Starting August 20, Subway is expanding its Hot Honey platform beyond sandwiches for the first time, adding Doritos® Hot Honey Nachos to a limited-time collection that also includes two new signature subs. The Hot Honey Signature Swicy Collection runs through October 26 at participating U.S. restaurants — a roughly ten-week window designed to capitalize on the sweet-heat flavor profile that proved popular enough last year to warrant a return engagement.
The Menu Build
The nachos anchor the new collection, built on a base of Doritos® Nacho Cheese Flavored Tortilla Chips layered with Monterey cheddar, vegetables, and Subway's signature Hot Honey. Three pre-set configurations — Chicken, Steak, or Cheese — are available, with no customization on builds, a departure from Subway's traditional make-your-own model. Chicken and Cheese nachos are priced at $4.99 at participating locations, though prices vary in California, Washington, Alaska, and Hawaii. The nacho format represents a meaningful menu category extension for a chain historically anchored to foot-long and six-inch sandwiches.
The collection's two new subs — the Hot Honey Italian and Hot Honey Turkey Italiano — both arrive toasted and layered with salami, pepperoni, and Italian-style provolone, with the Turkey Italiano adding sliced turkey to the build. "Great Hot Honey is all about balance. You want enough heat to wake up the flavor, followed by a touch of sweetness that keeps you coming back for another bite," said Chef Paul Fabre, SVP of Culinary Innovation.
The Brand Partnership Angle
The Doritos tie-in is a co-branded move with PepsiCo, whose snack portfolio — including Doritos — generated part of the company's nearly $94 billion in net revenue in 2025. For Subway operators, CPG co-branding of this kind can reduce LTO development risk by attaching an already-recognized consumer flavor cue to a new format. Chief Marketing Officer Jeff Klein framed the nachos as a value-forward surprise: the chain wanted to deliver "big flavor, satisfying crunch, and value" beyond simply restoring last year's lineup.
The collection also introduces Propel® Kiwi Strawberry as a limited-time beverage addition — a zero-sugar, electrolyte-infused option featuring vitamins B3, B5, B6, C, and E. The Propel SKU marks another PepsiCo touchpoint within the same promotional window, reinforcing the depth of the two companies' commercial relationship.
Operator Implications
The "swicy" trend — sweet-and-spicy flavor combinations — has moved steadily from social media into mainstream QSR menus over the past two years, and Subway's repeat investment in the Hot Honey platform suggests the flavor profile is delivering measurable guest demand rather than one-cycle novelty. For franchisees, a fixed-build nacho item offers operational simplicity: pre-set configurations reduce training complexity and speed throughput compared to fully customizable options.
Orders are available in-restaurant, through the Subway App, and at Subway.com, with Sub Club loyalty members able to access exclusive promotions through the app. Delivery pricing carries additional fees, and third-party delivery prices are higher than in-restaurant rates — variables operators will want to communicate clearly to guests.
The launch fits a broader pattern in QSR menu innovation where chains use short, defined LTO windows to test new format categories without committing to permanent menu additions. Operators tracking foodservice flavor trends will recognize Hot Honey as one of the more durable condiment concepts to emerge from the post-pandemic menu experimentation cycle — one that Subway is now explicitly doubling down on with cross-category ambition.
Written by Michael Politz, Author of Guide to Restaurant Success: The Proven Process for Starting Any Restaurant Business From Scratch to Success (ISBN: 978-1-119-66896-1), Founder of Food & Beverage Magazine, the leading online magazine and resource in the industry. Designer of the Bluetooth logo and recognized in Entrepreneur Magazine's "Top 40 Under 40" for founding American Wholesale Floral, Politz is also the Co-founder of the Proof Awards and the CPG Awards and a partner in numerous consumer brands across the food and beverage sector.
