A former Subway general manager is calling out the chain’s alleged not-so-fresh practices.
In a TikTok video that’s already pulled in over 87,000 views, creator @monica.lynn.bitner—who says she used to work as a general manager at Subway—listed what she thinks customers should avoid at the chain, from stale items to possibly questionably dated meats.
What Subway items should you avoid, according to her?
“OK, hopefully I don’t get sued for this,” she starts, “but let’s talk about what you should not be eating from Subway.”
Her biggest red flag? The bread. According to her, bread usually isn’t made until noon—so if you show up in the morning, you might be stuck with the leftovers.
She says there’s a way you can tell if you’re getting stale bread.
“[If] the person who’s making your sandwich asks you, toast it or not toasted, before they ever pull your bread out of the cabinet, it’s because the bread is stale,” she says. “And they want a toaster sandwich because then you can’t tell it’s stale.”
The toaster, according to her, isn’t just about customer preference. It’s a cover-up.
But the bread isn’t the only thing she’s warning people about.
What other Subway food items are a no-go?
Monica says customers should also skip the sidekicks—especially the churros and pretzels.
“If that particular Subway still sells the sidekicks that they’re slowly integrating out, don’t get them,” she says. “Chances are the dates just got changed multiple times ’cause it’s also hard to keep track of each individual one and what time they went into that bucket at.”
Next up: the chicken salad.
“If you walk into the Subway to order a chicken salad sandwich, and the chicken salad is actually pre-made and on the line, don’t get it,” she says. “You can’t guarantee when it’s been made.”
Finally, there’s the roast beef, about which she shares some concerning details.
“It’s green when we first cut it; it’s green when it’s expired,” she says. “You can’t really tell the difference, and I have been known to push dates back multiple times because that’s what your higher managers want.”
Before ending the video, she hints there’s more where that came from. “If you want more videos on lots of other things that you shouldn’t be eating at Subway, let me know, and I’ll let you know,” she concludes.
Have others complained about the Subway bread before?
Yes, and not just on TikTok. On Reddit, some users have asked whether Subway bread is actually fresh or not.
Employees responded, saying it depends on what time of day you show up—early customers usually get fresh bread, but anything sitting in the cabinet too long can last up to two days.
Another customer posted in the redflagdeals forum, saying people who come in for lunch often get “stale bread from the night before.”
That lines up with Monica’s claim that morning bread isn’t always baked that day.
Why does toasting stale bread make it seem fresh?
According to a food scientist, toasting bread causes it to oxidize, changing its taste and texture.
For one, it makes the bread drier and crunchier on the outside. That hides the fact that the inside might be tough or stale. Stale bread has lost moisture and softness, but toasting can bring back some of the flavor through browning and crisping.
Commenters weigh in
Some viewers weren’t surprised at all. “This is the same at all restaurants,” one person wrote.
Others shared their own horror stories. “The worst food poisoning I’ve ever had was when I ate Subway last year,” someone said.
Another former employee chimed in with their own behind-the-scenes experience. “I worked there for years and didn’t have this experience,” they wrote. “The one I worked at was literally very fresh.”
@monica.lynne.bitner #sorrynotsorry #subway #donteathere ♬ original sound – Monica Lynne Bitner Yopp
The Daily Dot has reached out to @monica.lynne.bitner via TikTok and Instagram messaging. The Daily Dot also reached out to Subway via email for comment.
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