Subway

Is it just me,or does anyone else just loves the way a Subway smells when you walk inside one?

I do like the smell of our local Subway, but the one at our mall smells like feet.

I don't love it, but there are a bunch of folks around here that really find it offensive.

I've only been in a few Subway's here in our area. All had a similar, unappetizing stench. I would venture a guess that one component of the "subway smell" is most likely the proofing and baking of the bread in the convection ovens.

Our Subway isn't bad, smell-wise.

I just hate their bread.  Lifeless, textureless, all air.

I once looked at renting an apartment on West 72nd street in Manhattan.  The second I walked into the flat, I was sickened by the nauseating smell of the Subway that was located on the ground floor (if memory serves, the apartment was more than 10 stories above the steet).  Needless to say, I didn't rent that apartment.

Normally, I like the aroma of baking bread, especially when driving by a huge white bread manufacturing plant. The smell inside the Subway is definitely that of the bread baking operation on premises. It is my opinion that these ovens should be properly vented. Instead, what I see is that a lot of these Subways vent their ovens into the restaurant itself, the rest of the mall, or the tenant space above them if they are in a multi-story building. I, too, have noticed a range between wonderful smelling and the stench of a New York City subway station is the middle of summer. The stand alone stores in rural areas seem to have good ventilation, and are the best of the bunch.

My personal opinion is that the smell of the bread baking in a subway is nothing like a bakery that does bread.  I find it offensive and I can smell if right away.  It smells sour to me and not at all appetizing.  I can not define the smell but it does damage to my olafactory senses enough that I avoid the subway.
 
Paul E. Smith
Knoxville, TN

Evidentally it's just you!

I have never noticed any particular smell to Subway.  I would rather sit in a  Subway for a couple of hours than to have to sit in a McDonald's  or a Burger King or a Shoney's........................Now those places really have a bad smell to me.

I will have to clarify this a bit as I have not been to a Shoney's in 100 years  (thank god)  but  the buffet bar smelled dreadful to me and I decided that life was too short to have to endure that again.

My wife & I can't stand the way they all seem to smell.....yuck! It puts us off from going in there unless we really are hungry.

Try googling subway &  smell together.

Since everyone is putting in their 2 cents - and I'm sure no one cares about my opinion - I'm still going to chime in---


I really don't like Subway -  to me is the most over rated and over priced fast food place out there for what you get for your dollar. 

Personally, I can't understand how a company that got its start in Bridgeport, Connecticut with real sub sandwiches, could ever have sold a single one of the sandwiches it now makes in Connecticut where they know what a sub is supposed to be.

you're right about that, Michael

Last time I was ever in one----'bout ten years ago in Miami------------smell hit me as soon as I hit the door-----------------moldy cut rate coldcuts and rancid cheese and wilted and soggy looking produce combined with a dumpster diver looking sandwich maker-----------made me hit their door in the other direction never to grace the doorway of another since---------------pure dreck----------------------just as a thought -------is Quiznos nothing but a Subway with an over sized toaster?
Hey Hoffman------------in Ct aren't they called grinders?
 
Russ

russ2304


Hey Hoffman------------in Ct aren't they called grinders?
 
Russ

Where I grew up they were all called subs. In Bridgeport, where my wife grew up, cold ones were called subs and hot ones were called grinders. I undestand that in some areas of Connecticut they were, or are, called both.

Dang no one seems to like them but me.Last year I was eating there at least twice a week.Hadnt been in a few weeks til yesterday.I love that smell walking in.Call me crazy!

Crazy? Naw. You're just from South Carolina.

DawnT


Try googling subway &  smell together.

I did, damn that's funny!

badbyron722

Dang no one seems to like them but me.Last year I was eating there at least twice a week.Hadnt been in a few weeks til yesterday.I love that smell walking in.Call me crazy!

Smell is one of the senses that guide us in a lot of the things we do. Look at people's reaction to a defective freezer full of rotting meat. Also, different people react differently to the same exact smell. There are also some people who do not think there should be any smell in the dining area of a restaurant.
 
