SUBWAY® Breakfast Receives Nation's Restaurant News MenuMasters Award for Healthful Innovations

MILFORD, Conn., April 1, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- The SUBWAY® restaurant chain, which has long lead the restaurant industry by providing nutritional information and healthier options, has been named the 2011 recipient of the MenuMasters award by Nation's Restaurant News in the Healthful Innovations category.

(Photo:  http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110401/NY75794 )

The award recognizes the brand's "Build Your Better Breakfast" offerings. The NRN judges note:

"In the QSR breakfast competition, Subway raised the bar in its U.S. and Canada locations with an egg white version of its successful omelet egg and a new egg muffin melt sandwich line. These innovations had an impact with breakfast now accounting for 9 percent of overall sales, up from 7 percent in April 2010."

"This is a great honor for the Subway brand and one that we are particularly proud of, given our platform for providing healthier options and meals designed for those on the go," said Suzanne Greco, Vice President Research & Development for the SUBWAY® brand. "With our breakfast launch, we were looking at providing healthier options, as well as allowing customers to customize their breakfast sandwiches, exactly like they are able to do with any sandwich or salad we offer."

Breakfast is available in more than 25,000 SUBWAY® locations throughout the United States and Canada and includes egg white versions of all omelet sandwiches on the breakfast menu, such as the Western Egg White Muffin Melt omelet on a light wheat English muffin which contains only 4 grams of fat.

The SUBWAY® restaurant chain will be honored during the 14th annual Nation's Restaurant News MenuMasters Awards Ceremony in Chicago on May 21. MenuMasters Awards are produced by Nation's Restaurant News and sponsored by Ventura Foods LLC. Awards are presented to outstanding foodservice professionals credited with developing industry-building innovations and ideas in menu development and research. The MenuMasters Award winners are selected by the editorial board of Nation's Restaurant News.

"With its breakfast program, SUBWAY® provides a great, as well as a smart and nutritious, way for people to start their day by offering egg white omelets, which can be complimented by adding any of our fresh vegetables, on a light wheat English muffin or 9-Grain bread," said SUBWAY® Dietitian Lanette Kovachi.

The breakfast menu also features healthier sides, such as yogurt and apple slices, as well as freshly brewed Seattle's Best coffee.  

Like all sandwiches and salads offered by the SUBWAY® chain, the breakfast sandwiches are made right in front of each customer, to their specifications, with all the choices available at a SUBWAY® restaurant. No other QSR offers personalized breakfast sandwiches. Customers can choose to have their breakfast sandwiches made on any seasoned 6-inch or footlong breads, flatbread or light wheat English muffin.

"Providing a breakfast with the same variety and choice that has become a staple of what the brand is known for, made sense for us and our franchisees," said Larry Varvella, the R&D Project Leader for the breakfast launch. "We have more convenient locations than anyone else and now we have an award winning breakfast offering that we as a brand can be proud of. And, like everything on our menu, we will continually look for ways to improve our breakfast program with more exciting choices whenever possible."

About SUBWAY® Restaurants

Headquartered in Milford, Connecticut, and with regional offices in Amsterdam, Beirut, Brisbane, Miami and Singapore, the SUBWAY® chain was co-founded by Fred DeLuca and Dr. Peter Buck in 1965. Their partnership, which continues today, marked the beginning of a remarkable journey — one that has made it possible for thousands of individuals to build and succeed in their own business.

In the 2010 Zagat® Fast Food Survey, the SUBWAY® brand was ranked "number one" by consumers in the "Most Popular," "Top Service" and "Healthy Options" categories for food brands with 5,000 or more locations. SUBWAY® restaurants were also recently ranked as the most loved Fast Food Chain in the U.S., according to Amplicate, a research firm, that specializes in the public opinions of social media users.

For more information about the SUBWAY® chain, visit www.subway.com

Find us on Facebook: Facebook.com/subway

Follow us on Twitter: twitter.com/subwayfreshbuzz

SUBWAY® is a registered trademark of Doctor's Associates Inc.

SOURCE SUBWAY Restaurants