- Jared Fogle became Subway’s pitchman after losing 245 pounds by eating mostly the chain’s subs.
- He filmed more than 300 advertisements for Subway before pleading guilty to child sex offenses in 2015.
- A Fogle documentary airing in March is bad timing for Subway as it searches for a buyer, analysts say.
After years of denying rumors of a company being soldSubway has finally admitted that it is looking for a buyer.
The chain must think the timing is right. CEO John Chidsey, a former CEO of Burger King, came to Subway in late 2019 to turn the company around — and possibly put the chain up for sale. according to insiders. Chidsey previously led the sale of Burger King to 3G Capital in 2010.
Under his watch, the chain has made menu and restaurant upgrades, such as Subway stores adding meat slicers in the coming months. Subway recently reported the second consecutive year of record sales, despite declining store numbers And infighting between franchisees.
But a ghost from Subway’s past, Jared Fogle, returns to haunt America’s largest sub-chain.
The disgraced and imprisoned former Subway pitchman is the subject of an in-depth documentary, in which showrunners vow to reveal the “dark, untold story of how Fogle was exposed as a child sex predator.” The three-part series debuts March 6 on true-crime channel ID.
“What Jared did was terrible. And to this day I know people who don’t go to Subway because of the whole Jared fiasco,” said industry analyst Mark Kalinowski.
Fogle’s return to the spotlight isn’t ideal for Subway, said John Gordon, a restaurant analyst at Pacific Management Consulting Group.
“That can’t be good for the sales process because that brings out the unfavorable relationship between Subway and Jared,” he said.
Subway told Insider that it parted ways with Fogle nearly a decade ago.
“Our thoughts continue to go out to those who fell victim to Mr Fogle. His conduct and conduct were reprehensible,” Subway said in a statement. “When we learned of Mr. Fogle’s conduct, we took immediate action and he has not been associated with the company in any way for nearly eight years.”
Subway said the chain had not been asked to be interviewed for the series and tried to contact the producers.
“We have made multiple attempts to show the producers that this docuseries does not reflect who we are as a company,” the chain said. Insider reached out to the show’s producers but did not respond to requests for comment.
Fogle’s relationship with Subway
Metro tapped Fogle in 2000 to be the face of the chain after learning he lost 245 pounds by eating mostly Subway sandwiches. Fogle ended filming about 300 commercials for the chain between 2000 and 2015. The partnership helped him reach a reported net worth of $15 million as of 2013, according to the New York Daily News. Sales at Subway skyrocketed as he became a pop culture icon.
In July 2015, Subway cut ties with Fogle after federal authorities raided his Indiana home on suspicion of possessing child pornography. Four months later, he was sentenced to more than 15 years in prison prison after confession to paying minors for sex and trafficking child pornography.
The new documentary series promises to reveal the “rise and fall” of the former Subway pitchman who “posed as a national hero while hiding a horrifying side”. The docuseries also features interviews with Fogle’s victims.
Restaurant consultant Tim Powell said Subway will probably never get rid of its previous partnership with Fogle. But he doesn’t believe the new series will hurt Subway’s sales opportunities, nor will it deter younger consumers from patronizing the chain.
“Many of Gen Z and younger millennials, who are the biggest users of foodservice, probably don’t even remember Jared,” said Powell, director of Foodservice IP. “Will Subway suffer further brand reputation loss? Will loyal users quit? Probably not. Chipotle’s had several food safety issues, but who remembers now? News cycles today are fluid and ephemeral.”
Still, Kalinowski said, “if this documentary gets enough attention” among young Subway customers who have never heard of Fogle, they might think twice about supporting the chain.
“Consumers get a reminder of things that happened,” he said. “And frankly, the details are very, very nasty.”
Are you a Subway insider with insight to share? Do you have a tip? Contact this reporter via email at nluna@insider.com.
