In an era where experiential marketing reigns supreme, Subway® is driving innovation by transforming a standard restaurant visit into an immersive cinematic adventure. On August 8, 2025, the sandwich giant will convert its Santa Monica location into a surreal “Happy Place”—bringing the dream world of Netflix’s blockbuster sequel Happy Gilmore 2 to life for fans and food enthusiasts alike.
The Ultimate Fan Experience: When Sandwiches Meet Cinema
The collaboration between Subway and Netflix represents a masterclass in cross-industry partnership, elevating both food service and entertainment through an experience-first approach. Located at 1801 W. Pico Blvd. in Santa Monica, California, the one-day pop-up will operate from 12 to 7 p.m. PST, offering free admission with advance registration through SubwayHappyPlace.com/events.
What sets this activation apart from typical movie tie-ins is its comprehensive transformation of the entire restaurant space. Guests won’t simply see movie posters or branded cups—they’ll physically step into scenes recreated from the film, complete with meticulously designed sets replicating Happy Gilmore 2‘s most memorable moments.
“Immersive dining experiences like this represent the evolution of restaurant marketing,” notes industry analyst Sarah Jaffe. “By creating shareable, one-of-a-kind environments, Subway is generating authentic engagement that traditional advertising simply can’t match.”
Inside Subway’s “Happy Place”: What Visitors Can Expect
The pop-up experience combines interactive entertainment with Subway’s food offerings in seamless fashion. Key attractions include:
Interactive Mini-Golf Course
Visitors can test their putting skills on a custom-designed mini-golf course that recreates iconic shots from the film. Each hole represents a different scene, allowing fans to physically participate in the movie’s universe rather than merely observing it.
Film Props and Photo Opportunities
For social media enthusiasts and film buffs, the pop-up features original props from Happy Gilmore 2 displayed throughout the space. Designated photo zones with professional lighting ensure that guests can capture Instagram-worthy content that extends the brand experience well beyond the event itself.
Country Club-Style Beer Garden
Elevating the typical quick-service restaurant environment, Subway is incorporating a relaxed beer garden serving ice-cold draft options—a nod to the golf course clubhouse culture featured prominently in the film. This adult-focused element helps broaden the appeal beyond families to include the millennial and Gen X demographics that grew up with the original Happy Gilmore.
Featured Menu: The Happy Gilmore Meal
Central to the experience is Subway’s limited-time “Happy Gilmore Meal” featuring the Cold Cut Combo and All-American Club sandwiches. These items aren’t random selections—they directly connect to scenes in the film where these specific sandwiches make appearances.
Since launching earlier in July, Subway has already sold an impressive 1.6 million Happy Gilmore Meals across the U.S. and Canada, demonstrating the commercial impact of well-executed entertainment partnerships.
The Business Strategy: Why This Partnership Makes Sense
For restaurant industry professionals, this collaboration offers valuable insights into effective brand partnerships. The Subway-Netflix alliance leverages several strategic advantages:
Mutual Audience Overlap
Both brands target similar demographic groups, particularly families and young adults seeking affordable entertainment and dining options. This natural overlap minimizes marketing waste and ensures messaging resonates with shared consumers.
Timing Maximizes Impact
By launching the pop-up experience at the height of Happy Gilmore 2‘s popularity (currently ranked as Netflix’s #1 film), Subway capitalizes on peak cultural relevance and search volume.
“The window for movie tie-ins is often incredibly short,” explains marketing strategist Devon Rodriguez. “Subway has timed this perfectly, catching the film while it’s still generating organic conversation rather than after interest has waned.”
Collectible Merchandising Drives Repeat Visits
Beyond the one-day event, Subway extended the partnership’s reach with limited-edition collectible cups designed by illustrator Mickey Duzyj. Available with a $1 meal upgrade at all locations, these collectibles have helped drive repeat business—with many customers returning multiple times to complete their set.
