The sandwich giant has shuttered 8,345 restaurants since 2016, but international growth and operational improvements are on the rise.

By Jonathan Small | edited by Brittany Robins | May 04, 2026

Subway cut another 729 U.S. stores in 2025, marking the 10th straight year of decline, according to QSR . Since 2016, Subway has closed 8,345 restaurants.

Management says the closures are part of a “ rightsizing ” strategy. In a statement, Subway said it “focused on ensuring restaurants are in the right locations with the real estate, visibility and operations that set franchisees up to succeed long-term . Translation: fewer stores in better spots beats market saturation with underperforming units.

Subway still leads the U.S. by store count, ahead of Starbucks and McDonald’s . Its franchise disclosure documents project 100 new U.S. openings in 2026, with closures likely in the hundreds again. The brand is rolling out a value menu with 15 items under $5 and says store-level scores are climbing.…