In 1965, the first Subway store opened its doors. Fifty years later and more than 35,000 stores worldwide, the restaurant received some controversy when customers started posting pictures of their footlongs on the Internet.
The Subway in Calhoun Lofts, which opened in January, had its sandwiches put to the test. | Hannah Laamoumi/The Daily Cougar
Last month, Subway was sued by multiple people that claimed its advertising was misleading and its sandwiches were not a foot long.
Business senior Amin Abdelwahab thinks the lawsuits against Subway are ridiculous.
“I’m a business major, and I have learned that not all products are the same length or weight but they must fall within a certain range,” Abdelwahab said. “I have never thought of measuring the footlong myself, and I don’t know anyone who has.”
UH Retail Food Service Director Misty Pierce decided to visit Calhoun Lofts Subway location and put the footlongs to the test by measuring them.
“Depending on the way in which you measure the bread, you will get different results in measurements,” Pierce said. “When measuring both the wheat and Italian Jalapeno Cheddar footlongs from the top, they are 12 inches, but when measured from the bottom, they are both around 11 and a half inches.”
Unlike the Lofts Subway, the location across from the Campus Recreation and Wellness Center is not affiliated with UH or UH Dining Services. It is licensed and follows corporate policies and procedures along with the same amount of toppings as other Subway locations.
Not all students are happy with the location of the new Subway at the Lofts. Some wish it would have been relocated to a different part in campus.
“I am satisfied with the service and the food there, however it is kind of far and was hoping they would have opened a Subway closer to the library because that’s where I usually hang out,” Abdelwahab said.
On a June 4 press release, Subway said its restaurants have become the first in the industry to meet and receive the American Heart Association’s Heart-Check meal certification by providing heart healthy and nutritious options without taking away from the taste or quality of the food.
“I am happy with the new Subway location, their great customer service and their subs can help you lose weight,” said management senior Dave Savage.
“The reason I like the workers at Subway is that if you take the time to tell them ‘Hi,’ they will remember you and your favorite order. I appreciate what they do for me,” Savage said.
The Subway rolls advertised as foot-long, need to be a minimum of one foot, 12 inches long. Tolerance, small statistical deviations can be slightly larger than 12 inches in the business, ethics and mathematical teaching and experience that I have learned and apply. Foot-long sandwiches which are perhaps never 12 inches long is untruthful deception and is part of rampant business cheating and consumer manipulation plain and simple. There is no soft interpretation necessary.
Beyond the foot-long issue is the quantity of air and missing substance in their buns not to mention the bare-minimum of ingredients in their sandwiches to maximize profits while charging the maximum price the market will bear at some sustainable volume per store. The high price of the chips and water-based drinks sold to actually create a semblance of a “meal” seen with clear eyes is outrageous. Subway likely in my opinion has maximized the CVP relationship, and through the years of trial-and-error an equation and an MBA is not necessary. Subway has a product and customer (and probably employee also) relationship on-the-very margin.
A Deli business with Italian, Jewish, Greek heritage or other sandwich makers otherwise “old-fashioned” in their ways are business’es of past largely because keeping an “old fashioned” store suffers from the mindsets and loyalty detachments of the American consumer (and also owner’s Family thinks and may find there are “far easier and more interesting” ways to make money sometimes at their own peril), but if you are lucky and can find such an authentic place, try a real large hoagie or sandwich there on real bread with a “good” bun and a proper serving of ingredients and what I am saying will come alive to you.
“Like” something authentic and be a good citizen in the community where you live.
Exactly. The same people who want to defend Subway are the same people gorging themselves at IHOP, Olive Garden, Chili’s, and the like… These chain “food” providers maximize profits while minimizing nutrition. Find a locally owned business when dining. You’ll save money, eat a meal of higher quality, and support your local economy and community.
The Lofts are seriously not that far. Plus for a guy that’s a business major, especially a senior, he probably goes to Bauer a lot and the Lofts is right next to Bauer! When the UC’s closed, you’d have to go all the way over to the Law School or the unaffiliated one across from the Rec.
I’m pretty sure when the UC reopens its restaurants, they’ll actually put a Subway there as well. Maybe the Lofts location is a temporary one during construction. Not something serious to whine about here.