Quiznos: Get Less for Less
Last year, Quiznos advertised their large deli favorites sandwiches for only $5 for a limited time in a series of commercials showing hungry people eating five dollar bills. The commercial said that these sandwiches had more meat than comparable Subway footlong subs, and the ad ends with the announcer saying “get more meat.” More recently, Quiznos has been advertising “new lower prices” and “love what you eat for less.”
A regular Mouse Print* reader recently wrote that it was his observation that during the $5 subs promotion, the “large” sandwiches seemed smaller than previously. He asked a store employee about the tuna subs, and was told they were now putting 2-1/2 scoops of tuna in them instead of the old three scoops.
Mouse Print* made three contacts with Quiznos PR people to find out if their “large” sandwiches had been downsized, but did not receive an answer. Poking around online, however, the answer seems to be yes. Here are the nutrition statements for various Quiznos sandwiches from November 2007, when the company first began to publish such information and several months before the promotion of their $5 subs:
*MOUSE PRINT:
And here is the current nutrition statement for these same sandwiches cobbled together from their website. Note the changes in the calories column:
*MOUSE PRINT:
You will note that the total calories dropped by about 15%, old versus new. (Some would say that is a good thing since no single sandwich should contain a day’s worth of fat and calories.)
Clearly the company appears to have downsized its sandwiches. Whether that was done so they could advertise lower prices and make the public think they were getting a bargain, is unclear. We can only take an educated guess.
Holy $#@%, Over 2,000 cals for a sandwich?
Comment by Peter — April 13, 2009 @ 7:15 amOur local Quiznos went out of business, meanwhile about 3 new Subways have opened. The market has spoken.
Comment by mitaliano — April 13, 2009 @ 7:43 amLess mayo, less calories?? That would have a bigger impact on fat/calories than less tuna.
Just playing devil’s advocate.
Comment by Mark — April 13, 2009 @ 8:03 amThis must be the first time that a nutrition statement has been used to nail a company for the shrink ray. LOL.
Comment by Jasper — April 13, 2009 @ 9:40 amAt least they didn’t advertise $5 ANY footlong, and then when you go get it, they tell you that the one you got isn’t one of the $5 sandwiches.
(and it wasn’t a doublemeat one either)
Comment by hunibuns — April 13, 2009 @ 11:14 ammade a recent trip to a quiznos in fort myers, fl. with a coupon for a “buy one get one free” sandwich. they refused to honor the coupon unless you bought a meal and then charged us ala carte for the drink and chips. i wrote to the company and they refused to answer. so, since they have no control over their franchisees, enter at your own risk.
Comment by jim — April 13, 2009 @ 12:32 pmAnother reason they had to downsize is that they financially couldn’t offer subs at the same price as subway (though they made an attempt to). Their material distribution network isn’t nearly as vast or advanced as subway’s.
Comment by John — April 13, 2009 @ 2:00 pmThe philly and the feast ARE double meat sandwiches.
Comment by Anna — April 13, 2009 @ 6:40 pmTried the $5 foot long, will not return very poorly put together and
Comment by tom — April 13, 2009 @ 7:38 pmwasn’t anything as advertised. Subway is twice the size and ingredients
are so much more and better.
My local Quiznos denied me free tap water. “Manager’s policy,” they said. I’m never going back.
Comment by Ben — April 29, 2009 @ 10:06 pmI have to comment on the new torpedo commercial. I find it quite disturbing. It has so much sexual content i wont let my childeren watch it. I feel that it should be taken off the air…….. Myself and many others have decided to go to quiznos
Comment by melissa — May 14, 2009 @ 1:41 amCompetitors untill the commercial is off the air
The Quiznos in Muskego, WI. does not give free water either and when I inquired about it I was told it was due to kids coming in and asking for free water all of the time, which I can understand. But to deny paying customers free water is wrong.
Comment by Rick G. — August 2, 2009 @ 8:09 am