THE Debate

In the suburban village of Rockville Centre, New York, residents are faced with one particular question that splits up families like the Civil War did almost 150 years ago. The debate(which at times has turned violent) has raged on since the year 2003 when the village was buzzing over the newly opened Quizno's on S. Park avenue. The convenient location (across the street from the movie theatre, right in the middle of "town") really helped Quizno's get off and running very quickly. On the other side of Sunrise Highway was a Subway which had been opened on Long Beach Road just prior to Quizno's. People on the north side of RVC were extremely pleased with Subway and swore by their relatively cheap sandwiches. The opening of Quizno's sent shock waves throughout the village. The question had to be raised, Are you a Quizno's person? or Are you a Subway person? To me it is a simple choice (now I maybe biased because of Quizno's proximity to my house) Quizno's is the better eatery.
Rockville Centre's Population is about 25,000 people according to the 2000 census. (and wikipedia) There are two sections of RVC. There are those who live south of Sunrise Highway, which is split half and half between residential and commercial real estate and those who live on the north side which is almost 100% residential. Those who live south of Sunrise usually are fans of Quizno's and those who are on the north side are fans of Subway. This only makes sense because it is easier for southies to get to Quizno's and the northerners to get to Subway. But for someone who comes from out of town and is looking for the best eating experience at a franchise deli, a decision has to be made. (I refuse to compare the two franchise's health benefits. This country is so wrapped up in calorie crunching that it makes me sick. If you don't want to eat a calorie laden meal, make your own salad.)
A very important criteria for picking the right place to dine, especially with today's economy, is the what your dollar(no matter how weak it is) is getting you. Subway has lower average prices then Quizno's. It always has. But when you look at what you are getting for the price you are paying it makes you think. Subway's sandwiches are extremely generic (i.e Meatball, Chicken-Bacon-Ranch, Italian) whilst Quizno's sandwiches are more unique. (i.e Chicken Carbonara-chicken, bacon, and mushrooms topped off with a creamy alfredo sauce. Baja Chicken-Chicken with bacon, onions with a secret baja sauce, and a spicy bar-b-q-like sauce.) Also the Quizno's toasting is of a lot higher quality then Subway's. The toaster at Quizno's is their go-to marketing tool. The innovative toasting device is what launched the Denver-based franchise onto the global scene. A few years later Subway offered its patrons the opportunity to have their sandwiches toasted (their method of toasting? a conventional toaster oven.) While both franchises offer pretty much the same amount of sandwich choices, what if you are not in the mood for a hearty sandwich? This is where Quizno's really blows Subway out of the water. Quizno's offers some incredible soups, flat bread salads, chili, and the new "Sammie" flat bread sandwich. Subway does offer pizza and soup but they are once again pretty generic. Sammie's are pretty much smaller versions of the delectable Quizno's sandwiches. They are small and can be taken to eat while walking. Marketing has always been Subway's strong point. Jared Fogle became a celebrity as we watched him shed pounds as if they were going out of style. After we got sick of Jared and his weight-loss antics Subway put two former NY baseball managers, Joe Torre and Willie Randolph on their commercials. They were pretty entertaining commercials. To counter Subway's affable commercial spokesmen Quizno's introduced us to "The Quizno's Sponge Monkeys" while the creatures are a little bit creepy and not in the least bit appetizing, they were unique and original. (for a look at these ads http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aZrks-BPeLQ) Obviously both eateries have strong points. It just comes down to the fact that Quizno's is the classier, more upper-echelon eating establishment. The inside decor is more modern and edgier then the cozy look of Subways. Quizno's assumes you are a smart person too. To enjoy Quizno's one has to know what cilantro, baja, alfredo, and honey mustard are and what they taste like. This means you have to be somewhat cultured. It also means you are not a robot to the media today. You can sit and watch 30-40 Subway commerials a day and still have enough self-control to not choose Subway. So it comes down to this; Quizno's is the better choice and to disagree simply means you are not that smart.


MJL