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Hero Bread™ sandwich rolls contain 0g sugar, 1g net carb and 100 calories per serving and are available at select Subway® locations for a limited time 

Hero Labs, Inc. (“Hero”), a food tech company that recently raised over $30M to reinvent the global bread and baked goods industry, today announced the launch of its first product, a sandwich roll that looks, smells and tastes just like traditional bread – but boasts a significantly improved nutritional profile.

 – Hero Bread™ sandwich rolls contain 0g sugar, 1g net carb and 100 calories per serving and are available at select Subway® locations for a limited time 

Led by Founder and Chief Executive Officer Cole Glass, Hero is backed by a roster of investors, including strategic venture capital firms, seven-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady, Kevin Durant and Rich Kleiman’s Thirty Five Ventures, Diamond-selling artist The Weeknd, and multi-platinum artist Lil Baby.

Hero investor Tom Brady recently shared that Hero Bread sandwich rolls are available exclusively at Subway® on his Instagram story. “I’m not the biggest bread guy, but there’s a new bread even I can eat,” said Tom Brady. “Now I’m pumped to get back to bread, all because of Hero. Truly unbelievable!”

Glass was born with severe food allergies related to pollen and is unable to eat nutrient-dense staples like fresh fruits, vegetables and nuts, which as he aged led him to eliminate carbs. As a bread lover allergic to most ingredients in non-traditional breads, Glass set out on a mission to create a better bread option.

 “By offering a bread that promises the same great taste as traditional bread without the negative health consequences, we’re solving a larger problem and providing consumers with a golden ticket to eat the foods they love without sacrifice,” said Glass.

Hero has partnered with Subway® to offer Hero Bread sandwich rolls in Boise, ID, Colorado Springs, CO, Des Moines, IA, and Savannah, GA through mid-December. Hero Bread can be selected as the bread choice for all Subway® sandwiches. Each 6-inch standard serving size has 0g sugar, 1g net carb, 100 calories, 12g protein and 26g fiber. “Subway® is proud to partner with Hero to offer the first bread in the quick service restaurant industry to have only 1g net carb.

As we continue our ongoing transformation journey to make Subway® even better, Hero Bread is a product innovation that will help even more Subway fans to enjoy our delicious subs,” said Carrie Walsh, Chief Marketing Officer at Subway®.

Starting on November 5, 2021, consumers across the country can visit Hero’s website at hero.co to nominate a U.S. city for Subway^® to bring Hero Bread to next, as well as enter for a chance to win Hero Bread rolls and branded swag as part of the Hero Bread Launch Sweepstakes*.

Hero Labs, Inc. is a San Francisco-based food tech company that has raised over $30M in capital from partners that include Beyond Meat investors, GreatPoint Ventures, DNS Capital and Cleveland Avenue, as well as Marc Benioff’s TIME Ventures, Future Positive and Electric Feel Ventures. At Hero, we believe in enjoying the food we love without the negative consequences. Our mission is to break bread, remaking the traditionally empty-calorie staples into delicious, nutrient-rich foods. Hero Bread™ products are just as tasty as the original but with 0-1g net carbs, 0g sugar, fewer calories and more protein and fiber. For more information, visit hero.co and follow us on social media: @hero (Instagram), @hero (Twitter) and @HeroLabsInc (Facebook).

As the world's largest quick service restaurant brand, Subway® serves freshly made-to-order sandwiches, wraps, salads and bowls to millions of guests, across more than 100 countries in nearly 40,000 restaurants every day. 

Subway® restaurants are owned and operated by Subway® franchisees – a network that includes more than 20,000 dedicated entrepreneurs and small business owners – who are committed to delivering the best guest experience possible in their local communities.

