Sucky Subway Worker? Sandwich cut compliance code?!?!

[Knifeman]

I love meatball subs. It's one of my few guilty pleasures, and nothing's quite as nice as a nice toasty meatball sub.

Meatball subs from subway are best made with the 'classic' cut, or the V cut, or the U Boat Cut as I've heard it called...

The V channel through the bread allows the meatballs to comfortably rest without sloshing around when you hold the sub, allowing superior sauce retention and minimal mess, as well as maximum meatball yield per bite.

In fact, in the sandwich episode of Good Eats, Alton Brown(my hero) recommends a cut very similar to the classic Subway V Cut for a submarine sandwich, and gave many reasons varying from structural integrity to maximum flavor yield for such a cut.

Years ago, Subway switched their cut to a standard 'hot dog bun' cut, which I guess is okay for like a coldcut sandwich or something, but for the meatballs, the round and flavor packed meatballs, such a cut is insane.

No real problem at first, since I could always request the 'classic cut', and the employees are only too happy to do it.

Except today. My dad went to a subway to get me a meatball sub and asked for the Classic Cut. The manager on duty said they aren't allowed to make the classic cut anymore, due to a sandwich cut compliance code.

...

IT'S JUST FREAKING BREAD!

Anyone working at subway currently, is this true or was this just a case of a manager not wanting to take an extra 2 seconds of work?

[Dragon_Dreamer]

... It's just a sammich. o_O

[Knifeman]

one thing you don't mess with is a man's meatball sub.

[Auto]

look, it sounds stupid that he can't cut it way you want.

but if he's afraid corporate will come down on him like s ton of bricks if he doesn't follow policy, then what d you what him to do.

i'd bitch to corporate. say e-v-e-r-y-o-n-e know the classic cut is better.

but subway is famous for sweating every detail. so if they decide they want to replace the classic cut, they may have good reasons.

good luck.

[Knifeman]

look, it sounds stupid that he can't cut it way you want.

but if he's afraid corporate will come down on him like s ton of bricks if he doesn't follow policy, then what d you what him to do.

i'd bitch to corporate. say e-v-e-r-y-o-n-e know the classic cut is better.

but subway is famous for sweating every detail. so if they decide they want to replace the classic cut, they may have good reasons.

good luck.

their reason was Quiznos was doing it and had superior sales.

[Kiwi]

Ugh I hated that V cut! I would always get a deli style bun until they stopped making those!
I dont eat subway subs because I find their bread really dry and flakey but when I was younger I did occasionally!
But the V's were always so done so small that it totally disintegrated and then they would smoosh the bread down really far to stuff in the ingrediants....

[JustADude]

their reason was Quiznos was doing it and had superior sales.

Quizno's has superior sales because their sandwiches are just all-around better. Around here if you want a cold sub you hit Jimmy John's, for a hot sub you hit Quizno's. Subway basically gets the college students and people that just don't know better.

[CaroPhoenix]

When I go to subway, I always get the roast beef, no cheese, tomatoes, onions, black olives, mayo & black pepper. Every time. It's the only thing I can eat there - throw back to my pregnancy days.

As for Quizno's - I can't stand them. HATE Quizno's with a passion. Ewwwwww.

Growing up with a Dad from New Jersey, I much prefer the hoagies that come from the little hoagie shops in my dad's hometown. Now those are AWESOME sammiches! Woohoo!

[JustADude]

When I go to subway, I always get the roast beef, no cheese, tomatoes, onions, black olives, mayo & black pepper. Every time. It's the only thing I can eat there - throw back to my pregnancy days.

As for Quizno's - I can't stand them. HATE Quizno's with a passion. Ewwwwww.

Growing up with a Dad from New Jersey, I much prefer the hoagies that come from the little hoagie shops in my dad's hometown. Now those are AWESOME sammiches! Woohoo!

Like I said, Quizno's is for people who like their subs hot.

Sounds like you're the type that would Jimmy John's. They just do hoagies. Plenty of variety, but no hot subs, no salads, no pizzas, just a good, dressing-made-on-site-that-day sammich. Not only are they the best I've ever had, but they deliver.

[RentalRacer]

I'm surprised anyone would even know how to cut the bread the old way. Since it has been a couple years, I can't imagine there are many employees from that long ago still working at Subway (at least I hope so). And I can't imagine they train the new people to do something that is not "spec".

[Ree]

I have to agree with you, Knifeman, on the V-cut.
It held all the ingredients in better.
I hate eating a sandwich and have all the stuff go squishing out the side or the end.

As for those complaining about food quality at Subway, well, taste is a personal thing. That's why we have a variety of restaurants. Subway must be doing something right to have stayed in business so long. There must be a lot of people who enjoy their food or they wouldn't have a customer base.
Just because you don't like it, doesn't mean everyone hates it.

I have to disagree that the employee was being sucky, though.
I know it's not like brain surgery to make a V-cut in a sub bun and put in the ingredients, but if they are trained to do it a certain way, then they have to follow that.

[Shabo]

Anyone heard their commercial boasting about their pizzas? It starts off with 2 guys, one faking an Italian accent, and then they talk about the product. What kills me every time I hear it is the fact that they stress that the pizzas take 90 seconds to cook. All I can say is... EWWWWWWWWW. Maybe if you were desperate for a pizza, and only had time to stop at Subway... but any true pizza chef is dying inside from the Subway pizza. 90 seconds? That's just wrong. Give me a 15 minute brick oven pizza any day.

[Dragon_Dreamer]

I get my meatball hoagies at Wawa. Nummy! Never had Subway mess up my order the few times I've been there, either. (Toasted hoagie roll, no cheese whatsoever, extra meatballs.)

Wawa uses both cuts, depending on who's working, Subway always does a v-cut. My meatballs don't escape, cause I pinch the end of the sammich shut.

Edit: And I will NEVER go to Quiznos. :P Too far away, and their commercials annoy me.

[McSlave]

sadly it's true. Just as the cheese has to be arranged a certain way and a ton of other such things. If a store is found to be "out of compliance" on an inspection then the owner runs a chance of having that store forcefully closed by the corp. And like RentalRacer said most of us haven't been shown the V cut because of the very high turnover rate.

[powerboy]

I hate Quizmo's because of the 3 times I had it, I had gotten sick. I like Subway, but they smash down the bread, and they never put on enough items, they are skimpy some times. But I will still eat them. I always get the foot long, so I can have the other half for the next day.