To my earlier post, I should add that Subway restaurants have such toppings and condiments as onions, oil and vinegar dressings, japapeno peppers and pickles that also contribute somewhat to the overall "smell" in a Subway.

badbyron722


Dang no one seems to like them but me.Last year I was eating there at least twice a week.Hadnt been in a few weeks til yesterday.I love that smell walking in.Call me crazy!

 
Can't resist and will take the bait------------------------You're Crazy----------------all in good fun!
 
Russ

David_NYC
 

 
To my earlier post, I should add that Subway restaurants have such toppings and condiments as onions, oil and vinegar dressings, japapeno peppers and pickles that also contribute somewhat to the overall "smell" in a Subway.

 
So do many other establishments David. It's rather common nowdays to see a sandwich/sub assembly stations in grocery stores...even gas station mini-marts with exposed dressings,condiments, and vegetables. Some also bake their bread like Quizno's and operate tractor ovens....without that rancid  body odor-like signature smell. I haven't been to Quizno's many times..think twice. They too have aromatic breads...but I didn't leave with an olfactory impression that would deter me from returning like Subway.

LOL, Dawn. Last night, I passed a combination Subway and Papa John pizza fast food place on 8th Avenue and 47th St. in Manhattan. (You can see photos of this restaurant and the building it is in if you search for online reviews of the New York Inn. It gets terrible reviews.)

With both a pizza franchise and a sandwich franchise, I wanted to see what it smelled like. It had the smell of the bread baking in a Subway! It is now clear to me there is a flavoring agent supplied from an external source. The only other baked item I can think of that does this is garlic bagels, made with commercially prepared rather then fresh garlic.

So, this is an interesting discussion. Some people love the smell. Others, like me, are ambivalent. Others still hate the smell.
 
ADDENDUM: About this flavoring agent, I don't think it is coming from an Air Wick-type contraption. I think it is being directly applied to the bread, either mixed in with the dough or sprayed on the exterior surface of the dough.

Hello All,
No offense to anyone, but I have never noticed a smell
of bread or anything at the local Subways. 
My wife loves Subways, but I ...prefer local family owned
sub shops, smells and tastes of the food.
Take Care,
Fieldthistle

The stench of Subway keeps me away ,,, even if I'd have only had a wrap.

The smell is without question to do with the bread.

every subway i've ever walked by smells like yeast, and it's somewhat off-putting.  no bread i've ever made smells like that, and no bakery i've ever been in smells like that.  it's intense.  they probably load up the dough with yeast so it rises quickly.

onions and vinegar do smell like so people's BO, but in the sandwich application i think it smells very good.

the bread is most certainly the overpowering smell.

It doesn't smell like yeast.

It smells like a yeast infection.

saps


It doesn't smell like yeast.

It smells like a yeast infection.

saps


It doesn't smell like yeast.

It smells like a yeast infection.

i tend to agree.  and with that nugget now in the back of my head I'll *really* not be able to walk by one.  jeez.

tommyeats

saps


It doesn't smell like yeast.

It smells like a yeast infection.

i tend to agree.  and with that nugget now in the back of my head I'll *really* not be able to walk by one.  jeez.

Which one won't you be able to walk by?
 
For the record, I apologize to all yeast infections for comparing them to Subway.

Are you talking about the underground Train Stations ? I've never been to one of them.

Hi everyone. I have walked in our local Wal-Mart and been overcome by the stench of the Subway shop baking bread. I swear it makes me almost gag. I usually like the smell of bread baking, but this just doesn't smell normal for some reason.

I have eaten the Italian BMT from Subway before though, I didn't think it was too bad actually.

I really believe it's not the bread baking that is the turnoff.  It's the Asiago cheese being baked on to the bread.

Pungent!

Michael Hoffman


Personally, I can't understand how a company that got its start in Bridgeport, Connecticut with real sub sandwiches, could ever have sold a single one of the sandwiches it now makes in Connecticut where they know what a sub is supposed to be.

The plain fact of the matter is folks in the heartland generally have no appreciation or love for crusty and chewy hoagie bread - the same goes for pizza crust.

What is hoagie bread. In Connecticut subs and grinders were always made on loaves of Italian bread. One sub, one half loaf.

mar52


I really believe it's not the bread baking that is the turnoff.  It's the Asiago cheese being baked on to the bread.

