Signage is seen at a Subway restaurant in Manhattan, New York City, U.S., November 23, 2021. REUTERS/Andrew Kelly/File Photo
- Inflation pressures weigh on global restaurant chains in India
- Most India Subways have ditched tomatoes; no free cheese slice
- Subway says it’s menu upgrade; analysts say it’s cost cutting
- Domino’s promotes its cheapest pizza in India
NEW DELHI, Aug 11 (Reuters) – Subway sandwiches in India will no longer come with the option of a free cheese slice following revisions to its menu that analysts regarded as being more about cost-cutting than just a matter of taste.
American chain Subway is one of largest restaurant franchisers in India, with around 800 outlets. They now charge 30 rupees ($0.40) extra for the cheese slice in most sandwiches, but are offering a free “cheezy” sauce instead.
Rising prices for ingredients, including dairy products, have put global fast food chains in India under pressure to trim costs while keeping customers satisfied.
Domino’s promotion price for its cheapest pizza is just 60 U.S. cents in India, where its franchisee has publicly flagged concerns over a 40% surge in the price of cheese during the financial year that ended in March.
Many Subway and McDonald’s outlets in India have also removed tomatoes from their menus in recent weeks citing quality issues after prices surged around 450% to record highs.
India has resorted to importing tomatoes from Nepal to ease the shortage.
The cheese sauce now available for free at Subway India was “developed for qualitative reasons alone”, said Everstone Group’s Culinary Brands, which manages the supply chain for all 800 outlets and is the master franchisee for around 200.
The qualitative change clearly isn’t to everyone’s taste.
Subway has “replaced the cheese slice with liquid cheese blend … You just lost a loyal customer,” one unimpressed customer, Sumit Arora, wrote on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter.
A Subway store manager in New Delhi told Reuters the new cheese…
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