Subway NZ’s $20 sandwich shock: Is this chicken pepperoni sub worth the price?

How much would you pay for a sandwich? Almost $20? More?

That’s about the price you will have to pay for Subway’s footlong chicken pepperoni sub, and customers are shocked.

It cost $20.20 for the Herald to buy one of the “signature range” sandwiches - without any additions and just as a single item - from the Russell St Subway in Hastings.

And when the Herald bought the same footlong sub in Central Auckland, it cost $19.90 from the Victoria St West Subway.

The chicken subs hover in price around the $20 mark. Photo / Raphael Franks

A receipt of purchase docket for a $19.90 footlong sub from Subway, the chicken pepperoni sandwich bought on Victoria St West. Photo / Raphael Franks

“That is very dear and expensive,” one office worker out for lunch told the Herald.

“I thought it was like $16. But you knew the price before you bought it, and we are in Central Auckland.

“I just had some sushi and a Coke for $12, so it’s the way it goes.”

Confusingly, it appears it is cheaper to order the foot-long sub online for a pick-up from the same shop, at $16.30.

Another customer said she thought $19.90 was a relatively reasonable price.

“You get a lot for $20,” she said.

New Zealand Herald journalist Raphael Franks carries on a proud tradition of journalism by getting to the bottom of a nearly $20 Subway footlong. Photo / Dean Purcell

'You knew the price before you bought it', a customer told the Herald when reacting to the price of a footlong. Photo / Dean Purcell

Another office worker did not believe the price.

“Well, that’s certainly not the Sub of the Day,” he said.

“Surely that’s one of the deluxe ones, with avocado, throw some cookies in with it?” He was shocked it was just the footlong without additions.

Subway NZ did not respond when approached for comment.

Kiwis have a history of raging about Subway prices.

In 2010, Subway footlong sandwiches were typically priced about $7 to $8, according to Franchise Help. This was the standard price for a footlong sub, excluding premium or double-meat options. The $5 footlong promotion, popular in the United States and Canada, did not extend to New Zealand.

In August last year, a Reddit user compared the price of a footlong when they were at university, $5, and how current six-inch prices are around $11 or more.

Eight months ago, another social media user lost it over a $17 chicken fillet footlong.

“They can get in the sea. What a scam. Won’t be going back,” the user said.

Responding to that fury, another Redditor said, “They’ll continue to lose customers if they can’t demonstrate value for money”.

“I haven’t been to Subway in years because it’s just too expensive. I’m a picky eater, and spending nearly $18 on a chicken teriyaki sandwich with a few vegetables just isn’t worth it,” another said.

“Sucks, because I crave it regularly.”

Raphael Franks is an Auckland-based reporter who covers business, breaking news and local stories from Tāmaki Makaurau. He joined the Herald as a Te Rito cadet in 2022.

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