Subway sandwich ads are “grossly misleading,” lawsuit claims

A New York woman has a beef with restaurant chain Subway.

When Anna Tollison ordered a $6.99 Steak & Cheese sandwich this summer, she based her selection on photos of the product on the restaurant chain’s app, according to a complaint filed Monday in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York. What she got from the Queens Subway shop was a far cry from the generous helpings of thinly sliced steak and cheese on hero bread shown in the company’s advertising, she alleged.

“There was barely any steak in the sandwich,” according to the suit, which accuses Subway of “grossly misleading” advertising.

The civil suit also cites complaints from other Subway customers on social media who have posted images of what appear to be their sandwich orders next to the company’s ads. 

“Subway’s advertisements for the Product are unfair and financially damaging to consumers as they are receiving a product that is materially lower in value than what is being represented,” Tollison’s lawsuit states. “Subway actions are especially concerning now that inflation, food and meat prices are very high and many consumers, especially lower income consumers, are struggling financially.”

The suit seeks unspecified damages for consumers who have purchased Subway Steal & Cheese sandwiches in the state of New York within the past three years.

Subway did not respond to a request for comment.

This isn’t the first time Subway has been accused of false advertising. In 2021, the company was sued by a California resident who alleged that Subway’s tuna didn’t contain any actual tuna. The case was eventually  dismissed.