Yolo County Man Sues Subway, Claiming 'Footlong' Subs Come Up Short
SACRAMENTO (CBS13) - A Yolo County man is suing the franchise owner of Subway restaurants because he says their heavily marketed "footlong" sandwiches are not, in fact, 12 inches long.
Attorneys for Richard Springer of West Sacramento filed the class-action complaint in U.S. District Court in Sacramento on Thursday.
Read lawsuit: Springer v Subway
Springer contends in the filing that he purchased a footlong sub Jan. 16 that measured 11 inches. He "brings this action on behalf of himself and other similarly situated consumers throughout California to stop the dissemination of these untrue and deceptive advertising messages, correct the false and misleading perception that they have created in consumers' minds, and obtain compensations for those who have purchased Subway 'footlong' subs."
"That's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard in my life," customer Jessie Felten.
Subway, the largest restaurant chain in the world, has about 38,000 locations worldwide in 98 countries and is privately owned by Doctor's Associates, Inc., based in Connecticut. Doctor's Associates is named as the defendant in the suit, which asks for a jury trial.
Springer's filing follows a viral photo posted by an Australian teen last week showing an 11-inch Subway sandwich, sparking lawsuits similar to Springer's in New Jersey and Chicago.
Franchise owner Cheryl Char says she has it down to a science.
"We check, yes we do," said Char of the subs.
We checked too. Fresh out of the oven the tape measure doesn't lie, 12 inches apiece.
"I think it's a little ridiculous," Char said of the lawsuit over the lost inch.
In response to the complaints, Subway issued a statement Thursday saying, "We have redoubled our efforts to ensure consistency and correct length in every sandwich we serve. Our commitment remains steadfast to ensure that every Subway Footlong sandwich is 12 inches at each location worldwide."
