So goes the jingle for the Subway $5 footlong campaign whose success has the sandwich chain within striking distance of McDonald's, and is all the more surprising considering that the idea started not at headquarters or in an ad-agency, but was the brainchild of a guy who only owned two Subways trying to boost sagging weekend sales.

It's a cool story that shows how entrepreneurs can break through even in a tough economy by creatively offering customers a little more value.

The Accidental Hero [Business Week] (Photo: NickNguyen)

He writes:

I went to a Subway store in South Beach Fl, specifically in Washington Ave and 5th street, and ordered only a $5 footlong sub for lunch.

When I was told the total was $5.45, I asked why I was being charged those 45 cents, and the attendant only replied it was because the sales taxes. Since I clearly know sales taxes in Miami-Dade county (where South Beach is located) are only 7%, which calculates to 35 cents over the sub's price, I asked her why the overcharge, and she simply responded she didn't know and that it was what the register calculated.

For the mathematically impaired:

$5.00 + 7% tax = $5.35

$5.00 + 9% tax = $5.45

I wonder if that extra 2% in sales taxes this Subway store charges is for the "privilege" of finding something cheap to eat while you hang out in South Beach.

UPDATE: Subway isn't doing anything wrong here. The extra 2 percent comes from a tacked-on Food and Beverage Task.

(Photo: Morton Fox)

Turns out they both may be. The first study concentrated on low-income neighborhoods where obesity is a real problem — but where the customers are "price sensitive." The other study, done by the Department of Health, was city wide and included many more transactions.

From the NYT:

Last week, city health officials delivered a more upbeat assessment, saying New Yorkers ordered fewer calories at four chains - Au Bon Pain, KFC, McDonald's and Starbucks - after the law went into effect last year.

The changes reported by the city health department's preliminary data were modest, indicating little change either way in the number of calories bought at 8 of 13 chains surveyed, and a significant increase in calories ordered at Subway, which researchers attributed to a continuing $5 promotional special on footlong sandwiches that has tripled demand for them.

Subway led the way on menu labeling while other chains resisted. It seems they understood that posting calories wasn't going to hurt business — not when there are $5 footlongs to be had.

It seems that you can put lots of numbers on a menu, but people are still going to look at the ones that come after the dollar sign.

How Posted Calories Affect Food Orders [NYT]

John writes:

I have recently started hitting the gym daily and trying to work healthy food into my diet. Everyday I leave the gym and get a small sub from subway and a diet soda to carry me over until dinner time. I've been going every weekday for about 2 months now. Yesterday I ordered the usual, a six inch turkey and ham on wheat bread with extra olives. The woman at the counter turns to her coworker friend and says "I don't know how anybody could eat this stuff everyday. It's disgusting and it will make you fat."

I took my sandwich, ate it, then threw my subway card in the trash on the way out. I'm so glad that subway worker had the good sense to let me know how disgusting their food was, or I'd still be going there every day for lunch.

We wouldn't put too much stock in the musings of a single employee, but the truth is that Subways is as healthy or disgusting as you choose. It's one of the better fast food options if you stick to the basics, but if you load up on the sides and slather on the mayo, then yeah, it's going to make you fat. Decide for yourself by looking at their nutrition information.

Nutrition Information [Subway]
(Photo: Mr. T in DC)

I went to a Subway restaurant in Warrenton, VA for lunch on 6/2/09, which I do a day or two per week. On this particular day, there was quite a line, so while waiting I noticed this "Vacation Giveaway" kiosk by the entrance. So, since I was already standing there, what's the hurt of entering. I would soon find out.

The evening of 6/10/09 I received (3) phone calls from a number I did not recognize (757-821-0166), so I didn't answer. Well the last call the guy actually left a voicemail. The message went to say that where I had entered the contest at Subway, they had a $125.00 Visa gift card and they were trying to contact me to collect. I thought to myself, what dumb luck that because of a line at Subway, I actually won something.

I called back the next day and was told that I had to speak with the gentleman that contacted me, and he comes in a 5pm. So a little after 5pm I called to collect my gift. While speaking with Fred, he informs me that not only did I win a $125.00 Visa gift card, but I also won a $25 Subway gift card and trip to Orlando Florida for 3 days and 2 nights. This is when I got suspicious. It sounded to good to be true, so I asked, "What's the catch?"

