Many had spent decades at the company, building Subway into one of America's largest fast-food chains. "They herded cattle into a room and slaughtered them," one fired employee, who worked at Subway for more than 30 years, told Insider. The layoffs came three months after John Chidsey joined the 56-year-old sandwich chain as its chief executive. Subway was in a downward spiral when he arrived. In 2015, spokesperson Jared Fogle — who famously lost weight and dropped pant sizes eating only Subway sandwiches — was arrested on charges of child pornography. A few months later, cofounder Fred DeLuca, the man who turned Subway into a behemoth with more than 40,000 locations worldwide, died. DeLuca's successors, including his sister, have struggled with mounting closures, sinking sales, and lagging digital and delivery programs.