Does Subway Use Name-Brand Mayo?

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Subway is synonymous with fast-food sandwiches, and the chain has around 20,000 locations, each with its own team of sandwich artists. It's had some significant ups and downs, but it's undeniable that the green-and-yellow sign is among the most recognizable fast food logos. With a chain this popular, it's natural to wonder about the specific ingredients. Where does Subway get the mayo for its signature subs?

Subway sandwiches aren't made with name-brand mayo. That makes sense — it's not like the manager of a Subway is running to the grocery store to get a jar of mayonnaise every time they need it. Instead, the mayo comes in bulk packs, big sacks of mayo labeled only for Subway, according to a user on Reddit.

That means if you love the taste of Subway mayo, you can't easily run out to the grocery store and buy yourself a jar. You might have to just load up on your favorite sandwiches at one of their locations, such as Subway's tuna sub sandwich, which uses the mayo. Or, you can just opt for another popular mayonnaise brand from the grocery store. But there's more to the Subway mayo story.

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Subway distributes its own ingredients to its stores — but that doesn't mean it actually makes each item in its own facilities. The ingredients are sourced from various suppliers (whose identities Subway does not publicly disclose), then routed through Subway's distribution centers before arriving in stores. And the chain uses a franchise model, so the Subway stores are independently owned and operated but have to adhere to certain corporate standards.

Part of that is ingredient sourcing. Subway restaurants are supplied by a group called the Independent Purchasing Co-op, which basically connects the store owners with ingredient manufacturers. That means the owner of the restaurant isn't personally dealing with the people who make the mayo. So who exactly is making it? According to another Reddit user, who claims to work in a mayonnaise factory, it's a producer that also makes other kinds of mayonnaise but will also make Subway's to their specifications.

The mayo might not be available in stores, but that doesn't mean you can't take home some flavors of Subway. In the spring of 2024, Subway introduced a line of bottled sauces sold in some grocery stores. Sadly for mayonnaise lovers, that line doesn't include the mayo — so the intrigue lives on, at least for now.