*See hero.co/sweepstakes for Official Rules; including how to enter, odds, prize details and restrictions. Subway® is NOT a co-sponsor of the Hero Bread Launch Sweepstakes. View source version on businesswire.com: 

https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211028005344/en/ 

Contact: Elyse Goldman Allison+Partners 646-428-0601 Herobread@allisonpr.com

October 28, 2021

Many think Bread is Broken, but there’s a Hero to the Rescue

Subway® restaurants announced it is the first quick service restaurant brand to offer a one-net-carb bread option for guests, as part of a new product test in partnership with food tech startup Hero Labs, Inc. ("Hero"). With just one gram of net carbohydrates, 0 grams sugar, 12 grams of protein, 26 grams of fiber and only 100 calories in a six-inch sub roll, Hero Bread™ sandwich rolls deliver the signature flavor fans love, with added nutritional benefits. 

/ -- Subway® restaurants announced it is the first quick service restaurant brand to offer a one-net-carb bread option for guests, as part of a new product test in partnership with food tech startup Hero Labs, Inc. ("Hero"). With just one gram of net carbohydrates, 0 grams sugar, 12 grams of protein, 26 grams of fiber and only 100 calories in a six-inch sub roll, Hero Bread™ sandwich rolls deliver the signature flavor fans love, with added nutritional benefits. 

To help announce Subway's new product test, seven-time Super Bowl champion and Hero Labs investor Tom Brady shared a fun clip on social media earlier today enjoying a Subway sandwich made with Hero Bread. Earlier this year, Brady poked fun of himself in a series of light-hearted commercials for Subway.

Subway's test of Hero Bread sandwich in select markets across the country continues the culinary innovation and menu evolution that began with the Eat Fresh Refresh™ in July. This multiyear transformation journey is elevating the entire guest experience and delivering more of what fans love about Subway – better choices and craveable flavor.

"Great bread is part of Subway's DNA, and the addition of Hero Bread to our menu is not only the next evolution of that, but also helps more people enjoy their favorite sandwich at Subway," said Carrie Walsh, Subway's Chief Marketing Officer. "We look forward to introducing Hero Bread, adding more locations around the country, and offering our guests even more choices."

Subway is currently testing Hero Bread sandwich rolls for a limited time in Savannah, GA; Des Moines, IA; Colorado Springs, CO; and Boise, ID. Starting November 5, sandwich lovers outside of those cities can vote on where the Hero bread test expands to next at 


As the world's largest quick service restaurant brand, Subway serves freshly made-to-order sandwiches, wraps, salads and bowls to millions of guests, across more than 100 countries in nearly 40,000 restaurants every day. Subway restaurants are owned and operated by Subway® franchisees – a network that includes more than 20,000 dedicated entrepreneurs and small business owners – who are committed to delivering the best guest experience possible in their local communities.


Hero Labs, Inc. is a San Francisco-based food tech startup that has raised over $30M in capital from partners that include Beyond Meat investors, GreatPoint Ventures, DNS Capital and Cleveland Avenue and Marc Benioff's TIME Ventures, Future Positive and Electric Feel Ventures. At Hero, we believe in enjoying the food we love without the negative consequences. Our mission is to break bread, remaking the traditionally empty-calorie staples into delicious, nutrient-rich foods. Hero Bread™ products are just as tasty as the original but with 0-1g net carb, 0g sugar, fewer calories and more protein and fiber.

Hero Bread™ Sandwich Rolls Now Available in Four Cities Across the U.S. - and, Yes, Brady Loves It

I’ve always craved more technology in my sub sandwiches. Okay, maybe that’s a lie. I’ve never said those words before in my life. I do enjoy a toasted 

, and it looks like that next sub is about to get more tech-filled with the addition of Hero Bread sandwich rolls, and Tom Brady.

A press release sent to The Takeout explained that Hero Labs, Inc., a food tech company, just launched its first product, which is a sandwich roll that looks, smells and tastes just like traditional bread. But it contains zero grams of sugar, one gram of net carbs, 100 calories, 12 grams of protein and 26 grams of fiber. Tom Brady, an investor in Hero Bread, also announced on his instagram story that the rolls will be available in certain Subway locations. “I’m not the biggest bread guy, but there’s a new bread even I can eat,” said Brady.

Here’s a fun fact about the founder of this bread of the future company, Cole Glass: he worked at NASA, SpaceX, Apple and other major tech companies, but doesn’t have any background in food or food science. So why the hell is he making bread at all?

