The hunger is real.
Subway announced Tuesday that nearly 10,000 people said they would legally change their names to "Subway" to receive free sandwiches for life from the quick-serve chain — and that they did so within 96 hours of the original offer’s being unveiled last month.
One winner will be selected this month, Subway said. In addition to the sandwiches, the winner will receive money to reimburse legal and processing costs to complete the name change process.
The promotion follows the debut of the chain's first-ever offering of freshly sliced meats in U.S. restaurants, as well as a reboot of the rest of its menu.
Subway is also in the process of finding a buyer, most likely a private equity firm, according to multiple media reports. Reuters reported last week that the chain could fetch as much as $9 billion and that any sale would be completed by the end of August.
Founded in 1965 and still owned by its founders' families, Connecticut-based Subway has more than 37,000 restaurants in over 100 countries.
