Significant changes in the QSR space caused by the COVID-19 pandemic have prompted Subway Canada to showcase elements of its business model in a new light.
“Our commitment to health and safety has been championed through every avenue of our guest and team-member experience, from increasing our already high standards of cleaning protocols, food production and product quality to providing a welcoming, equitable workplace,” says Doug Fry, country director, Subway Canada.
Subway works closely with Canadian producers to obtain top-quality ingredients, such as Canadian-raised turkey, pork and chicken, cucumbers from B.C., tomatoes from Ontario and green peppers from Quebec. The shift to reduce plastics and introduce eco-friendly packaging solutions is part of the company’s more recent sustainability goals.
“Moving to increasingly sustainable packaging is one of our key areas of focus for the months ahead,” says Fry. “While supply-chain delays have impacted our planned progress on paper packaging, we’ve made great strides on the move away from plastics, and Canadians can expect to see more from us in this avenue moving forward.”
While supply-chain challenges have resulted in slowed access to ingredients and materials, Fry says the company has strengthened its relationships with various stakeholders over the course of the pandemic to strategically plan for the future recovery.
Another challenge the company is facing is high employee turnover rates at the restaurant level as a result of the pandemic. However, Subway is committed to re-building and retaining an efficient resource pool in a number of ways.
“It’s a challenging time to hire and retain team members, and our franchisees and their team of Sandwich Artists are an integral part of the guest experience we pride ourselves on,” says Fry. “Employee retention is a priority; our franchisees continue to provide their team members with growth opportunities, staff appreciation programs and valuable training. We look forward to collaboratively working with our restaurant teams from across the country to ensure they feel valued, passionate about their work and committed to their roles.”
Having only joined the team late last year, Fry says employees at both the corporate and restaurant level have been supportive, welcoming and passionate.
“Subway Canada is an exceptional brand to work for because of our shared values of community, social responsibility and excellence, whether expressed via product quality, guest service or incredible products,” he says. “I’m continually inspired by our teams’ camaraderie, dedication and genuine enthusiasm for their work.”
By Nicole Di Tomasso