Turns out this was an idea born of necessity. Glass was born with “severe food allergies related to pollen and is unable to eat nutrient-rich staples like fresh fruits, vegetables and nuts.” These allergies and the common desire for wanting what you can’t have, are what led to the creation of this newfangled bread.

Brady isn’t the only celebrity investor in this new bread company. Other big-name investors include Kevin Durant, The Weeknd, and Lil Baby. Who knew that these celebs had such a deep love and desire for low-carb bread? Maybe the bread they seek is actually the money kind.

Subway has always gone for a healthier-for-you image, so this venture into low-carb, zero-sugar options sounds on par for the brand. The rolls will be available in Boise, ID, Colorado Springs, CO, Des Moines, IA, and Savannah, GA through mid-December. From there, the brand has created a sweepstakes where consumers can nominate a city for Hero Bread to come to next and enter for a chance rolls and swag for themselves.

While free bread and bread-themed swag is always welcome, I think I can just wait for the nationwide launch on this one.

November 12, 2021

Subway tackling “high-tech” bread with Tom Brady

 is famously picky about his diet, but even he is taking a bite out of Subway's new bread.

The seven-time Super Bowl champion — who has joked in previous Subway commercials about not eating bread, despite earning the nickname "

" by the brand — is helping the quick service restaurant hawk their new Hero Bread sandwich rolls, a 1-net-carb and zero-sugar bread option that delivers the signature flavor fans love with added nutritional benefits.

Brady is an investor in Hero Labs, Inc., makers of Hero Bread, alongside stars like Kevin Durant, Rich Kleiman, The Weeknd and Lil Baby.

Each six-inch sub roll also features 12 grams of protein, 26 grams of fiber, and only 100 calories — something that seems to have swayed Brady to bite into his first sandwich in years.

"As well noted, your boy isn't the biggest bread guy," Brady, 44, admits in a new ad shared to Subway's social media pages, before listing Hero Bread's nutritional information. "Now I'm pumped that I can get back to bread, all because of Hero."

Subway is the first chain restaurant to product test Hero Bread in its stores.

They're testing Hero Bread sandwich rolls for a limited time in Savannah, Ga.; Des Moines, Iowa; Colorado Springs, Colo.; and Boise, Idaho. Beginning Nov. 5, they'll allow fans to vote on other test markets for the Hero Bread test at 

The move is all part of Subway's multiyear journey to evolve their menu through culinary innovation — a transformation being made to elevate the guest experience and deliver to Subway fans what the brand calls "better choices and craveable flavor."

 began in July and included 20 updates — the most implemented by the brand since opening its first store in 1965.

Updates included "11 new and improved ingredients, six all-new or returning sandwiches, and four revamped signature sandwiches," per a press release.

Among new additions were artisan Italian and hearty multigrain bread options, hickory-smoked bacon, smashed avocado, parmesan vinaigrette and more.

October 29, 2021

Tom Brady Is 'Back to' Eating Bread in Ad for Subway's New 1-Net Carb, 100-Calorie Hero

, from its sandwich toppings to the bread they go on. The sandwich purveyor already offers more than three 

, and it's adding yet another—this time for more carbohydrate-conscious consumers.

Subway is teaming up with Hero Bread to provide the second iteration of its beloved Artisan Italian Bread that's low in calories and carbs but has all the flavor of the original. The 

 has one-net carb and zero sugar, and it also has 12 grams of protein and 26 grams of fiber for folks who are all about gains. Subway's 100-calorie bread option will only be available in select markets, at least for now. 

From the end of October through mid-December, customers in Savannah, Georgia; Des Moines, Iowa; Colorado Springs, Colorado; and Boise, Idaho will be able to order 

 on Subway's new Hero Bread. Once it's gone, there's no telling if or when it'll be back. We'll just have to wait and see.

Those of us who don't get to try it will have to trust Tom Brady—

—whom Subway brought on to celebrate the low-carb offering.

Subway Is Unveiling a New Bread Option with One-Net Carb & Zero Sugar

 is likely done with menu innovations for a while. But it turns out, the chain 

continues to build on the Eat Fresh Refresh campaign

 and has just come out with a new bread that's unique across the fast-food industry.

