On February 5 2019, a Facebook user shared a photograph and text claiming that homeless people could eat for free at Subway locations between 3 and 5 every afternoon:
If you know any homeless please make them aware they can eat an drink free daily at subway from 3-5
Each subway is individually owned so you will need to call or ask them if they are participating!!!
In this context, it misleadingly appeared as though participation was the rule rather than the exception.
A search for information about the claim Subway donated free meals to the needy daily led only to news stories about single stores doing a one-day promotion. On one single day in June in 2017 and 2018, one individual location in Idaho provided free meals to homeless locals. News stories about such a giveaway appeared to exist only in Idaho.
Aside from reiterations of the same post, we were unable to locate any information indicating that Subway franchises routinely donate food to homeless people. News stories indicated that a single location in Idaho did so on one day in June 2017 and 2018, not that any such giveaway was underway nationally and regularly.
We emailed Subway’s media relations department to request more information.
Update, February 21 2019, 1:22 PM EST: On February 19 2019, a Subway spokesperson responded to our query:
Thanks for your inquiry, this offer is from a Canadian restaurant. We encourage Subway franchisee owners across the world to support charitable events and initiatives in their communities of their own choosing.
The sign was real, but the claims made in the post were not true. Subway does not broadly offer free meals to homeless people from 3PM to 5PM each day, despite individual promotions at outlets in single states and Canada.