Fred then told me that all I had to do was spend 90 minutes of my time "getting acquainted" with the resort (aka timeshare sales pitch). He then informed me that in order to get the items I had "won" I needed to authorize them to deduct a $75.00 reservation fee, which would be returned once I was at the resort. I read your blog daily, so immediately "SCAM" jumped into my head. So I told Fred that I needed to think about it, and spent the next bit of time looking up his information on the internet—which was filled with horror stories.

When Fred called back, I told him I was not interested, which I had to tell him at least 10 times before he would give up. He has since proceeded to call me 4-7 times per night between the hours of 5pm and 11pm trying to get me to reconsider. This is totally unacceptable. I am not sure if this company was sold my information, or stole the information. But regardless, beware.

(Photo: Aidan Wojtas)

Other fun facts from the report: between 2007 and 2008, average monthly visits jumped from 7 to 11 (a sign of rough economic times perhaps?); single men are more likely to eat at these places than single women; and Subway has slowly passed Taco Bell and Wendy's in the past few years to become the #3 destination. Burger King remains in second place, the perpetual bridesmaid to McDonald's.

Chipotle, Jamba Juice, and Panera Bread have all been climbing the popularity chart as well, although the big chains are still pretty safe.

"McDonald's Turns 54 But Still Number 1" [Experian Simmons via SR Web]
(Photo: thisisbossi)

Because we worked at Subway headquarters in high school, we know the reason is that the salad lettuce is actually shredded dollar bills that were removed from circulation by the government and given to Subway in exchange for party subs at the U.S. Mint.

Or someone accidentally put a 5 up there, but seriously, why is a bowl and some extra lettuce any more expensive than delicious, store-baked bread?

Now, maybe it doesn't take an expert to park cars, but I fit the "no experience" bill and I can promise you I'd scrape off a little of your paint or ease your car into a support column. My first job in the city was as a driver for a film crew, and I managed to back a rental van into the corner of a building my second week there.

Apparently someone at Icon Parking figured out that maybe this isn't the best way to instill confidence in your services, because Lansey posed a third photo showing that they've update the want ad—now in place of "no experience necessary" it reads, "Paid training."

"No experience necessary" [Lansey Brothers] (Thanks to Daniel!)

It sounds convenient once you've jumped through the registration hoops, although the clear downside is you're storing credit card info on a third-party site, which is the sort of thing that always seems to come back up as a bad idea when a company's database is breached. If you're comfortable with that risk, however, have at it.

"Subway launches sandwich ordering via SMS in New York City" [IntoMobile]

"I was going to burn the letter," says "Domino's CEO - who, contrary to popular belief, is not the Noid guy, "but everything's better when it's oven-baked." Then he tosses the letter in a big Domino's oven and it catches fire. Then they roll the commercial Subway's tried to get taken down. Ha, suck it, Subway! Oh wait, I just remembered they're both crap. Cheers.

Domino's Burns Subway [BrandWeek] (Thanks to Brandon Savage!)

I was reading your article about how some Subways were instituting a $0.75 refill policy when I remembered that I had a Scrabble peice that said I had won a free 'Any Reg. 6" Fresh Fit OR Reg. 6" Sub.'

So, I decided to head down to the Subway in Kansas City, MO (it's walking distance away from me) and tried to redeem my coupon.

Upon walking in, the Zombie-Employee told me that they were out of half of their ingredients. I found this odd, seeing as it was 6:30 at night on a Friday, but none of the items listed were what I was going to get on my sandwich anyways. I ordered a 6" Meatball sub (considered a "Reg. Sub", I'm assuming) and a Sweet Onion Terriaki 6" (that way, I get a footlong for about half the price).

I went to check out and showed my coupon. She replied "Um, sorry, this only works for your next order." This struck me as odd, seeing as the last time I ordered and got the coupon was over a week ago.

I informed the employee politely and she responded with "Well, we still can't take it. It only works certain times of the day." I pointed out to her that the coupon read "GOOD ON NEXT ORDER. NO SUBSTITUTES. MAY NOT BE COMBINED WITH ANY OTHER OFFERS. EXPIRES 10/13/08" and wanted her to point on where on that tiny piece of paper that it says it has to be certain times of the day.

The lady gave up, and confessed that she can't redeem it because there has to be a manager there to redeem their own coupon.