America's largest sandwich chain just announced it will be testing a new Hero bread that sounds impossibly healthy. The one-net-carb, zero-sugar bread is Subway's latest attempt at providing low-carb and low-calorie options for health- and weight-conscious customers. Provided in partnership with 

, a food tech company specializing in better bread and baked goods, the new loaf contains 0 grams of sugar, 1 net carb, 12 grams of protein, and 26 grams of fiber in a 6-inch sandwich—and is touted as something 

Subway's Artisan Italian bread is the first one to come out in Hero form, and you can currently find it at select locations in Savannah, Ga., Des Moines, Iowa, Colorado Springs, Colo., and Boise, Idaho for a limited time.

And while Tom Brady, a notoriously clean eater, is endorsing this bread and has even bitten into the sandwich in the latest promo video, we reached out to nutrition experts to find out just how healthy it really is.

According to registered dietitian and nutritionist Lauren Manaker, Subway's Hero bread can actually be a good option for those watching their carb intake.

"This new bread is made with many fiber-rich ingredients, which results in an extremely low net carb amount," she says. "For those who follow a low-carb diet, this could be a nice addition." Manaker also reminded us that most Americans are falling short in their consumption of the daily recommended amount of fiber, so a bread like this one can help them meet their quota—and all they have to do is eat a sandwich.

Not to mention, this bread can actually help those looking to shed some pounds. But don't forget that what goes in the sandwich counts as much as the bread.

"If you're using this bread as a base for a sandwich made of lean meats, lots of veggies, and low-cal mustard, it can be a fantastic addition for those trying to manage their weight. But if you're loading it up with things like bacon, heavier condiments like mayonnaise, and pairing it with fried chips and sugary drinks, choosing this bread may not make a world of difference," Manaker warns.

But what about the bread's ingredients? Any unpleasant surprises there? Lisa Moskovitz, registered dietitian and author of 

, says not really. "According to the label, most of the ingredients are relatively harmless, especially when consumed in smaller doses." However, she does caution that as with any product that contains more than 5 grams of fiber, the bread can be harder on your digestion. Her verdict on whether the substitution of regular bread with this "healthy" one is worth it?

"Ultimately any low- or zero-carb substitute to your favorite foods can certainly add more variety to an already carb-restricted diet, but without that satisfaction, these foods might not feel like a worthy substitute at all."

November 1, 2021

Subway Has a New Healthy Bread—Here's What Our Nutritionists Say About It

Imagine a bread roll much like Subway’s Italian white bread: soft, fluffy, carbohydrate-dense. Now imagine if that bread had zero grams of sugar, 12 grams of protein, and only 1 net carbohydrate per serving.

That’s the product that California-based startup Hero Bread recently launched in Subway sandwich restaurants. 

Imagine a bread roll much like Subway’s Italian white bread: soft, fluffy, carbohydrate-dense. Now imagine if that bread had zero grams of sugar, 12 grams of protein, and only 1 net carbohydrate per serving.

That’s the product that California-based startup Hero Bread recently launched in Subway sandwich restaurants. The company’s foundational tech is a flour alternative developed in founder and CEO Cole Glass’ home kitchen. Earlier this week, I got on the phone with Glass to find out how he created his flour replacer—and tasted Hero Bread’s Italian roll myself.

Due to a rare and severe set of food allergies, Glass eats an extremely limited diet: no raw fruits, vegetables, or nuts. “My diet has been terrible for my whole life because I can only have protein, fat, and carbs. As a kid, it was great that I could ask for a cookie or bag of chips instead of eating carrots and celery sticks,” Glass told me. But as he grew older, he became more aware of the health problems that his diet could provoke.

Glass wanted a way to eat the carbohydrate-dense foods he enjoyed, but to reduce their health impacts. Yet, most of the alternative flour products on grocery store shelves were made from almond, coconut, or cauliflower (all foods he couldn’t eat).

