Subway Coming To Indonesia Is The Fake News That Needs To Become Real News

Netizen starts Subway Indonesia hoax out of boredom

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As if this year hasn’t been hard already for our fragile psyches, Indonesians were treated to another emotional rollercoaster just today. This morning, local foodies and K-drama fans were overjoyed when news of Subway reentering the Indonesian market began to spread.

Joy quickly turned into anguish, however, when the said ‘news’ turned out to be an elaborate hoax started by a bored netizen. It seems that for now, tasting the brand’s trademark footlong subs remains yet another pipe dream.

Read more!

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Bored netizen creates Subway Indonesia hoax

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Screen capture of the now-deleted @subway_id account from 3rd December 2020

The saga began this morning when Instagram account @subway_id popped out of nowhere and began posting a series of images hinting at Subway’s comeback in Indonesia. As fans of the brand’s submarine sandwiches, affectionately nicknamed ‘subs’, our immediate response to the news was unbridled joy.

Other than their sandwiches, Subway’s cookies are also not to be missed
Image credit: @ebichu08

In retrospect though, the timing, which directly follows Taco Bell Indonesia’s marketing push, is pretty ‘sus’, as we’d like to say these days. This didn’t stop several publications from covering the news, which just served to spread the hoax even further.

Image credit: @subway_id, via Suara.com

Even though the account had been up for less than 24 hours, it had already amassed more than 15,000 followers by noon. The cat was finally out of the bag by then though as the creator posted a clarification and apology via their Instagram stories before promptly taking down the page.

The apology message read:

“Hello Everyone, Greetings!

Sorry to break your heart, but this is [the non]-official account of Subway Indonesia. I made the account last night in my boredom, and never thought it [would] blow up this big. From my deepest heart, I apologize for using Subway[‘s] name for fame, I never meant to use it as fame too. So, 24 hours from now, I will delete this account[.]

[Let’s] take it as a lesson for everyone. Not everything [on] social media is true. Always verify everything before posting it [on] social media. I also admit my fault, and I will never repeat this mistake again[.]

[I’m] sorry for ruining your enthusiasm, once again I’m really sorry[.]

-admin”

Subway and K-dramas go hand-in-hand, like this screen capture from It’s Okay To Not Be Okay
Image credit: Korean Drama

As a result, the K-drama fan community that was going through a civil war between ‘Team Nam Do-san’ and ‘Team Han Ji-pyeong’ thanks to the love triangle in hit K-drama Start-Up united in agony, as their Subway hopes were quickly dashed.

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K-drama fans went into a rollercoaster of emotions thanks to the Subway hoax

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Despite being a dokkaebi, or Korean immortal goblin, Kim Shin (Gong Yoo) too isn’t immune to the charm of Subway’s sandwiches
Image credit: Korean Drama

Part of what makes locals go gaga over Subway is because of the brand’s prominent spot in recent K-dramas’ product placement (PPL). When even Goblin’s unlikely pair of an immortal goblin and the Grim Reaper can’t get enough of Subway, you know their sandwiches must be lip-smackingly good.

Image credit: @ayunqee

Hearing the news, Twitter user @ayunqee was even hoping that Subway would bring in Park Bo-gum, who moonlights as a Subway employee in his role in Record of Youth.

Image credit: @ToMooNoona

Things went full 180° once it was revealed to be a hoax – as user @ToMooNoona went as far as saying as wishing for santet, a form of Indonesian voodoo, to be performed on the hoax perpetrator.

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K-Drama fans disappointed as Subway Indonesia turns out to be a hoax

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Subway actually used to operate in Jakarta around the turn of the century, and we still remember picking up their subs from their outlet in the Plaza Senayan shopping mall back in the day.

If there’s anything we’ve learned from this hoax, it’s that we’re definitely more than happy to welcome their footlong subs once again.

For more news around Indonesia, check out these stories:

• Taco Bell finally opens in Indonesia
• Broadway in Alam Sutera has a thrift shop and food street with retro US vibes
• GIOI by the Farm is a farm-to-table restaurant surrounded by an urban farm
• Ashta at District 8 opens in SCBD, houses Indonesia’s first Cafe Kitsune

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Cover image adapted from @subway_id