Late night show host John Oliver recently put Subway on blast on “Last Week Tonight” for many things, including the signature smell of their restaurants. However, Oliver mostly called out the sandwich chain for the way they treat their franchise operators.
After airing a compilation of several news clips about issues Subway has faced in recent years, Oliver told his audience that Subway is basically allowing people to open too many franchise locations. When there are too many Subways in one area, fierce competition looms, and eventually, failing franchises end up having to close.
To make his point about the chain's self-cannibalizing franchise plan, Oliver presented the studio audience with a platter of Subway sandwiches purchased from 10 different franchise locations — all within one mile of the studio address. One former employee took to Reddit saying they agreed with Oliver, saying, "The only people who do well are those who can afford to own SEVERAL stores."