MILFORD, Conn. -- Subway is getting into pizza. About 13,000 of the chain's 21,000 U.S. stores will offer the 8-inch, thick-crust personal pizzas by the end of this year, Les Winograd, spokesperson for Milford, Conn.-based Doctor's Associates Inc., which owns the Subway brand, told The Chicago Sun-Times. We have the ovens, so it seemed like a pretty logical thing to do, he said.
Offering more variety gives us an opportunity to really go at the dinner daypart, Winograd added.
Subway's number of locations might give it an advantage [image-nocss] over existing pizza chains, Ron Paul, president of Technomic Inc., a restaurant and food industry research and consulting firm, told the paper. Maybe you want to eat pizza, but you don't want to travel to a Pizza Hut or Domino's, he said.
Subway has been trying to incorporate pizza onto its menu for about 10 years, added a Brandweek report. Logistical problems, such as an oven that took up eight feet of counter space and a separate table for fresh dough, slowed the introduction, said Cindy Kopazna, project leader for new product development at Subway.
Speed ovens, which were installed nationally in 2005 to compete with Quiznos, have allowed Subway to streamline the process. Some nontraditional locations at hospitals and airports now offer pizza, but only a few traditional stores have had it during a trial period, the report said.
Subway's addition of pizza is not without precedent, said the report. McDonald's has been testing pizzas off and on for years. Panera Bread Co. offers pizza after 4 p.m. Dunkin' Donuts is testing individual pizzas at four locations; Dunkin' Deli locations also offer Pizzettas.
Pizza is the most competitive category in fast food, Bob Sandelman, CEO of foodservice research firm Sandelman & Associates, told the publication. There are not only the chains, but also local competition from mom and pops and regional players.
One potential branding issue is the fact that pizza flies in the face of Subway's healthy-for-you proposition. I can't see them launching a national Eat Fresh' campaign for pizza, said Paul. I don't think they want to mess with their image. Sure, it's available, but it's not the chain's focus and it's not the reason most people go to Subway.
According to Kopazna, We've got all types of customers. We're not trying to be all things to all people but we do have a menu that does have variety on it so those who want to enjoy a meatball sub or one of Jared's favorites have the option.
The thick-crusted personal pizzas are prebaked at central locations and shipped to nearby stores. Basic pies will go for $2.99. Additional toppings, such as pepperoni, sausage or meatballs, are an extra dollar. Vegetables and extra cheese are free.
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