Pungent!

I question that, because I've never run into any offputting aroma at Panera, where they bake asiago bread all day long.

I wi;; never understand how anyone can enjoy the garbage they sell at subway, and especially quizno's. The sandwiches they sell are bad, and badder.

Michael Hoffman


What is hoagie bread. In Connecticut subs and grinders were always made on loaves of Italian bread. One sub, one half loaf.

If you came from NY you wouldn't be asking.  We also called them wedges.

Eat Fresh.

I question that, because I've never run into any offputting aroma at Panera, where they bake asiago bread all day long.

Aha!  Our corner Subway shares the same mini mall with a Panera.  I dislike both equally.

Must be the cheese.

I like the provalone.Usually get a BMT on Italian bread.add tomatoes,lettuce,onions, black olives,green peppers,jalapenos,mayo,oil & vinegar,salt & pepper.YUM!

Michael Hoffman


What is hoagie bread. In Connecticut subs and grinders were always made on loaves of Italian bread. One sub, one half loaf.

One of these days I would like to get definitions for each of these baked goods:
1. Club Rolls
2. Grinder Rolls
3. Sub Rolls
4. Hero Rolls
5. Torpedo Rolls
6. Hoagie Rolls
7. Wedge Rolls
8. Sandwich Rolls
9. Steak Rolls
 
Some of these are rolls and smaller than Italian Bread. Some are parts of a loaf of Italian Bread. You see the names in products from bakers like JJ Cassone and Amoroso's all the way from Boston, out to Fall River, through Providence, then all the way down to Philadelphia. Worse, you can find practically the same roll with the same hardness or softness sold in different cities by different bakeries under two or more names from the above list. I don't think I have ever seen a definitive directory.
 

badbyron722


I like the provalone.Usually get a BMT on Italian bread.add tomatoes,lettuce,onions, black olives,green peppers,jalapenos,mayo,oil & vinegar,salt & pepper.YUM!

A sandwich named after one of the three New York Subway companies. It looks like these three initials, BMT, which were a part of my life for so long because all the subways where I grew up were part of the old BMT system, are only going to live on in a sandwich chain:
http://www.nytimes.com/1990/06/30/nyregion/about-new-york-alphabet-soup-telling-an-irt-from-a-bmt.html
 
Since this article almost two decades ago, very few people still use the old designators BMT, IRT, and IND. Sure, burying the names prevents visitors to the city from getting confused. There were also connections built between parts of the BMT and IND  sytems. But, c'mon.

Intresting David.always wondered about that.

yea, there is a distinctive smell at subway but it's not so bad.  i like it there, always feel good after eating one of their subs.  i get a large chicken breast on wheat bread(add an extra piece of chicken to make it 3).  extra lettuce, tomatoes, onions, peppers, light mayo, honey mustard, and provolone... good stuff.

Well there is no accounting for taste. I like the Subway fresh bread smell. I get a sub there a couple times a month. Including last night.

I really didn't want to bump up this thread, but I caught a cute commercial this morning during the Sunday talking heads shows. There's a guy that approaches another's cubicle and mentions doing lunch and where to go. During the exchange, he mentions not going to the "place that makes your clothes smell" or something similar. The advert turns out to be one for the grocery chain Publix's Deli Subs that use Boar's Head meats as a fresher alternative. Gee even one of the largest food chains is onto the Subway Smell. Ya think that Subway can take a hint ? 

  I don't have any problem with the way the Subway store smells.What bothers me is that sad,sad looking array of meat and vegetables behind the glass.The meat is all portion controlled and even looks tasteless.The vegetables look like they have been there a day or so.Its just depressing.

Billfish


  I don't have any problem with the way the Subway store smells.What bothers me is that sad,sad looking array of meat and vegetables behind the glass.The meat is all portion controlled and even looks tasteless.The vegetables look like they have been there a day or so.Its just depressing.

