Subway closing restaurants early Monday ahead of new menu, 1 million free sub giveaway Tuesday

• Subway's Eat Fresh Refresh menu changes start July 13 at restaurants nationwide.
• Subway is giving away one million free subs from 10 a.m. to noon local time Tuesday, July 13.
• Subway tuna is not changing as part of the menu revamp despite claims the tuna doesn’t contain fish.

UPDATE: Learn more about Subway’s free sub deal here. 

If you were planning on a Subway sub for dinner, plan to get it early Monday.

Ahead of the chain's new menu launch Tuesday, Subway says its more than 10,000 restaurants will close early Monday at 6 p.m. local time. 

"As part of the Eat Fresh Refresh unveil, Subway fans are being asked to take a break from eating their favorite sub on July 12," the chain said in a news release, noting the early closing time will give employees time to refresh and get ready for the launch.

Then on Tuesday, which also is National Fry Day, Subway restaurants will give away up to 1 million free subs from 10 a.m. to noon local time.

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At participating restaurants, the first 50 customers who come in Tuesday and ask for a free sub will get a free six-inch Turkey Cali Fresh sub, the chain said. No additional discounts or coupons will be applied, according to the fine print.

The Turkey Cali Fresh subs include oven-roasted turkey, hickory-smoked bacon, smashed avocado, mozzarella, mayo, spinach, red onion and tomatoes on one of Subway's new breads, Hearty Multigrain.

The Eat Fresh Refresh has more than 20 menu updates and includes 11 new or improved ingredients, six all-new or returning sandwiches and four revamped signature sandwiches.

Trevor Haynes, Subway's president of North America, said in a statement that the company has been "serving freshly made, customizable and better-for-you sandwiches for more than 50 years, and we wanted to give our guests more new and improved flavors."

Haynes said the chain's new team has made updates to the entire core menu.

"The Eat Fresh Refresh makes Subway better than ever with freshly made, craveable and delicious sandwiches to excite new and returning guests," Haynes said.  

Subway: No change of tuna

Subway says its tuna fish will not be changing as part of the revamped menu.

"While many of Subway's core protein choices were improved as part of the Eat Fresh Refresh, one ingredient that doesn't need an upgrade is the Subway high-quality, premium tuna," the chain said in the release.

The tuna has been the subject of a class-action lawsuit filed in January that alleged its tuna salad contains no actual tuna salad. Meanwhile, a recent New York Times investigation found no tuna DNA in a test.

Subway has said it has disagreed with the paper's findings and says in a statement on its website that "DNA testing is simply not a reliable way to identify denatured proteins, like Subway’s tuna, which was cooked before it was tested."

In talking about the new menu, Subway said it "sources tuna from leading global food suppliers ... The 100% wild-caught tuna remains a fan favorite among sub lovers."

IHOP has 58 cent pancakes Tuesday

IHOP is bringing back its annual anniversary deal for its 63rd anniversary after a year hiatus amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

From 7 a.m. to 7 a.m. Tuesday, July 13, get a 58-cent short stack of buttermilk pancakes when dining in at participating locations nationwide.

The chain says the 58-cent special is a nod to its founding year of 1958 when brothers Al and Jerry Lapin established IHOP “after finding inspiration in the tropical tastes of coconut syrup and dreaming up the idea of a local restaurant centered around pancakes.” IHOP says its first location opened in the suburbs of Los Angeles.

The pancake deal will be available while supplies last and is not valid with any other offer, discount or coupon.

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Follow USA TODAY reporter Kelly Tyko on Twitter: @KellyTyko. For more shopping tips and deals, join us on our Shopping Ninjas Facebook group.