I didn't want to argue with her anymore so I walked off paying twice what I wanted to. I mean, I know it's only like $4, but it still irks me that they aren't able to redeem their coupons at anytime. I just wanted to put the word out that these things are pretty much useless since they aren't honoring them. First the refill and now this? Things must be going rough for them, eh?

(Photo: Mags D)

Guess the glory days of free refills are slipping through our fingers...

We don't need no stinkin' nutrition
• Applebee's
• T.G.I. Friday's
• Outback Steakhouse
• Olive Garden
• Red Lobster
• IHOP

Chili's has 700 possible kids' meal combinations, but 658, or 94 percent, of those are too high in calories, including one comprised of country-fried chicken crispers, cinnamon apples, and chocolate milk (1,020 calories) and another comprised of cheese pizza, homestyle fries, and lemonade (1,000 calories). Burger King has a "Big Kids" meal with a double cheeseburger, fries, and chocolate milk (910 calories) Sonic has a "Wacky Pack" with 830 calories worth of grilled cheese, fries, and a slushie. KFC has a wide variety of side items, but there are few meal combinations that keep a reasonable ceiling on calories, according to the study. One example of a high-cal combo KFC kid's meal (the chain calls them "Laptop Meals") has popcorn chicken, baked beans, biscuit, Teddy Grahams, and fruit punch, which has 940 calories. (KFC has since dropped Baked Cheetos from its kids' meals, and some outlets vary the number of chicken strips or sides.) Most of the kids'meals (93 percent) at McDonald's and Wendy's are too high in calories, as are the possibilities at Burger King (92 percent), Dairy Queen (89 percent), Arby's (69 percent), and Denny's (60 percent-though its kids' meals don't include drinks). (Since CSPI's study was completed, Burger King has introduced one new children's meal with macaroni and cheese, apple "fries," and 1 percent milk, which has a reasonable 420 calories.) Subway's kids' meals came out on top. Only a third of its Fresh Fit for Kids meals, which include a mini-sub, juice box, and one of several healthful side items (apple slices, raisins, or yogurt), exceed the 430-calorie threshold. Subway is the only chain that doesn't offer soft drinks with kids' meals.

"Don't be too alarmed even when [studies] come out and seem hopeless," said Dawn Jackson Blatner, an American Dietetic Ass>ociation spokeswoman. "With a few swaps and switches, people really can make healthier choices at these fast-food joints, especially when the decisions are made before going in.

"Many of these restaurants have the nutrition information online that you can print out and go over with your kids even before you go, so that everybody is on the same page before they pull up to the drive-through or [head] to the counter," Blatner said. She also suggested that "instead of getting the fries, go with the apple slices. Many [restaurants] offer carrot sticks or apple slices or no-sugar-added applesauce or oranges, which make a big difference over deep-fried fries." And pay attention to how food is cooked. "Instead of the deep-fried nuggets, go for something like the grilled chicken, and you will save fat grams and calories," Blatner said. You'll also save calories by switching the soda, she added: "You can't go wrong with unsweetened iced tea, water or a skim milk."

Click on the pictures to start an awesome gallery

Ed writes, "I shopped at the Walmart I regularly go to for, among other things, Gillette Mach 3 replacement blades. They have been available in 4, 8, and 12 packs for seemingly ever. The unit pricing for each was typically very close. 4 packs were about $8.25, 8 packs were $16.45, give or take.

Today, I discovered that the 4 pack is now a 5 pack. The insidious part is that the unit price per blade in the 4 pack went from about $2.06 in the 4 pack to $2.25 in the 5 pack, while the 8 pack unit price did not go up as much - $2.10 from $2.06. While I get that it is very common for bigger volume packs to have a lower unit price, this was not the case for this product. This had held true for at least 5 years.

The other interesting aspect of this is that P&G did the opposite of the "shrink ray." They grew/expanded the content and they sharply increased the price for that package. "

Brian writes,"I've been making my world (read: within my household) famous nachos for years now, and always with the same ingredients. The final part of cooking up the topping is a 15 oz. can of Hunts Tomato Sauce, a 4 oz. can of diced jalapenos (either Ortega or La Victoria), and an 8ish oz. can of diced ortega chiles. All of the items came in their normal sizes at their normal prices, but they are all far more watery than they have been in the past. I noticed it as I poured them into the pan, and now that they've been simmering for a good 20 minutes, it's far, far thinner than usual. I think there may be some companies watering down their ingredients rather than making the serving size smaller. Is this the grocery version of water-diluted gas?"