Not all of the Subways use the pre-separated portions.  It's an owner option.  I discussed this with a fellow who was going to invest in Subway rights for a region (he wasn't particulary interested in the food, just the money).

who

DawnT


I really didn't want to bump up this thread, but I caught a cute commercial this morning during the Sunday talking heads shows. There's a guy that approaches another's cubicle and mentions doing lunch and where to go. During the exchange, he mentions not going to the "place that makes your clothes smell" or something similar. The advert turns out to be one for the grocery chain Publix's Deli Subs that use Boar's Head meats as a fresher alternative. Gee even one of the largest food chains is onto the Subway Smell. Ya think that Subway can take a hint ? 

I love the smell, a grocery store sub is just that a grocery store sub, ewwwwwwww, Boar's Head meats are no better than Echrich or Goeles to me just pricier.

What do you like mar52?

A grocery store sub is a grocery store sub.  It's what Subway aspires to be.

The safest thing when going in a Subway is to bring a canary in a cage and put it in the Subway store.  If it survives for 5 minutes, it means that the smell is not toxic and it is safe to enter in  the store.

Don't know what it is, but I like the smell. bkk

 I recently left Walmart with two bags of groceries. When i got home i opened one and a big fart of Subway stench blasted into my kitchen! Gross! And BTW, it really please me that Subway has a location in every airport terminal now. I really appreciate the moron who has to wait until the plane is all sealed up before opening this foul smellling junk! Carry-on food should be banned because of this! LOL!

jeepguy
  I recently left Walmart with two bags of groceries. When i got home i opened one and a big fart of Subway stench blasted into my kitchen! Gross! And BTW, it really please me that Subway has a location in every airport terminal now. I really appreciate the moron who has to wait until the plane is all sealed up before opening this foul smellling junk! Carry-on food should be banned because of this! LOL!

Subway has fresh, healthy options, and they honor their sale prices (like their $5 footlongs) at airport terminals. This makes them VERY popular among those who WORK at the terminals, who would just as soon not have to pay $8.95 for a hot dog (although I made a great find at Newark Airport; behind Terminal A there is a small bus parking lot (no parking, but standing is allowed) with a lunch wagon with decent food at decent prices; if you're picking someone up, you can put your car there, run to the lunch wagon, grab a snack, and sit and wait in your car until your friend/relative calls you on your cell phone to pick them up).

Bart

baileysoriginal

. . . . to me is the most over rated and over priced fast food place out there for what you get for your dollar. 

I'd describe that as Quiznots.
 
I agree with the Original Poster.  I like the smell of a Subway restaurant.

From my post of last year:

David_NYC
 
................ It is now clear to me there is a flavoring agent supplied from an external source. The only other baked item I can think of that does this is garlic bagels, made with commercially prepared rather then fresh garlic.  
ADDENDUM: About this flavoring agent, I don't think it is coming from an Air Wick-type contraption. I think it is being directly applied to the bread, either mixed in with the dough or sprayed on the exterior surface of the dough.

Today I was in a surburban strip mall shopping center. About 100 feet from me was a Subway. Suddenly, the mild breeze gave me a whiff of that unique sour smell of a Subway smell. So, I decided to have lunch there and see what I could learn. I noticed there was only bread proofing, but no bread baking. There was also only a mild smell within the store itself.
 
Observing the construction behind the counter, there was what amounted to a hood constructed of wallboard above the area occupied by the toasting oven, bread storage cabinet, and baking/proofing oven. Directly above the baking/proofing oven (inside the larger hood) was a metal hood which had an exhaust duct at the top of it. This was apparently the route the smell was taking to reach 100 feet from the restaurant. About 10 minutes before I left, they filled the oven with dough sticks from the proofer. When I left, there was very little smell outside the store. This concurs with what one former manager posted on a  message board; that the smell comes from bread being proofed. I decided to do a little dumpster diving and "liberated" an empty box that some frozen Italian (White) Bread Dough Sticks came in. The ingredients list caused me to re-think what I posted last year, since there was nothing in the list that would obviously qualify as a external flavoring agent. Turns out Subway also lists their ingredients on their web site:
http://www.subway.com/applications/NutritionInfo/Files/usProdIngredients.pdf
 
Contrary to my earlier suppositions, there do not appear to be any external flavoring agents used. Perhaps someone with commercial baking knowledge might be able to shed some light on if these ingredients could produce that distinctive Subway "smell".

Dave the Food Sleuth comes through again!