Fourth vs Subway
Side-by-side comparison of AI visibility scores, market position, and capabilities
London-based hospitality workforce and supply chain platform formed from HotSchedules and Fourth merger; serves 15,000+ locations across restaurants and hotels globally.
About
Fourth is a workforce management and supply chain platform for the hospitality and restaurant industries, headquartered in London, UK. The company was formed through the merger of HotSchedules, a leading US restaurant scheduling platform, and Fourth, a UK-based hospitality HR and supply chain solution. The combined entity serves over 15,000 restaurant and hotel locations globally, with a strong presence in both North America and the United Kingdom.\n\nFourth's workforce platform covers employee scheduling, time and attendance, HR and onboarding, payroll integration, and compliance management. Its scheduling tools are deeply integrated with POS and sales forecast data, allowing managers to align labor to demand and control costs in real time. The platform's HR module handles hiring workflows, onboarding documentation, and employee records for the high-turnover hospitality workforce, reducing administrative burden on general managers and operators.\n\nFourth's supply chain module, used primarily by UK customers, covers inventory management, menu costing, and supplier ordering — giving operators an integrated view of both labor and food costs. The company competes with Crunchtime, 7shifts, and Harri in the workforce management space, and differentiates through its combined US and UK market presence, its legacy HotSchedules brand recognition, and its ability to serve both restaurant and hotel operations within a single platform.
Roark Capital-owned global QSR chain with 37,000+ locations in 100+ countries; $9.55B 2023 acquisition with 4,000-unit China expansion deal competing with Jimmy John's and Jersey Mike's for quick-service sandwich market.
About
Subway is a Milford, Connecticut-based quick-service restaurant chain — privately owned since Roark Capital Group's acquisition completed in 2023 for approximately $9.55 billion, making it the largest franchise acquisition in restaurant history — operating 37,000+ locations in 100+ countries and serving customizable submarine sandwiches, salads, wraps, and breakfast items in a build-your-own-sub format that made Subway the world's largest restaurant chain by location count (though it has since been surpassed by McDonald's in some rankings). Founded in 1965 by Fred DeLuca and Peter Buck, Subway's Eat Fresh positioning, $5 Footlong era (2008-2012), and franchise-heavy model enabled global reach that few QSR brands have matched. In 2024, Subway added 1,000+ new global locations and signed a commitment for 4,000 units in mainland China over 20 years.
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