Subway in France: The Chain of Medium Cities
At 400 restaurants in 2024, Subway is the 5th largest fast food chain in France by number of points of sale (behind McDonald’s, Burger King, KFC, and Domino’s). Its particularity: a more distributed network than its competitors, with a strong presence in medium cities rather than in only the largest metropolises.
Our Scope
Our SIRENE database lists 35 franchised Subway companies, representing approximately 10% of the real park. This sample is statistically limited but provides insights into geographical dispersion.
Top 5 Departments
| Rank | Department | Companies tagged |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hérault (34) | 4 |
| 1 | Nord (59) | 4 |
| 3 | Ille-et-Vilaine (35) | 3 |
| 3 | Essonne (91) | 3 |
| 3 | Gironde (33) | 3 |
The Distributed Network
Let’s compare the top Subway departments with those of McDonald’s and BK:
| Position | Subway | McDonald’s | Burger King |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Hérault / Nord (4 socs) | Paris (10) | Gironde (13) |
| 2nd | Ille-et-Vilaine, Essonne, Gironde (3 socs) | Val-de-Marne / Seine-et-Marne (9) | Seine-et-Marne (12) |
Subway has a geographically flatter network: no very strong concentrations, but a dispersion over many departments. This is consistent with a format less demanding in pedestrian flow (a Subway can be profitable with 200 customers per day, a McDo requires 500+), a ‘active lunch’ target present in all medium cities, and less premium locations (secondary shopping street rather than regional shopping center).
Future Expansion: Target Zones
Subway France does not announce massive opening targets. The strategic plan seems to be consolidation around 400-450 restaurants by 2030, with some closures of unprofitable locations, some selective openings in still unserved zones, and targeted renovations to modernize the existing park.
The priority opening zones are:
- Brittany interior
- Southwest (excluding Gironde already well covered)
- Rhône Valley
- Central-east (Lyon outskirts, Burgundy)
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