Got a hot grocery-shrink-ray tip? Send your pictures and stories to tips@consumerist.com.

My wife thought it was ridiculous, but I kind of like the idea of sending those annoying line-talkers to the back.

Well, you know us, we're always biased toward the consumer.... but those line-talkers are on their own this time.

For those of you not familiar with NYC's MetroCard system, it works like this: If you buy individual rides, after $7 you get a 15% bonus, making your ride cost $1.74 instead of $2.00. The unlimited card costs $81. So to "break even" you'd need to take about 46 trips within 30 days, or 1.5 trips every day — even on weekends. Obviously, there are a lot of people using unlimited MetroCards when they would be better off buying trips in bulk. Why are they doing this? Who knows. Maybe they don't have to pay for the cards themselves. Still, it's a lesson that can be applied to "unlimited" deals of all types. Make sure to do a little math before you buy an unlimited pass.

Subway and Bus Fares [MTA]
In Decade of Unlimited Rides, MetroCard Has Transformed How the City Travels [NYT]
It's the distribution, stupid [frumination via BuzzFeed]

"Taking it seriously" is a phrase companies use over and over again in public statements whenever they have bad PR. Our series of posts on occurrences of the phrase is our attempt to question how seriously companies are really taking these matters if every time they trot out this phrase by rote.

(Photo: Morton Fox, Getty)

"I told her I could lose weight eating anywhere," he said. "I told her I could do it eating at McDonald's."

So he did. By eating two meals a day (and only two meals) consisting of "wraps, apple-walnut salads and the occasional cheeseburger" Chris has lost 86 lbs since December.

Coleson told AdAge that he's not interested in being the next "Jared," but would like to encourage McDonald's to build playgrounds where parents with disabilities can play with their children.

"I wasn't disabled when I weighed 300 pounds, but it made me think about parents who are," said Mr. Coleson. He currently "works closely with his local YMCA and the Wounded Warrior Project, which provides services to disabled veterans," says AdAge.

Has McDonald's Found Its Jared? [AdAge]
(Photo: meghannmarco )

Me: *offers gift card as payment*
Employee: "Nope."
Me: "I'm sorry?"
Employee: "No gift cards."
Me: "But this is a Subway gift card. And I am in Subway."
Employee: "No gift cards."
Me: "It says on the gift card that this is used like cash in a Subway."
Employee: "Machine's down. You want your sandwich or not?"

This might seem like a routine glitch, but over a month later, "the machine" is still inoperative. Kristina's letter, inside...

Over a month ago, I went to the Subway at Water and Wall in Manhattan with the intention of using a gift card a friend had given me as payment. I ordered my sandwich, but when I went to give the employee the gift card, I was informed very rudely that the gift card processing system was down and as such it could not be accepted. Dialogue:

Me: *offers gift card as payment*
Employee: "Nope."
Me: "I'm sorry?"
Employee: "No gift cards."
Me: "But this is a Subway gift card. And I am in Subway."
Employee: "No gift cards."
Me: "It says on the gift card that this is used like cash in a Subway."
Employee: "Machine's down. You want your sandwich or not?"

I could have paid cash, but the employee was so unpleasant in his response (bad tone, sounded very impatient and trying to rush me out despite there being no other customers there, no apologies offered) that I just left and went to another Subway on John Street (they are every other block in my area). The other Subway was having the same problem (you'd think the employee in the first Subway would have mentioned that the issue was not isolated), but the manager there was very apologetic and even gave me a free sandwich for my trouble.

I filed a complaint for the Water Street Subway on the company's website and received a letter thanking me for my comments, but it was just a generic response. This past Wednesday night I decided to give the Water Street location another chance, and they *still* hadn't fixed the gift card issue.

Kristina

We did some research and called the store at 122 Water St. and found out, not surprisingly, that the gift card machine still doesn't work. The employee we spoke to did not know why it had been broken for so long and when we asked when it would be fixed he simply hung up.

We found this number for Subway Global HQ: (800) 888-4848. If you hit 85 for customer service you are able to leave information regarding specific store complaints which, according to the recording, will be forwarded to a regional office and store owner. If you would like to escalate your complaint via snail mail their address is: Subway Global HQ, Customer Care, 325 Bic Drive, Milford, CT 06460. Good luck, and keep us updated.