Broader Industry Trends: Experience-First Marketing
Subway’s Happy Gilmore 2 activation exemplifies larger trends reshaping food service marketing in 2025:
From Transactions to Experiences
Forward-thinking restaurant brands are increasingly focusing on creating memorable experiences rather than simply facilitating transactions. This shift acknowledges that in a competitive dining landscape, emotional connection and unique offerings drive customer loyalty more effectively than price promotions alone.
“Consumers today have endless food options available with a few taps on their phone,” notes restaurant consultant Maria Chen. “What they can’t get delivered is an experience that creates a memory and a story they want to share.”
Limited-Time Offerings Create Urgency
By framing both the Happy Gilmore Meal and the pop-up experience as limited-time offerings, Subway activates the powerful marketing principle of scarcity. This creates both urgency to participate and social currency for those who do.
Physical Spaces as Social Media Content Engines
The carefully designed photo opportunities throughout the pop-up reflect an understanding that physical spaces now serve dual purposes: they must work functionally for in-person guests while also generating compelling content for digital audiences who experience the brand remotely through social platforms.
The Multi-Channel Approach
What makes this campaign particularly effective is its comprehensive multi-channel execution. The strategy includes:
In-Restaurant Elements
- Branded packaging across all U.S. and Canadian locations
- Staff training on the partnership details
- In-store promotional materials and digital menu board integration
Digital Components
- Dedicated microsite with reservation system
- Social media content featuring Christopher McDonald reprising his role as Shooter McGavin
- Exclusive online games and contests with over $1 million in prizes
Traditional Media Support
- National television advertising featuring film clips
- OOH advertising in key markets
- PR campaign generating earned media coverage
Lessons for Restaurant Marketers
For food and beverage professionals looking to implement similar strategies, several key takeaways emerge:
- Partner with properties that authentically connect to your brand values – The Subway and Happy Gilmore pairing works because both share accessible, unpretentious positioning.
- Create experiences worth sharing – Every element of the pop-up is designed with social sharing in mind, extending reach far beyond actual attendees.
- Build multiple touchpoints – From nationwide meal promotions to limited collectibles to the flagship pop-up experience, the campaign creates numerous ways for consumers to engage.
- Leverage exclusive access – By requiring reservations and creating a sense of scarcity, Subway enhances perceived value without increasing costs.
- Connect digital and physical experiences – The seamless integration between online elements (reservation system, games) and in-person experiences creates a cohesive brand journey.
The Future of Food Brand Partnerships
As experiential marketing continues to evolve, we can expect to see more restaurant brands forming strategic entertainment partnerships that go beyond traditional licensing agreements. The most successful will likely share characteristics with the Subway-Netflix collaboration: authentic connections to the core brand, multiple engagement touchpoints, and shareable physical experiences that generate digital content.
For restaurant owners and marketers, the message is clear: in today’s experience economy, creating memorable, shareable moments may be as important as the food itself. While not every brand can transform an entire restaurant into a movie set, the principles of creating unique, limited-time experiences that customers want to document and share remain universally applicable.
Fans interested in experiencing Subway’s Happy Place can visit SubwayHappyPlace.com/events to reserve their spot for the August 8 event, while the Happy Gilmore Meal and collectible cups remain available at participating Subway locations nationwide while supplies last.
For more trends in experiential restaurant marketing, check out our recent coverage of Noble 33’s immersive Toca Madera venue in Los Angeles and The Future of Restaurants: Essential Tech Strategies for 2025 and Beyond.
Written by Michael Politz, Author of Guide to Restaurant Success: The Proven Process for Starting Any Restaurant Business From Scratch to Success (ISBN: 978-1-119-66896-1), Founder of Food & Beverage Magazine, the leading online magazine and resource in the industry. Designer of the Bluetooth logo and recognized in Entrepreneur Magazine’s “Top 40 Under 40” for founding American Wholesale Floral. Politz is also the founder of the Proof Awards and the CPG Awards and a partner in numerous consumer brands across the food and beverage sector.
