Subway is pitching a new line of footlong cookies, churros and pretzels as “freshly baked” — but first they’ve got to be taken out of the freezer and thawed, according to company materials obtained by The Post.
In a press release late last month, the fast-food giant claimed it “sells more freshly baked cookies than any other restaurant company in the United States” as it touted the new line of “Sidekick” snacks slated to launch nationwide in February.
The cookies are “Thick, gooey, packed with chocolate chips and served warm – right out of the oven,” Paul Fabre, Senior Vice President, Culinary and Innovation at Subway, said in a statement.
But a training handbook distributed to franchisees in recent weeks indicates it will take four hours to thaw frozen footlong cookies, and two hours to thaw the churros and pretzels.
“Eight churros, six pretzels, and three cookies go on a pan to thaw,” according to the handbook.
“After a guest has told you their sandwich order, recommend a Sidekick,” the manual adds. “If they order a Sidekick, the trick is to finish all the sandwiches first, then put the Sidekick in the speed oven to heat up. So it comes out nice and hot.”
To compare, many Dunkin’ locations get their doughnuts daily from a central location and do not freeze or thaw them, although the shops have the option of instead buying frozen doughnuts that are then thawed, according to a Dunkin’ employee.
As previously reported by The Post, Subway lost traffic in the third quarter and in October, according to internal data from two regions representing about 10% of US restaurants.
That makes the success of the Sidekicks launch important, a Subway regional manager said in an email to her franchisees, adding that restaurants in her region were in decline, according to a franchisee.
Subway calls its new “craveable, shareable snacks” — footlong churros partnered with Cinnabon, pretzels partnered with Auntie Anne’s and cookies — part of its “4.0 Refresh,” according to the presentation.
A Subway franchisee told The Post the new footlong snacks aren’t a brand-new idea as Subways in Walmart locations for some time sold similar fare.
A Subway spokeswoman did not return calls.
