SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             Washington, D.C. 20549
                             ----------------------

                                   FORM 8 - K


             Current Report Pursuant to Section 13 or 15 (d) of the
                         Securities Exchange Act of 1934

Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported)             October 23, 2003
                                                             ----------------

                         Commission File Number: 1-14222

                         SUBURBAN PROPANE PARTNERS, L.P.
                         -------------------------------
             (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)


        Delaware                                           22-3410353
        --------                                           ----------
(State or other jurisdiction                            (I.R.S. Employer
     of incorporation)                                  Identification No.)

                                240 Route 10 West
                              Whippany, N.J. 07981
                                 (973) 887-5300
                              --------------------
          (Address, including zip code, and telephone number, including
             area code, of registrant's principal executive offices)





                                                                    Page 1
                                                   Exhibit Index on Page 4



<PAGE>

ITEM 7.   FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND EXHIBITS

(c)  Exhibits.   A copy of the Press  Release has been furnished as Exhibit 99.1
                 to this Current Report.


ITEM 12.  RESULTS OF OPERATIONS AND FINANCIAL CONDITION

The following  information,  including the exhibit attached hereto, shall not be
deemed  "filed" for  purposes of Section 18 of the  Securities  Exchange  Act of
1934,  as amended (the  "Exchange  Act"),  or  incorporated  by reference in any
filing under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Exchange Act, except
as shall be expressly set forth by specific reference in such a filing.

On October 23, 2003, Suburban Propane Partners, L.P. issued a press release (the
"Press  Release")  describing  our  Fiscal  2003  Fourth  Quarter  and  Year End
Financial Results and Distribution Declaration.  A copy of the Press Release has
been furnished as Exhibit 99.1 to this Current Report.

Within the Press Release,  we reference  certain  non-GAAP  financial  measures;
including  earnings  before  interest,   taxes,  depreciation  and  amortization
("EBITDA").  Additionally,  we  discuss  EBITDA,  net  income and net income per
Common  Unit  excluding  the impact of  unrealized  (non-cash)  gains and losses
attributable to the mark-to-market  activity on derivative  instruments recorded
in accordance  with  Statement of Financial  Accounting  Standards No. 133 ("FAS
133").

We provide these non-GAAP financial measures because we believe that they assist
the investment community in properly assessing our liquidity on a year-over-year
basis. In addition,  we believe that these non-GAAP  financial  measures provide
useful  information  to  investors  and  industry  analysts  to  facilitate  the
comparison  of cash flows between  reporting  periods for purposes of evaluating
our  ability  to meet  our debt  service  obligations  and to pay our  quarterly
distributions.  Moreover,  our senior note  agreements and our revolving  credit
agreement  require us to use EBITDA in  calculating  our  leverage  and interest
coverage ratios.  A reconciliation  of EBITDA to cash flow provided by operating
activities  (the most comparable GAAP measure) is presented in the Press Release
furnished as Exhibit 99.1 to this current report.


                                     Page 2




<PAGE>


                                   SIGNATURES

     Pursuant to the  requirements  of the Securities  Exchange Act of 1934, the
registrant  has duly  caused  this  report  to be  signed  on its  behalf by the
undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

                                       SUBURBAN PROPANE PARTNERS, L.P.

October 23, 2003                       By:  /s/  Janice G. Meola
                                            -----------------------
                                            Name:  Janice G. Meola
                                            Title: General Counsel & Secretary
















                                     Page 3






<PAGE>

                                    EXHIBITS


Exhibit No.                           Exhibit
-----------                           -------

