Subway is bringing back the $5 footlong — but there's a catch

After four long years, Subway's $5 footlong is returning to stores nationwide. However, this time around, customers will actually have to shell out more money to score the popular deal.

On Tuesday, Subway announced that customers will be able to get a 12-inch sandwich for $5 — if they buy two. The deal only includes sandwiches, no chips or drinks are included.

The Subway $5 footlong was a big hit when it first debuted nationwide in 2008 (it had previously been a weekend promotion at a couple locations in Miami). But it has encountered several problems in the years since it was first introduced.

In 2013, the chain was sued by customers who complained that the sandwich was actually shorter than advertised (let's face, singing "$5, 11-inch long" just isn't as catchy). Ultimately, Subway required its franchise owners to start measuring the bread to ensure all of its heroes met the required length.

That wasn't the end of the footlong drama, though: In 2016, the price of most footlongs was raised from $5 to $6, a move that fans of the chain were not happy about.

Since then, the price of most subs has continued to climb. For example, a footlong tuna sandwich at a Subway location in Brooklyn, New York, currently retails for over $10 on Seamless.

As for the buy-two deal, this appears to be a new spin on an old favorite for the chain. On National Sandwich Day in 2015, Subway offered a buy-one, give-one sandwich promotion. Similarly, when lockdown orders were initiated across the country in March, the chain offered a Family Takeout Special, offering a free footlong with the purchase of two subs through Subway's app.

This summer, the deal is only being offered for a limited time and since most Subway locations are franchised, it might not be available everywhere.

When Subway tried to bring the deal back in December 2017, many franchise owners protested that the discount was cutting into their already lean profit margins and chose not to participate.