I remember the first time I heard of Subway. I was in elementary school and my mom had just gotten home. With her arrival, she brought news of a sandwich that would be perfect for me: A buffalo chicken footlong from Subway. I had my reservations, I had never eaten a sandwich from Subway before and as a child it seemed to be a big change from my usual McNuggets or Big Mac meal. However, buffalo wings were my favorite food so I went out on a limb to try this new sandwich. Almost a decade and a half (and hundreds if not thousands of buffalo chicken subs) later it is still my favorite sandwich.

Which leads me here. As of July 2024, Subways across the United States have discontinued the sandwich. Why? According to Eat This, Not That! a representative from Subway shared the following statement: "Subway is constantly evaluating our products to innovate and evolve our menu to deliver flavorful, better-for-you options to our guests that are convenient, affordable and made fresh to order. Buffalo Sauce was recently removed to better align with guest preference." To that I say whose preference? Because it certainly wasn't mine.

The Buffalo Chicken sub was the only reason I ever went to Subway. It set it apart from every other sub sandwich shop because none of the others offered a comparable sub. Since its removal, I will not return. The chain's other sandwiches cannot compete with sandwiches of rival chains such as Firehouse Subs, Jersey Mike's, and Potbelly's to name a few.

Therefore, I would like to call for a return of the sauce as an option to add to Subway's current selection of sauces. I understand not having the premixed buffalo chicken sub as a constant selection. However, it seems ridiculous for the sauce to be removed in its entirety during an age where sauce quality and variety can be a defining aspect in a restaurants success. Look at Chick-Fil-A, Raising Cane's, and Buffalo Wild Wings for a few examples. Subway themselves are even adding other new sauces for sandwiches such as the Honey Mustard BBQ Chicken, Spicy Nacho Chicken and Cheesy Garlic Steak. So why alienate the proportion of your customers that love the buffalo sauce by removing it?

This sentiment is not only felt by me but by others online. Here are a few remarks collected from across the internet about the removal.

"Well that sucks, buffalo chicken was the only sub I ate there," Reddit user sgtmattkind wrote.

"Buff chicken has been my favorite subway sandwich for a decade," Reddit user Goremaw7 wrote. 

"I'm irritated at this as well. Buffalo chicken was the only sub I ate and i would stop there multiple times a week. Guess I'm done with subway," Reddit user swapsrox wrote. 

Those are just three statements from the same thread but the same sentiment can be seen on other platforms and threads.

I wouldn't go through the effort of writing this and fighting for just any sandwich. However, this sandwich has been a staple of my diet multiple times per month (often times per week) throughout my formative years. Whether at home, college or on the road, I knew if I needed a comforting meal or a reminder of home, the buffalo chicken sandwich would serve its purpose.

Please Subway bring back the Buffalo Chicken sauce.