99.1                                  Press Release dated October 23, 2003
[{"type": "8-K", "sequence": "1", "filename": "sp8k102303.txt", "description": "SUBURBAN PROPANE PARTNERS, L.P. PRESS RELEASE", "secsgml_size_bytes": 4732}]
{"company-data": {"conformed-name": "SUBURBAN PROPANE PARTNERS LP", "cik": "0001005210", "assigned-sic": "5900", "irs-number": "223410353", "state-of-incorporation": "DE", "fiscal-year-end": "0930"}, "filing-values": {"form-type": "8-K", "act": "34", "file-number": "001-14222", "film-number": "03953098"}, "business-address": {"street1": "P O BOX 206", "street2": "240 ROUTE 10 WEST", "city": "WIPPANY", "state": "NJ", "zip": "07981", "phone": "9738875300"}, "mail-address": {"street1": "ONE SUBURBAN PLZ", "street2": "240 RTE 10 WEST", "city": "WHIPPANY", "state": "NJ", "zip": "07981"}}
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             Washington, D.C. 20549
                             ----------------------

                                   FORM 8 - K

             Current Report Pursuant to Section 13 or 15 (d) of the
                         Securities Exchange Act of 1934

Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported)             October 23, 2003
                                                             ----------------

                         Commission File Number: 1-14222

                         SUBURBAN PROPANE PARTNERS, L.P.
                         -------------------------------
             (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

        Delaware                                           22-3410353
        --------                                           ----------
(State or other jurisdiction                            (I.R.S. Employer
     of incorporation)                                  Identification No.)

                                240 Route 10 West
                              Whippany, N.J. 07981
                                 (973) 887-5300
                              --------------------
          (Address, including zip code, and telephone number, including
             area code, of registrant's principal executive offices)

                                                                    Page 1
                                                   Exhibit Index on Page 4
ITEM 7.   FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND EXHIBITS

(c)  Exhibits.   A copy of the Press  Release has been furnished as Exhibit 99.1
                 to this Current Report.

ITEM 12.  RESULTS OF OPERATIONS AND FINANCIAL CONDITION

The following  information,  including the exhibit attached hereto, shall not be
deemed  "filed" for  purposes of Section 18 of the  Securities  Exchange  Act of
1934,  as amended (the  "Exchange  Act"),  or  incorporated  by reference in any
filing under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Exchange Act, except
as shall be expressly set forth by specific reference in such a filing.

On October 23, 2003, Suburban Propane Partners, L.P. issued a press release (the
"Press  Release")  describing  our  Fiscal  2003  Fourth  Quarter  and  Year End
Financial Results and Distribution Declaration.  A copy of the Press Release has
been furnished as Exhibit 99.1 to this Current Report.

Within the Press Release,  we reference  certain  non-GAAP  financial  measures;
including  earnings  before  interest,   taxes,  depreciation  and  amortization
("EBITDA").  Additionally,  we  discuss  EBITDA,  net  income and net income per
Common  Unit  excluding  the impact of  unrealized  (non-cash)  gains and losses
attributable to the mark-to-market  activity on derivative  instruments recorded
in accordance  with  Statement of Financial  Accounting  Standards No. 133 ("FAS
133").

We provide these non-GAAP financial measures because we believe that they assist
the investment community in properly assessing our liquidity on a year-over-year
basis. In addition,  we believe that these non-GAAP  financial  measures provide
useful  information  to  investors  and  industry  analysts  to  facilitate  the
comparison  of cash flows between  reporting  periods for purposes of evaluating
our  ability  to meet  our debt  service  obligations  and to pay our  quarterly
distributions.  Moreover,  our senior note  agreements and our revolving  credit
agreement  require us to use EBITDA in  calculating  our  leverage  and interest
coverage ratios.  A reconciliation  of EBITDA to cash flow provided by operating
activities  (the most comparable GAAP measure) is presented in the Press Release
furnished as Exhibit 99.1 to this current report.

                                     Page 2
SIGNATURES

     Pursuant to the  requirements  of the Securities  Exchange Act of 1934, the
registrant  has duly  caused  this  report  to be  signed  on its  behalf by the
undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

                                       SUBURBAN PROPANE PARTNERS, L.P.

October 23, 2003                       By:  /s/  Janice G. Meola
                                            -----------------------
                                            Name:  Janice G. Meola
                                            Title: General Counsel & Secretary

                                     Page 3
EXHIBITS

Exhibit No.                           Exhibit
-----------                           -------

99.1                                  Press Release dated October 23, 2003