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NEW YORK — Rest easy, America: Subway's footlong cookie is back.
Following a four-month-long disappearance, Subway announced Wednesday the "triumphant return" of the oversized chocolate chip cookie, which was pulled from many restaurants less than two weeks after its January debut because of massive demand.
The giant cookie was part of Subway's new Sidekick lineup, a key part to Subway's turnaround plans, which also includes other changes to its menus as part of its efforts to keep up with rivals. The lineup also consists of a Cinnabon churro and a soft pretzel from Auntie Anne's, both of which remained on sale in the past few months. Subway said it has sold more than 5 million cookies since its rollout.
The chain company added customization to its menu, doubled down on pushing orders to its app, increased its international presence and most recently introduced freshly sliced meats — a major shift from Subway's previous method of delivering cold cuts pre-sliced.
"The footlong cookie has delighted millions of Americans since their first bites in January, sparking unprecedented demand over the last several months," Paul Fabre, Subway's senior vice president of culinary and innovation, said in a press release.
Fabre added the chain "worked diligently to rush" additional supply into restaurants.
The cookie is available to order on platforms where they were pulled from, including Subway's website, its app and third-party services, like DoorDash and Uber Eats. They can also be ordered in person.
Subway's location count continues to dwindle, closing more than 400 restaurants in the U.S. last year. Subway finished the year with its smallest number of U.S. restaurants — 20,133 — since 2005.