The NYPost says:

At a recent Department of Housing, Preservation and Development forum on the subject, a city bedbug educator admitted to seeing the pests on benches in subway stations - in one case, catching a ride on an unsuspecting straphanger's caboose at Brooklyn's Hoyt-Schermerhorn station, according to people at the meeting.

The official, identified as Edward Brownbear, also reported seeing the bugs on wooden benches at the Union Square and Fordham Road stations in Manhattan and The Bronx, respectively.

Well, ew. Kind of makes you appreciate those frigid outdoor comparatively-pestilence-free Chicago L platforms. Sorta.

SUBWAYS' BLOOD-BUG INVASION [NYP]

The article says,

I felt something strange with my thumb and said, 'What the hell," said Sjowall, 17. Josh's mom saw it, too."It looked like a big bug. Then I realized it was a bolt baked into the roll," said Jeri Sjowall.

And Jeri Sjowall was right — what Josh found was a rusty 3/4-inch bolt baked into the bread of his sandwich.

The Sjowalls took the sandwich back to the store, where managers didn't doubt their claim. A Subway manager said the company was taking the allegation very seriously and they're investigating where the bolt may have come from.

The sandwich was express-mailed back to General Mills headquarters in Minnesota, where Subway's bread is baked.

At least this foreign object can be put to use. Perhaps it is the elusive part Mr. Sjowall needs to fix his '67 Camaro. Or maybe this will be Josh's "lucky" rusty bolt that will one day be passed to his grandchild. If all else fails, you could whip it at Jared if you ever see him around. Here's to you, Subway!

Tracy Teen: What's a Rusty Bolt Doing In My Subway Sub? [News 10] (Thanks to Ethan!)
(Photo: News 10)

San Francisco's proposal would cover about 200 restaurants with over 20 locations. Each would be required to pay an annual $350 fee to fund a half-time compliance inspector.

San Francisco joins New York City and Washington's King County in the battle to protect consumers with information, a fight that has not gone well for municipalities. California Governator Arnold Schwarzenegger recently vetoed a bill that would require nutrition labeling throughout the state, and New York City was barred by a judge from enforcing its regulations until April 15, when the plan may be tossed altogether.

Subway is the only restaurant we know of to voluntarily display nutritional information on their menus, and apparently, they haven't been driven out of business. Go figure.

San Francisco passes menu label ordinance [ThePacker.com]
San Francisco Mayor Signs Menu Labeling Bill [CSPI]

Instead of requiring restaurants who "already provide nutritional information" to do so on their menus, the new regulation will compel restaurants with more than 15 locations nationwide to post calorie information on menus or menu boards.

The new regulation will go into effect on March 31.

Health Department Pushes For Calorie Listings Again [NY1]

Regular readers will be familiar with all the twists and turns in the report, but its worth watching if only to see Wendy's try to convince Lesley Stahl that putting calories on menu boards is impossible and that the chain isn't worried about sales dropping.

Also included in the report is an interview with Brian Wansink, a nutrition and marketing professor at Cornell University and author of Mindless Eating. If you're at all interested in the ways that food marketing manipulates you, you should check out Brian's research at Cornell's food and brand lab. One of the best parts of the report is the look on one customer's face when Wansink tells him the Subway combo he thought had 300 calories really has 1300.

Wansink then asked another consumer who had chosen the same combo:

"Well, let's say for instance that we would have had the calories listed on the menu when you ordered something like that. Would that influence what you ordered?" Wansink asked a man.

"Absolutely. I don't think I would have gotten it. I mean, 1,350 calories for a Subway," the man replied.

Expert: Many Underestimate Calories [60 Minutes]

A writeup on Digg says, "The Subway cheese "problem" has been bothering a good friend for quite some time, and after he saw the latest news on the Consumerist a day or so ago, he decided to make a protest t-shirt. I may have to wear one into my local subway as soon as the shirt shows up."

Tongue firmly lodged in cheek, to get every last morsel of improperly laid isosceles cheese from our Subway sandwich that we deserve, we might just buy one.

