Furious Subway store managers are fighting back after being forced to ditch Coca-Cola for rival

Subway’s plan to have all of its U.S. restaurants serve Pepsi instead of Coca-Cola has failed.

The A multi-million dollar deal would not only mean moving from No. 1 to No. 2 cola.

Customers would see Sprite, Fanta, Vitamin Water, Powerade and Dasani disappear, replaced by Mountain Dew, Starry, Tropicana, Lipton, Gatorade and Aquafina.

But some restaurant managers are resisting the change.

The sandwich chain announced in March that it had signed a 10-year deal with rival Pepsi to supply its nearly 20,000 U.S. locations.

Since then, it has pressured its franchisees to make the switch – even threatening to terminate the contracts of those who fail to comply. Restaurant company reported.

Now a group of executives have hired a lawyer and formally requested to review the contract between Subway and Pepsi before making the move.

According to the publication, the managers’ lawyer, Robert Zarco, claims that Subway is “harassing” the operators and threatening them with dismissal if they don’t sign.

“Subway’s conduct in this regard is reprehensible and bordering on illegal, as it seeks to force franchisees to sign an agreement that is not complete,” Zarco said in a letter to Subway, seen by Restaurant Business.

Franchisees are expected to sign a participation agreement, which includes the new Pepsi equipment and the prices negotiated by Subway.

According to Restaurant Insider, approximately 95 percent of franchisees have already signed the agreement.

Those who have not yet signed risk not being able to serve drinks to their customers once the contract expires on January 1.

Coca-Cola Company is the primary beverage supplier for Subway since 2005.

Before Coca-Cola, PepsiCo had been the primary beverage supplier to all Subway locations since 1988.

Subway announced in March that the company has entered into a 10-year agreement with Pepsi to become its primary beverage supplier, replacing Coca-Cola.

All 20,000 Subway locations in the U.S. will offer beverages like Pepsi, Mountain Dew and Lipton starting in January 2025, according to the agreement

Subway North America President Doug Fry was thrilled with the new agreement when it was announced.

“The partnership with PepsiCo is a milestone in our journey to become America’s favorite place to eat, drink and work,” he said in the press release.

“It’s a win-win for everyone because it gives our guests a delicious choice of beverages and snacks, which drives their attention to those menu items. At the same time, it provides our franchisees with cost-effective, streamlined solutions.”

While this new deal has angered Reddit users, it is old news for some other regions.

Subway indicated that PepsiCo is already their beverage supplier in countries such as Canada, Germany, Norway and the Netherlands.