Breaking Subway News! The Gluten Free Test Market has come to Duluth, Minnesota!
January 5, 2012 by Amy Leger | G+ Amy LegerJust getting word right now that the area of Duluth-Cloquet, Minnesota and Superior Wisconsin are the latest test market for gluten free sandwiches at Subway! I just talked with the store on Grand Avenue in Duluth and they confirmed they have been doing the test market since December 7th!
They want your feedback so they can keep it going!
Here’s what we know:
- Gluten free sandwiches are $1.00 more expensive than the others
- They are taking the safety precautions we’ve heard about in Texas and Oregon: clean gloves, bread is in a sealed wrapper and so is the knife.
- All ingredients are gluten free except meatballs and teriyaki chicken
- While we all with celiac are very worried about cross contamination, she said if you are “highly sensitive” please ask for the sandwich maker to take all new/fresh ingredients out from the back to make your sandwich. She says they are happy to do it and you shouldn’t think you are imposing. As the employee I talked to said,
“This is designed for you!”
So she says we must tell them what we need/want and then provide feedback! You can always ask about the safety protocols when you arrive at the store as well.
Right now at these stores, if you get a gluten free sandwich, you will get a survey on your receipt and by filling it out, you can get a $10 Subway card! They say they really want your feedback and your business so they can keep this gluten free option in the Duluth area! So Minnesotans– get up or over to Duluth (Cloquet, MN and Superior, WI) and try some gluten free Subway sandwiches!
I have my peeps in Duluth scoping it all out right now. I also have a call into Subway corporate….I will update this post when I hear from them.
Tags: celiac, Cloquet, Duluth, gluten-free, sandwiches, Subway, Superior
January 5th, 2012 at 1:07 pm
While this sounds great for some, for those of us that are very sensitive this isn’t! They use their gloved hands with non GF bread and grab the meats and toppings thus contaminating them that way! So if they aren’t willing to get all fresh things from the back, I wouldn’t risk it! If they are, this is great news for the Celiac community!
January 5th, 2012 at 1:16 pm
Yes, Ginger this has been a concern since they did their first test market in Texas. And it is a challenge when you are in the store(I will have more on that in a post tomorrow).
I do respect the time and patience they have taken in learning about how to do this as safely as possible. We need to give them feedback on this subject.
Thanks for your comments!
Amy
January 5th, 2012 at 3:59 pm
They should have a GF “area” with it’s own ingredients already ready! That way if they’re busy it’s not such a complicated process.
January 5th, 2012 at 4:12 pm
As a manager of a restaurant (not subway) and a person w celiac disease, I APPLAUD subway for working so hard to make this an option for us. In the restaurant world, where ur margins are SO tight and get worse by the day as commodities rise, labor cost and food cost has to be considered with every decision. That being said, it wouldn’t be very feasible to have separate ingredients out for us. The fact that they’re willing to pull from the back speaks volumes on their willingness to cater to us and assure us a safe and tasty meal!! Yay subway!!
January 5th, 2012 at 4:18 pm
Thanks Bobbi for your feedback. I am impressed with their willingness to try. We hope it works!!! Jennifer I agree a separate area could be another option.
January 5th, 2012 at 5:35 pm
I’m thrilled at the effort they’re making and applaud them. I also cannot wait to give them our business when it gets to our area. I was thinking of the employees as well as the customers with Celiac disease. Maybe the containers could have less in them. If they’re on ice…it’s not like they’d be wasted. I really think it could be done without damaging the bottom line and while keeping everyone safe(which helps them have more business)!
January 6th, 2012 at 5:39 am
I have a severe wheat allergy and found myself in Chatfield, MN on New Years Day. The only thing open was a Subway. No GF buns but the 2 employees gladly removed their gloves, washed hands and re-gloved. Then they made may “sandwich” into a salad. Cross contamination was a huge concern because of all the crumbs, but it was 3:00 pm, I had not eaten all day and I was starving so I went for it. It was a success. No reaction, no EpiPen use needed. Would have loved to have a GF bun option and the brownie would have been a huge added bonus. Hats off to the Duluth area!!!
January 7th, 2012 at 2:23 pm
How long before you go nation wide with Gluten Free sandwiches?
January 23rd, 2012 at 4:00 pm
I work in Eagan, MN and we have a Subway in the building. They also have the GF buns. I thought the employees went out of their way to make sure there was no cross contamination. As soon as I said gluten free, the man making my sandwich put on new gloves. They use a knife that is taken out of the package right in front of you. When grabbing the meat, they take from the middle..same with the veggies. It was fantastic! I loved it. I’ve been waiting for a sandwich shop to come up with a gluten free bun.
January 23rd, 2012 at 7:04 pm
Peggy, can you tell us what building you are in? If it is a public place I am sure a reader would love to scope it out for us!! Thanks for the tip!
Amy
January 23rd, 2012 at 7:05 pm
Or Peggy, feel free to write more about your experience in the comments and where the location of the Subway is. thanks!
January 25th, 2012 at 8:42 am
I’m in the Thomsonreuters building in Eagan. It’s not a public building. We do have over 7000 employees though, so I suppose they figured this would be a good test site.
I did ask the clerk at Subway and he said the gluten free buns should be going to a lot of other stores in Minnesota in a couple of months.
March 11th, 2013 at 1:47 pm
Hi there! I work at a small, privately-owned business in Canal Park (Duluth), just down from Subway, and we offer all of our sandwiches on gluten-free bread, cut with a fresh knife and assembled on a separate cutting board.
We get our bread from another local business (Chester Creek Cafe), and we also make all our meats/smoked fish on the premises, and can actually list and pronounce the ingredients that go into our processes.
Just giving ya’ll a little heads up.
June 9th, 2013 at 10:26 am
Thanks for the heads up, but what is the name of your business? Do you use fresh ingredients as well as conduct the other safety measures you state? Thanks for letting us know!