Introduction
Subway, the world’s largest fast-food chain, is reportedly facing a shortage of small cups, according to insiders. The shortage is believed to be due to a combination of increased demand and supply chain issues. This has caused some Subway locations to be unable to serve customers their favorite drinks in the small cup size. The shortage has been a source of frustration for customers and employees alike, as it has caused delays and inconveniences.
Subway, the popular sandwich chain, is reportedly facing a shortage of small cups, according to insiders. The company has been struggling to keep up with the demand for its signature drinks, such as the popular Fanta and Sprite.
The shortage has been attributed to a number of factors, including a lack of raw materials and a decrease in production due to the coronavirus pandemic. The company has also been dealing with a shortage of staff, as many of its employees have been laid off or furloughed due to the economic downturn.
The shortage has been particularly noticeable in the United States, where the company has been forced to ration its small cups. Customers have been complaining about the lack of availability, with some even taking to social media to express their frustration.
Subway has yet to comment on the shortage, but it is believed that the company is working hard to address the issue. In the meantime, customers are being encouraged to bring their own cups or opt for a larger size.
The shortage of small cups is yet another challenge for Subway, which has been struggling to stay afloat during the pandemic. The company has been forced to close hundreds of stores and lay off thousands of employees in order to stay afloat.
It remains to be seen how Subway will address the shortage of small cups, but it is clear that the company is doing its best to keep up with the demand. In the meantime, customers are being encouraged to bring their own cups or opt for a larger size.
When it comes to fast food, few franchises come close to the sheer size of Subway. The chain operates over 36,000 locations across 104 countries—making it one of the largest fast-food chains in the world. Indeed, you don’t have to search very far to find a Subway location near you.
Being the home of the Footlong, the brand is best known for its wide selection of subs and an array of ingredients you can customize those subs with (although, the chain is attempting to move away from that). One thing’s certain, though: no meal is complete without a refreshing beverage.
The chain offers three fountain drink sizes: small (20 oz), medium (30 oz), and large (40 oz). Rumblings on the social media platform Reddit, however, suggest more than a few Subway locations all over the country are running out of one cup size in particular—and a restock may not be coming any time soon.
Make sure you’re thirsty the next time you visit a Subway location as there’s a decent chance the store will be fresh out of 20-ounce paper cups. Referring to the chain’s smallest-sized cups, one Reddit user recently revealed: “Boss told me today they’d be out til the end of the year ??. I can already hear the complaints rolling in.”
While that’s just one person’s testimony, multiple users corroborated the cup shortage update in the post’s comments. One Redditor replied: “I’ve heard that too, which is dumb.”
Another user commented: “I was told the same. Also informed us that the parm oregano (herb and cheese seasoning) is in the same boat. God forbid if we lose lettuce…” A few readers were skeptical about the claims, but that same Redditor chimed in again, noting: “What he has told is in fact accurate.. managers get emails from subway with important info like this and have even seen them myself.”
Since that original tidbit appeared in the Subway subreddit, more details have begun to leak out. Another fresh post on Reddit appears to show an internal Subway email claiming “cup vendor production issues” are behind the current small cup shortage. As a short-term fix, the email states plain white 20-ounce styrofoam cups will be arriving shortly as a replacement.
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Unfortunately, though, the email also notes standard Subway lids usually used for paper fountain cups won’t fit these styrofoam stand-ins. This matches up with another comment, seemingly from a Subway store owner, posted in the first Reddit thread: “They freakin sent me styrofoam cups and none of my lids fit!!”
Details are still few and far between. It’s unclear just how many Subway locations have been affected by the small paper cup shortage, or when each location will receive a new supply. While the first Reddit post suggests that a specific user’s store won’t see any new small paper cups until 2023, the internal Subway email states “paper cups are scheduled to arrive on Friday, 9/30/22 but they have not been confirmed yet.”
At the very least, this story just goes to show that even casual dining juggernauts like Subway aren’t immune to supply chain and production issues from time to time.
The chain has not returned our request for comment.
John Anderer