Subway had a fairly rough 2015—we don’t really need to get into it. But way back in 2013, the brand encountered a very different image problem when an Australian teen posted this photo of a Subway “footlong” on Facebook.
"Everybody ate the evidence": Subway to ensure footlong sandwiches are 12 inches long: https://t.co/n6UHrDPZfD pic.twitter.com/LaVsWVRdnD
— CBC Ottawa (@CBCOttawa) March 1, 2016
The above image justifiably spawned a U.S. class-action lawsuit that, in the manner of such things, somehow took years to settle. There was no monetary compensation for the plaintiffs—not even partial refunds for those improperly sized sandwiches. Another win for Big Lunch.
https://twitter.com/kevsdgaf/status/494325097147023361
And while Subway was cleared of any wrongdoing, the chain did make one concession to its aggrieved customers, agreeing “to institute practices for at least four years to ensure its bread is at least 12 inches long.” I ask you, America: Is this what we were fighting for? An extra inch of bread?
After previous false advertising, the @SUBWAY footlong is now truly a foot long. AJ did the official measurement… pic.twitter.com/iHW8EUyIZm
— Sharon Collins, NBCT (@collinsnyc) February 17, 2016
Look, nobody is going to Subway for that yeasty, spongy, oregano-crusted stuff they tuck all your cold cuts and condiments into. Nobody gets to the 11th inch of their sandwich and wishes there was a more substantial heel of plain bread to savor. This goes against the basic tenets of eating.
What’s more, Subway is only obligated to guarantee foot-long bread for four years. The span of a presidential term. The period of time between each World Cup. The length of a high school education. That’s it. Then they go back to selling slightly miniaturized bread loafs to save money on flour. Oh, and did we mention that the legally guaranteed “footlongs” cost more?
This economy is crap. The price of a subway footlong has gone from 5 to 6 dollars
— jenny from the block (@Jennyythegr8) February 23, 2016
Wake up, people. You don’t have to take this from a sandwich shop. We need a revolution. We’ll eat at… well, not Chipotle, but we’ll think of something. We have to. The arc of the food universe is long, but it bends toward great promotional deals.
H/T CBC | Photo via Stephan Mosel/Flickr (CC BY 2.0)