Subway’s new footlong cookies are so popular that it’s struggling to keep up with demand

By Jordan Valinsky, CNN

New York (CNN) — Unexpected demand for Subway’s new footlong cookies has created a big cookie shortage, driving the new snack off the menu less than two weeks after its big debut.

The sandwich chain announced Thursday that its new Sidekick lineup, which also consists of a Cinnabon churro and a soft pretzel from Auntie Anne’s, is already exceeding sales expectations. Subway said it has sold more than 3.5 million Sidekick snacks since they were added to menus on January 22 and it was scrambling to get additional supply to meet demand.

Because of the cookie’s surprising popularity, Subway has temporarily removed them from its app and third-party channels, like DoorDash, to manage demand. Customers can still digitally order the the soft pretzel and churro.

“Sidekicks are a big hit with guests and the latest proof that Subway is a remarkably different brand than it was when we began our transformation journey three years ago — and we’re not slowing down,” said Subway CEO John Chidsey in a statement.

Also Thursday, the privately held company released a glimpse of its financial situation, revealing that sales at stores open at least a year in North America jumped 5.9% in 2023 compared to the year prior. Specific numbers weren’t released.

Subway also said that for the first time since 2016, it has added more restaurants than it lost. Last year, the chain announced it was expanding globally with thousands of new locations, including 4,000 new restaurants in China over the next two decades.

In the past few years under Chidsey’s purview, Subway chain has undergone a makeover in basically all aspects of its business, because it has struggled recently against its sub-slinging competition.

As part of its turnaround effort, the company added customization to its menu, doubled down on pushing orders to its app, increased its international presence and most recently introduced freshly-sliced meats — a major shift from Subway’s previous method of delivering cold cuts pre-sliced.

However, some franchisees recently complained that they weren’t impressed with the new $6,000 slicers.

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