“I had three options,” Glass said. “I could give up flour-based foods forever. I could go back to eating like a five-year-old and literally eat myself to death. Or, for lack of a better term, I could try and science the shit out of the problem, and reinvent flour from the ground up with a set of ingredients I wasn’t allergic to.”

So, though he didn’t have a culinary background, Glass started baking. And after two years of experimentation, he figured out how to use different combinations of isolated proteins and fibers (from common crops like corn, potatoes, wheat, and flax) as the bases for various baked goods.

Glass cold-emailed Mattson, a food laboratory in the San Francisco Bay Area, to see what they made of his alternative flour. After they ran some tests and confirmed that he was onto something, he contacted potential investors.

“I’d show up at their offices with a Lululemon bag full of muffins, cookies, and waffles, and a pitch deck on my computer,” Glass said. Silicon Valley VC firm Great Point Ventures became Hero Bread’s first investor, with partner emeritus Ray Lane joining the board of directors. A former CEO of McDonald’s also became an early investor.

Glass also attracted advisors and investors who were involved with alternative meat startups Beyond Meat and Impossible Foods. Drawing on their experience, the company decided to launch its first product in partnership with a quick-service restaurant chain. The team started up conversations with potential launch partners, gauging their needs—and found that those conversations kept coming back to bread.

“Bread is the first thing that you think of when you think about something that is super carb-y,” Glass said, “and it’s the most universal platform for us to jump off of.”

As a quick-service chain that sells huge quantities of bread, Subway was an ideal partner. Hero Bread’s Italian rolls were introduced in five U.S. cities (about 300 total restaurant locations) this month, where they’ll be available through January.

When I tried out the Hero Bread roll in my own kitchen, I was surprised at how convincing it looked and felt. It has a thin, golden-brown crust and a super-soft, porous inside. It also has that airy texture of Subway sandwich bread: When you bite into it, your teeth almost melt through it. Toasted, it gets a nice crunch.

The Hero Bread roll smells and tastes similar to the Subway analogue, with the addition of an unfamiliar-but-nice, nutty note, which might come from the milled flaxseed. Overall, I suspect you could serve it in place of a standard-issue sub roll, and no one would be the wiser.

After the limited-time test launch, Glass hopes to expand Hero Bread’s partnership with Subway. The company will also pursue other commercial partnerships in the future and eventually consider direct-to-consumer distribution.

“I wake up every single day feeling some combination of shock, humility, and gratitude that Hero Bread became a company, because I started out just making muffins in my kitchen,” Glass said. But with the startup now up and running, he envisions expanding into “virtually every category you can imagine using flour for. Imagine creating things that look, taste, smell, and feel just like the quote-unquote normal versions—while eliminating net carbs, increasing protein and fiber, and reducing calories.”

November 29, 2021

Hero Bread Founder Cole Glass Was “Eating Himself To Death.” So He Created This 1g Net Carb Bread.

If you watch NFL football, you’ve probably seen Tom Brady in ads about Subway bread that he doesn’t eat.

But now the notoriously health-conscious quarterback 

 enjoy a Subway sandwich — if he’s in the right place. Like Idaho.

, a food tech startup being hailed as “the Beyond Meat of bread.” Now through January, Hero is a bread option at Subway when you order from about 60 locations around the Treasure Valley. Hero claims that it “looks, smells, and tastes just like traditional bread but has a significantly improved nutritional profile.”

“Truly unbelievable,” the seven-time Super Bowl champ says in a recent video.

Hero Bread has only 1 gram of net carbohydrates per 6-inch sub roll, along with 100 calories, 26 grams of fiber, 12 grams of protein — and 0 grams of sugar.

Um ... yum? “That must taste like crap!” my wife blurted, reading those numbers aloud.

It’s soft and tender like French bread, with a gentle wheat flavor that borders on bland. In other words, it’s a fine vehicle for a sandwich, assuming you don’t want the bread to be the star. No, it is not as flavorful as an artisan loaf. But, hey, it beats a Sandwich Thin.

