A New Lawsuit Claims Subway's Meats Are Not Actually Piled High
Popular Connecticut-based sandwich chain Subway is the latest fast food company to be accused of false advertising. According to a proposed lawsuit filed on Monday, October 28, 2024, in a Brooklyn federal court, Subway is "grossly misleading" its customers by advertising that its sandwiches are piled high with meats, while they actually contain much less. The class action lawsuit seeks unspecified damages for people who bought the sandwiches in New York over the last three years, claiming that Subway is violating the state's consumer protection laws.
The lawsuit was filed by Subway customer Anna Tollison, who alleges that she paid $7.61 for a Steak & Cheese sandwich at a Queens branch of the fast food chain. She claims that the sandwich Subway advertised looked substantial, but that she received mostly bread despite the ad showing at least three times more meat than it actually delivered. The lawsuit included photos which showed Subway sandwiches containing much more bread than filling.
Customers are demanding advertising truth from fast food chains
The case has drawn new attention to the ongoing discussion regarding truth in advertising within the fast food industry. In fact, both McDonald's and Wendy's were sued for selling smaller-than-advertised burgers in 2022. According to Anna Tollison's lawyer, Anthony Russo (via Today), this case shows "an egregious example of the type of advertising we're trying to stop." He argues that many lower-income consumers are already struggling financially due to inflation and high food prices. Customer lawsuits are not new for Subway, either.
After four years of defense, a lawsuit claiming that its "footlong" sandwiches were too short was dismissed in 2017. And last year, a California judge dismissed a lawsuit from a woman claiming that the sandwich giant's tuna products contained ingredients other than tuna. It has also been reported that the New York plaintiff's law firm has previously filed similar lawsuits in the same court against McDonald's, Wendy's, and Taco Bell, but all were dismissed last year. A similar lawsuit is pending in federal court in Miami against Burger King. Subway has not yet commented on this latest lawsuit.