Scam Tee [Spreadshirt]
PREVIOUSLY: Subway's Incorrect Use Of Isosceles Cheese Actually A Vast Conspiracy

The menu labeling controversy got a little more controversial today when a federal judge ruled that NYC could not require fast food restaurants to post calorie information on their menus. From the Associated Press:

U.S. District Judge Richard J. Holwell said he determined the rule conflicted with federal law. Businesses had claimed that their First Amendment rights were violated by the rule, described as the first of its kind in the nation, but Howell said he reached his decision without needing to address those claims.
...
In the last 25 years, obesity rates have doubled among U.S. adults and tripled among children, and rates have increased in every state in the nation, the groups said.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimated in a 2005 study that approximately 112,000 deaths are associated with obesity each year, making obesity the second leading contributor to premature death, behind tobacco.

In arguments supporting the city's rule, the groups argued that an adverse ruling would undermine pending legislation in state and local legislatures around the country.

Legislation similar to New York City's is under way in 14 states where obesity rates have recently surged - Arizona, California, Connecticut, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Pennsylvania, Tennessee and Vermont.

Nutrition labeling legislation has also been introduced in Chicago, Philadelphia and Washington.

New York City's rule took effect in July, but enforcement was suspended pending the outcome of the court fight.

Will Subway continue to provide calorie information on its menu boards even though it doesn't have to? We hope so.

Judge tosses NYC calorie-posting rule [Citizen-Times] (Thanks, Henry!)
(Photo:CSPI)

Back in July, Lefthandedtoons drew a cartoon mocking how Subway has triangle cheese, but never arranges it in a rhombus on the sandwich. Instead, Subway invariably lays it in a razorback formation, which the cartoonist felt led to "unnecessary dairy overlap" and "soul-crushing disappointment."

Amused, a UK subway worker printed out the cartoon at work. His boss was not amused and hung the above sign in the storage room, which reads, "Cheese triangles need to be placed [drawing of razorback formation] -> this will promote the need for customers to desire extra cheese - as it doesn't cover whole sandwich. Double cheese [picture of double razorback] = 40 p extra!"

Subway: A Method to Their Cheesy Madness [Left-Handed Toons]
PREVIOUSLY: Dear Subway, Please Use Your Isosceles Cheese Correctly

He decided it was worth at least asking if the store would reimburse him the fee. "I asked the manager if she would give me $2 off my total. She did more than that, rounding the price down to $10 from about $12.60."

As Tim points out, "It never hurts to ask for a discount if you were inconvenienced during a transaction. You usually want to talk to the manager... [and] remember that this person is doing you a favor, so be polite."

(Photo: Getty)

Wendy's claims in a letter send both to CSPI and to the United States District Court of New York, that CSPI is presenting the menu board as authentic when it was in fact "doctored" (Wendy's words) and accuses CSPI and it's of being "misleading" and of "improper use of Wendy's trademark."

As Constant Readers of the blog are already aware, there's a legal battle going on over a new NYC regulation that requires large chain restaurants that already provide nutritional information to add calorie info to their menus.

We were initially skeptical of this regulation until Subway went ahead and complied with it. The resulting menus were exceptionally useful and uncluttered-looking, and we were convinced that the regulation has merit and would help consumers make better food choices.

Incidentally, we were also sort of shocked to learn, through model menus supplied by the CSPI, that some Starbucks venti fraps have more than 700 calories.

If we didn't know that, does the average consumer? Probably not.

And now Wendy's is sending scary legal letters over hypothetical menus.

We have to ask you just one thing: Why would the Center for Science in the Public Interest represent a menu board with calorie information on it as an authentic Wendy's menu board in a lawsuit where Wendy's is trying to keep calorie information off the menu board?

Here's the paragraph in question, the "misleading" one, in which Dr. Margo Wootan of the CSPI supposedly misrepresents the photoshopped board:

22. See Appendix C for model Starbucks and Wendy's menus. These model menus demonstrate that providing calories on the menu can be done without being confusing, difficult to read, or cluttering the menu.

Are we meant to believe that just by adding a legal disclaimer a Double Stack won't make you fat?

Here's Wendy's explanation, from their website:

We regret that Wendy's cannot provide product calorie information to residents or customers in New York City. The New York City Department of Health passed a regulation requiring restaurants that already provide calorie information to post product calories on their menu boards — using the same type size as the product listing.