Calling it “the only bread Tom Brady eats,” a publicist’s email explained that Hero Bread initially is being offered at Subways in Boise, Colorado Springs, Des Moines, Iowa, and two Georgia cities: Atlanta and Savannah. Other markets will be added “as the partnership expands into the new year, and Hero Bread will also be pursuing other commercial partnerships and direct-to-consumer distribution,” according to a media release.

Only Brady could make America want to devour a GOAT sandwich.

But if you normally eschew bread for dietary reasons, Hero definitely is worth a nibble.

December 7, 2021

Order a sandwich with ‘the only bread Tom Brady eats.’ Boise is one of 5 test markets

SAN FRANCISCO — In the eyes of Ray Lane, managing partner at GreatPoint Ventures, San Francisco-based Hero Labs could do for baked goods what Beyond Meat did for plant-based meat: change the game. With real synergy between the two brands, Hero buns and tortillas started appearing in the Beyond Meat board room.

“We’d put the latest Beyond Burger in the bun or chicken or beef crumbles in the tortillas to make tacos,” said Cole Glass, founder and CEO of Hero Labs “They suggested I changed the name from Hero to NFW Foods because every time they tried it, they’d say, ‘No f—ing way this is real.’”

Since then, Hero Labs has secured financial backing from names like Tom Brady, Kevin Durant and a former executive from one of the country’s most notable fast-food groups, just to name a few.

When it was time to go to market, one partner really stood out.

“We met everyone imaginable at the c-level from practically every quick-serve restaurant and fast-casual chain,” Glass said. “And we started laying the foundation for eventual CPG and grocery relationships, as well. But what rose to the top was our first partnership, which was Subway.”

Harkening back on lessons learned from the relationship with Beyond Meat, the Hero team knew how to navigate the potholes on the “yellow brick road” paved to revolutionize the food space.

The result was a co-branded Subway launch that landed Hero Bread as an option on Subway menus in five markets. It wasn’t relegated to a “special” sandwich item; rather, it was a regular on the bread lineup.

“When you walk into Subway, the first thing you smell is the bread,” Glass said. “It’s the first thing you think about and the first thing you choose. We wanted to allow consumers to have any of their favorite Subway sandwiches made on Hero Bread.”

With Subway as the brand’s first QSR launch, consumers took to Hero Bread almost immediately, opening even more opportunities in foodservice, retail and direct-to-consumer (DTC) markets.

“Subway was the first QSR to offer a one-net-carb sandwich roll, and the feedback from consumers has been incredibly positive,” said Steve Straker, VP of R&D and commercialization for Hero Labs. “As we expand the availability of our products across various channels, including adding a DTC marketplace, there’s great opportunity awaiting when it comes to strategic partnerships with additional foodservice/QSR, grocery and retail concepts.”

Because the flour innovated by Hero Labs functions exactly like traditional flour — it’s net-carb-free but not gluten-free — the team can partner with some of the industry’s biggest co-manufacturers. From a production standpoint, the process looks nearly the same as that for traditional, carb-rich baked goods.

“The formula is easy to slide into the supply chain of any of these big partners, and that helps keep production costs down,” Glass said.

With supply chain under constraint, finding the right co-manufacturer with the time and capacity to fit Hero into the production schedule has become a new piece of the puzzle. This could likely impact what manufacturing looks like for Hero in the future, whether it’s co-investment, co-building a facility or, depending on subsequent rounds of capital, taking the whole operation in-house.

“Any of those are absolutely in the cards,” Glass predicted. “It’s just the kind of thing that requires a multi-year planning process with a lot of CapEx … and that’s for the pitch decks in our next funding round.”

The current co-manufacturing partners are seen as an extension of the Hero Labs team. Creating something so close to traditional bread, yet so different, provides a commercial bakery the opportunity to expand its capabilities, especially when each Hero product has such pivotal differentiators. Each baked good has its own special formula, but each recipe falls under the same macronutrient mantra.

“What we use for the tortilla to make it stretch, pull and hold the contents of a burrito is very different from what we’d use for a burger bun to make it retain its shape and fluffiness with a nice toastable outer crust,” Glass explained.

Then there’s the Hero croissant, whose flour has a makeup all its own to create a dough that can be laminated to hold all its layers.

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