JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The "$5-foot-long" is one of many catchy sales pitches from Subway, part of which landed the sandwich chain in court.
The company is providing proof that customers are getting their money's worth after a class-action lawsuit was filed in 2013 claiming false advertising.
The lawsuit claims Subway shorted their customers who thought they were paying for sandwiches that were supposed to be 6 inches or a foot long. News4Jax checked both sandwich sizes and found they measured up.
News4Jax visited a local Subway to verify whether the sandwiches were as long as the sandwich chain claims. The foot-long sandwich roll was exactly 12 inches long and the second one was exactly half that long.
Giving sandwiches the ruler test, is what Subway has proposed, among other promising actions, responding to the lawsuit alleging deceptive marketing by serving customers less food than they were paying for.
A 2013 photo showing a foot-long sub measuring closer to 11 inches went viral-- leading to angry customers' social media posts and the lawsuit.
Though the precise measurements of a Subway sandwich may be the focus for those suing, all local customer Luis Cano cares about is the taste.
"I love their food. Eleven inches, 12 inches, I don't care," Cano said.
While it denies ripping off its customers. Subway announced a proposed settlement Monday. According to court documents, Subway franchisees would be required to have a measurement tool in stores and abide by regular inspections to include measuring loaves to make sure they're 12 inches long.
Subway also said it would change employee training materials that had, "allowed for a small tolerance in the size of a foot-long sandwich."
In the proposed settlement, Subway agrees to pay attorneys' fees for those suing and that's it. A federal court hearing is scheduled for Jan. 15.
Local customer Staci Chamberlain said the sandwich shop is convenient, her kids love it and the lawsuit makes about as much sense as someone suing for being burned by hot coffee.
"I think it's very silly, extremely silly. It's just like, coffee's hot … Same thing," Chamberlain said.
In the settlement, Subway admits that due to variations in food production and the baking process, "it will never be able to guarantee that each loaf of bread will always be exactly 12 inches or greater in length after baking."