We fully support the intent of this regulation; however, since most of our food is made-to-order, there isn't enough room on our existing menu boards to comply with the regulation. We have for years provided complete nutritional information on posters inside the restaurant and on our website. To continue to provide caloric information to residents and customers of our New York City restaurants on our website and on our nutritional posters would subject us to this regulation. As a result, we will no longer provide caloric information to residents and customers of our New York City restaurants.

We regret this inconvenience. If you have questions about this regulation, please contact the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene and refer to Health Code Section 81.50.

Anyway, thanks to Wendy's misguided legal bullying, we've now read Dr. Wootan's testimony and have learned some interesting facts about the need for better menu labeling. Think you know how many calories are in your food?

Did you know...

Two jelly-filled doughnuts at Dunkin' Donuts have fewer calories than a sesame bagel with cream cheese?

A Frappuccino at Starbucks can have 200 more calories than the same size cappuccino?

A whole fried onion appetizer at a typical table service restaurant has 1,300 more calories than the fried mozzarella sticks?

We didn't!

Dr. Wootan's Testimony
Wendy's Scary Legal Letter To CSPI (PDF)
Wendy's Scary Legal Letter To The Court (PDF)
CSPI's response to Wendy's Scary Legal Letter (PDF)
(Photo:CSPI)

An Open Letter To Subway [Left-Handed Toons] (Thanks to Ryan!)

We got a complaint about six months ago concerning six-foot subs that weren't six feet long. Subway's response was to change its advertising - in Arizona at least - but not address the issue that its six-foot subs were about four inches short of the advertised length.

Sub-Standard [KNVX]

UPDATE: We called Subway (like we should've done at first) and the sandwich is called a "Super Stuffed Sub". One of them is named, "The Feast." In it, you get all the meats (turkey, ham, salami, pepperoni, and roast beef) plus bacon and cheese on "special double-braided bread" (aka challah bread), for $7.99. The sandwich is being test-marketed in NY. Here are some pics of some dudes trying to eat one. They look like they're choking. Subway seems to be trying to one-up the the mondo-meal market pioneered by McDonald's Supersize.

Somehow we don't think Jared would approve.

While Subway opens up the calories on their menu on the one hand, on the other they're launching a giant new sandwich we would expect more to see from Burger King.

benpopken: speaking of subway, have you seen those commercials for "the jammer?"
meghannmarco: no what's that?
benpopken: it's disgusting
benpopken: it's a new subway sandwich
benpopken: it's like as big as your head
meghannmarco: wha
benpopken: and you can't get your mouth around it at all
benpopken: it's like a medieval lord sandwich
meghannmarco: woah
meghannmarco: pix pls
benpopken: trying to find
benpopken: this isn't it but this guy makes a subway sub in 35 seconds
benpopken: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x_5p4BCCYLI
benpopken: i can't find any pix
meghannmarco: that is a sandwich artist
benpopken: maybe i have the name wrong

Let us know if you have any more information regarding this exotic beast.

The result is hilarious. From NEW YORK STATE RESTAURANT ASSOCIATION VS NEW YORK CITY BOARD OF HEALTH:

Dunkin' Donuts submitted a sample menu board in an attempt to demonstrate that calorie information would not fit along with price information. From that sample, the Department's director of graphics produced a replica of the menu board with comparable fonts and layout to demonstrate that calories could be listed easily and visibly, as shown in the illustrations below, and in Mr. Krueger's declaration.. These modifications, as well as the earlier examples, provide clear evidence that calorie listings required by the regulations are feasible to implement with basic graphic design techniques.

Dunkin' Donut's sample menu is on the left, NYC's on the right. We were initially skeptical of this regulation, but have to admit that the Subway menu looks really nice and doesn't seem weird or gross at all. And, since the regulation only applies to big restaurant chains who have already had their nutritional info calculated... We fail to see what the big deal is. For background on what the regulation is and who it applies to, click here.

New York State Restaurant Association VS New York Board of Heath, New York Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, (Legal Brief, PDF) [CSPI]

PREVIOUSLY: NYC Restaurant Group Sues Over Nutritional Info Regulation

What did he discover? Secret menu items are for real.

On the Chipotle Chicken Quesadilla: "It's so good that I tell them they should have it on the menu, to which the kindly lady who prepared my food wistfully says, "Hopefully, it will be, someday."

On the Subway Pizza Sub:
"There are like nine pepperoni slices on it, and maybe it's just my imagination, but I could swear I felt my arteries hardening with every bite."

