atmosphere. The company says the timing and format of these additions will depend on the site and local demand.
That qualification points to a practical operating choice: a breakfast offer or evening menu may suit one location better than another. Foot traffic, nearby businesses and customer routines can vary from site to site. Subway has not provided detailed menus or rollout dates for these occasions, so franchisees will learn more as the concepts are introduced locally.
For a restaurant group, extending service into more occasions can mean adapting preparation, staffing and the way products are presented. Subway’s approach pairs those new offers with the existing customization model, rather than describing a single format for every market. Local demand is set to guide where and when the options appear.
A shared brand platform across EMEA
The third part is Get Your Own Way, a long-term brand platform built around customers’ individual tastes and meal choices. Subway says the idea will be expressed through advertising and social content, as well as packaging, the app and the restaurants. The message links the brand’s made-to-order history with the changes to its spaces and ordering channels.
Tracy Gehlan, Subway EMEA president, said customers want to eat on their own schedule and in their own way. She said Blueprint is intended to support those preferences while giving franchisees stronger restaurant economics and a stronger brand over the long term. The company has not attached specific financial targets to that ambition.
Rollout and franchise growth
The first Blueprint restaurants opened this summer in the Netherlands and the UK, and Get Your Own Way is now running across EMEA. The 1 January 2027 date establishes when the design will apply to new restaurants and remodels in the region. Subway’s worldwide network comprises more than 35,000 restaurants, all independently owned and operated by thousands of franchisees.
Expansion plans add another dimension to the rollout. Over the past 18 months, Subway has signed six Master Franchise Agreements across 14 countries. Those agreements represent nearly 1,300 planned restaurants over the next seven to ten years. The plans indicate the scale of intended growth, though the article does not give opening schedules for those locations.
The near-term measure of Blueprint will be how customers use the new ordering routes and added occasions, and whether the redesigned restaurants work for franchisees across different sites. With early locations open and the broader brand platform active, Subway has begun that process; the 2027 standard sets the next milestone for its regional network.
