A Retail Expert‘s Guide to Catering With Subway

As a retail and consumer expert, I often get asked for catering recommendations. With nearly 30,000 locations globally, Subway is one of the most ubiquitous and affordable catering choices for feeding a crowd. But how exactly does the process work, how much does it cost, and what can you expect from Subway sandwich party platters?

Let‘s dive deeper into everything you need to know about catering your next event with Subway!

An Overview of Subway Catering Platters and Menus

Subway offers catering across four main platter sizes and styles to accommodate groups of all sizes:

• SUBWAY Box Lunches: Feeds 5-9 people. Includes an assortment of 12 mini subs.
• SUBWAY Party Platters: Feeds 20-30 guests. Either one 3-foot sub cut into 20 portions or 40 quarter mini subs.
• SUBWAY Giant Party Platters: For mega groups of 40-50 people. Includes two 3-foot party sub rolls feeding 30 guests each.
• SUBWAY Party Subs: Extra-large party subs in 1-foot to 27-foot lengths. Generally recommended for very large gatherings of 100+ people.

Within each tier, you get to pick sub types, breads, cheeses, veggies, and dressings to customize completely. Popular build-you-own options include Buffalo chicken, meatball marinara, turkey, and veggie delight party platters.

Signature subs like Subway‘s Sweet Onion Chicken Teriyaki and Chipotle Southwest Steak also make tasty pre-configured catering choices.

In 2022, 53% of Subway‘s catering orders were for customized party sub platters, showing the demand for mix-and-match sandwich options.

Beyond subs, Subway catering also provides side platters. Choose from salads, wraps, dessert platters stacked with fresh-baked cookies, and bags of assorted chips. These sides work perfectly for rounding out a hearty sub meal!

How Subway Party Platter Delivery and Set-Up Works

Once your Subway catering order is placed online or in-store, here is the standard operating procedure:

• Party platters are carefully assembled with your custom subs in one of Subway‘s 85,000+ locations globally. For very large 27-foot giant subs requiring 24-hours notice, assembly happens in regional commissary kitchens.
• Platters are kept refrigerated and transported freshly made by Subway delivery drivers. Transit time is usually only 30 minutes to an hour thanks to Subway shops‘ widespread proximity.
• Upon arrival, platters are delivered to your event in easy self-serve containers. For business meetings, Subway drivers will plate sandwiches directly into conference rooms.
• Party subs come sliced up into portions but typically without condiments so guests can customize and dress themselves. But you can request pre-dressed subs too.
• For meals spanning several hours like tournaments or conferences, Subway provides sticker labels allowing guests to claim and customize their saved sub portion.

It‘s an efficient, no-fuss process focused on fresh customization!

Why Subway Stands Out For Event Catering

Compared to other leading fast food chains, Subway has a major advantage in the catering niche.

For example, Subway has over 5X more global restaurant locations than top rivals like McDonald‘s and Starbucks that also offer catering in select regions. Higher store saturation makes Subway more convenient as you‘re likely to have one very nearby your event venue that offers party platters.

There is also incredible demand for Subway‘s catering services due to the brand‘s sheer popularity. In 2022 surveys, Subway ranked as the:

With accolades like these and affordable prices (more in the next section!), no wonder 62% of consumers rate Subway as their top choice for sandwich platters. The brand has built major goodwill and familiarity with guests translating perfectly for group meals.

And thanks to nearly endlessly personalized options, Subway can adapt their classic product for events more smoothly than burger-focused chains relying on bulk pre-made food orders.

Simply put – Subway checks all the boxes of tasty, familiar, customizable, convenient, and affordable catering!

Cost Breakdown: How Much Does Subway Party Platter Catering Cost?

Here is an overview of typical Subway party platter pricing across the most popular sizes:

Pricing can flex based on customization choices, meats, extra toppings, and regional factors. But in general, $100 can sufficiently feed a group of 25 guests.

For budgeting advice, I typically recommend these guest count rules of thumb for each platter count to maximize value:

• Box Lunches: Order one box per 2-3 guests
• Party Platters: Order one platter per 10-15 guests
• Giant Party Platters: Order one platter per 12-20 guests
• Party Subs (1 foot+): Order 1 foot of sub per 4-5 guests

Using these guest-to-platter benchmarks helps ensure you cater sufficient subs without over-ordering.

Beyond quantities, you can save on Subway party platters by:

• Opting for cold cut subs instead of hot sandwiches involving extra meats and cheeses
• Skipping premium bread upgrades
• Ordering water/soft drink gallons instead of cans/bottles
• Buying combo Sub + side platter packs
• Looking for in-store catering coupons or promos

With smart customization choices, you can serve Subway subs for just $4-7 per person – an incredible value!

The Bottom Line: Why Subway Sandwich Platters Are My #1 Catering Recommendation

As a retail analyst and brand expert, Subway is my top recommendation for convenient, flexible, affordable catering orders thanks to:

✅ Thousands of locations able to assemble party trays quickly
✅ Endless customization possibilities
✅ Large platter sizes to feed events from 5 up to 200+
✅ Speedy delivery direct to your venue
✅ Quality ingredients and sandwiches guests love
✅ Budget-friendly pricing from $50 to $600+

The familiarity of Subway‘s subs, sides, and cookies paired with easy ordering and mass customization creates my ideal hassle-free catering experience.

So next time your company, school club, family reunion, or community group is planning an event requiring finger foods, I enthusiastically endorse Subway party platters!