On the Jamba Juice Pink Starburst Smoothie:
"It tastes — wait for it — like a pink Starburst candy, albeit in liquid form. And instead of being done with it after a few seconds, I have a giant cup of it."

We sort of want to try that chicken quesadilla. He made it sound really good. —MEGHANN MARCO

Top secret [Arizona Daily Star]
(Photo: uberculture)

PREVIOUSLY: The Really Big Guide To Secret Menu Items

An employee at a test store located in the East Village section of New York City said they only sold two pizzas the first day of the test in late March, but are now are up about 25 a day. The biggest problem: patrons don't know about the product despite a prominent sign on the menu board, he said.

New Products: Subway Seeks To Slice Domino's, Pizza Hut Pie [Brandweek]
(Photo: zyphbear)

Here it is, your guide to secret menu items. Sure, it's not the secret rib eye at Nobu, but it's something. Before reading this please note that this article has not been fact-checked. This report is based purely on reader suggestions. We are posting them entirely without confirmation and are not going to try to order any of this crap in order to confirm its existence. We would die of heart disease, be broke, and our ass would be the size of Texas. This is the internet, the internet is not fact-checked, and these are your secret menu items. Enjoy.

Taco Bell: Everything Taco Bell makes is comprised of a few basic ingredients, so they'll likely make anything they have the stuff for, which is probably pretty much anything they've ever served. Examples to attempt: Cheesy Gordita Crunch, Cheesy Fiesta Potatoes, Encharito.

Wendy's: A tipster tells us, "order a "Grand Slam", It would otherwise be called a Classic Quadruple, were it on the menu." Reader bringafajita suggests trying to get a "Quarter Pound Double Stack with Cheese." FishingCrue tells us to try "Everything" (lettuce and tomato) on a Wendy's Double Stack, sometimes it's even free. If they look at you like you're crazy, tell them there's a button for it. A double stack with everything, add bacon is a decent sandwich for somewhere south of 2 bones."

Chipotle: Chipotle will, like Taco Bell, make anything they have the ingredients for. Unlike Taco Bell, this is an official policy. Some suggestions: Nachos, Quesadilla, Individual Tacos, Taco Salads, Tiny Bean Burritos Using Taco Shells, Fresh Cilantro on Your Tacos, whatever you can think of.

Subway: Subway will still make the "pizza sub," and many other former menu items. Also, they can't sell "broken cookies," so they may give you some for free.

Jamba Juice: Jamba has an entire secret menu of "unhealthy" smoothies named after things that would involve copyright violations were they to be included on the menu. The ones we know of:White Gummi Bear, Red Gummi Bear, Green Gummi Bear, Raspberry Dreamin', Pineapple Dreamin', Sourpatch Kid, Tropical Tango, Pacific Passion, Berry Depressing, Now and Later, Peanut Butter and Jelly, Apple Pie, Fruity Pebbles, Rainbow Sherbet, Strawberry Shortcake, Push Pop, Skittles, Andres' Surprise, and Lemonade Lightnin'. (Thanks,ronaldscott!)

In-N-Out Burger: Has their "secret" menu posted on their website, but a tipster writes in: "Not only can you get an animal style burger but you can also get animal style fries which are amazing. It's fries piled with onions, cheese and sauce and they come with a fork." In addition, we hear several voices calling from the mist, whispering that the secret menu doesn't stop at 4 x 4., but may, in fact, go on to infinity. Or at least to 100 x 100...
(Thanks, xapplexjuicex!)

Starbucks: Starbucks will make you absolutely anything you want no matter how insane it is, according to our tipster.

"Baristas might try and tell their customers that no, we can't do that with the blenders. This is a lie. Starbucks corporate policy is that the customer is ALWAYS right (even when the request is stupid). If you really insist that you want your iced soy latte blended, the baristas HAVE to do it. If they continue to refuse, ask to speak to a manager and either they'll realize they're about to get in trouble and will fill your request, or the manager will come out and politely tell the barista to make the customer happy.

Absolutely any concoction that you can think of (involving any type of milk, syrup, coffee, etc.) will be made for you. The limits to Starbucks "secret menu" are merely the limits of your imagination. You can even bring supplements from home and ask the barista to please include that in your drink."

(Photo: cogdogblog)