Sandwich chain Subway will open up to 50 new franchises in 2019, giving it more than 1,000 restaurants nationwide, the company’s Mexico director has announced.

Héctor Huerta said Subway has experienced 6% to 7% annual growth over the past three years, bucking the overall trend in the food market.

There are currently 980 Subway outlets in the country and 10 more are set to open before the end of the year, meaning that the 1,000th Subway will likely open in the first months of 2019.

“Next year we plan to pass 1,000 restaurants. We anticipate we’ll finish the year [2019] with around 45 to 50 new restaurants . . .” Huerta said.

He added that the company also plans to roll out more of its new-look restaurants, known as Subway Fresh Forward.

Speaking in Mexico City at a launch event for the new concept, Huerta said that Mexico has spearheaded Subway’s growth in Latin America thanks to maintained macroeconomic stability.

He told the news agency Notimex that there is room in the Mexican market for the brand to expand to 1,800 restaurants in the coming years, adding that the majority of the ingredients used in Subway products are now locally sourced.

Just two years ago, about 70% of ingredients were imported, mainly from the United States.

“. . .  We’ve reduced that dependency through developing local suppliers. That allows us to have a solider and more sustainable business model in the long term, independent of the economic conditions that may arise,” Huerta said.

Subway first opened in Mexico in 1990 and for a decade focused its growth strategy on Mexico City, Guadalajara and Monterrey, but since 2000 the franchise has spread to all corners of the country.

Source: Notimex (sp)