赛百味今年将在中国新开创纪录350家门店   2026-06-08

 

Subway, the US restaurant chain focused on made-to-order sandwiches, plans to open 350 new spots in China this year, which would be a record high since the firm entered the market more than 30 years ago, according to the chief executive of its country arm.

Subway China opened 320 new stores last year, bringing its total number of restaurants to over 1,200, Zhu Fuqiang told Yicai at the inaugural Subway Fans Festival on June 6. This year's new locations will prioritize coverage of key business districts in first- and second-tier cities, as well as provincial capitals, he noted.

The number of restaurants in Beijing and Shanghai will exceed 200, Zhu said, adding that Subway China will also expand into lower-tier cities where there is demand.

Since entering the Chinese market in 1995, Subway's growth has been relatively slow compared to other foreign fast-food brands, having only 500 stores by 2023. However, after US private equity firm Roark Capital bought Subway in August of that year and Shanghai Furui Food Enterprise Development took over as franchise operator in China, the expansion pace significantly accelerated.

The opening of more spots in the Chinese market over the past two years was related to Subway China's performance growth, with a double-digit revenue jump in both 2023 and 2024, Zhu pointed out. Despite intensified price competition, income growth is still close to double digits so far this year, he noted.

Furui Food implemented a series of reforms after taking over Subway China, including introducing energy bowls, energy wraps, and localized light meals in addition to the original sandwiches, Zhu said, adding that it also expanded consumption scenarios to include breakfast and dinner, which contributed to revenue growth.

In addition, Chinese consumers' focus on healthy foods increased significantly after the Covid-19 pandemic, driving rapid growth in the light meal category.

China's light meal market surged 42 percent to CNY320 billion (USD47.3 billion) in 2024 from the previous year, according to a report by iiMedia Research. It is expected to surpass CNY500 billion this year.

With consumers increasingly pursuing health and nutrition management, there is still significant potential in the light meal market, Zhu Danpeng, vice president of the Guangdong Food Safety Promotion Association, said to Yicai. However, competition is also intensifying, so the key to success is how to create differentiated products, Zhu stressed.

 

来源：Yicai Global

 

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