- published: 07 Oct 2015
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Subway is an American restaurant franchise that primarily sells submarine sandwiches (subs) and salads. It is owned and operated by Doctor's Associates, Inc. (DAI). Subway is one of the fastest growing franchises in the world with 36,804 restaurants in 100 countries and territories as of May 15, 2012. It is the largest single-brand restaurant chain globally and is the second largest restaurant operator globally after Yum! Brands (over 37,000 locations).
Subway's main operations office is in Milford, Connecticut; five regional centers support Subway's growing international operations. The regional offices for European franchises are located in Amsterdam, Netherlands; the Australia and New Zealand locations are supported from Brisbane, Australia; the Asian locations are supported from offices located in Beirut, Lebanon, Malaysia, Singapore and India and the Latin America support center is in Miami, Florida.
Doctor's Associates, owners of Subway, was founded by Fred DeLuca and Peter Buck in 1966, when they opened the second Subway restaurant in Bridgeport. The name comes from the fact that Buck holds a PhD. Despite their name and Subway's health-conscious image, neither Subway nor Doctor's Associates are affiliated with, nor endorsed by, any medical organizations or doctors.
A sandwich is a food item, typically consisting of two or more slices of bread with one or more fillings between them, or one slice of bread with a topping or toppings, commonly called an open sandwich. Sandwiches are a widely popular type of lunch food, typically taken to work, school, or picnics to be eaten as part of a packed lunch. They generally contain a combination of salad vegetables, meat, cheese, and a variety of sauces or savoury spreads. The bread can be used as it is, or it can be coated with any condiments to enhance flavour and texture. They are widely sold in restaurants and cafes. Several examples of unconventional sandwiches include tacos, burritos, and pizza.
The sandwich is the namesake of John Montagu, 4th Earl of Sandwich.
The ancient Jewish sage Hillel the Elder is said to have wrapped meat from the Paschal lamb and bitter herbs between two pieces of old-fashioned soft matzah, flat, unleavened bread, during Passover in the manner of a modern "wrap" sandwich made with flatbread. Flat breads of only slightly varying kinds have long been used to scoop or wrap small amounts of food en route from platter to mouth throughout Western Asia and northern Africa. From Morocco to Ethiopia to India, bread is baked in flat rounds, contrasting with the European loaf tradition.