‘So you noticed too?’: Man starts ordering sandwich at Jersey Mike’s. Then the man making it says something that ‘repulsed’ him
There’s no doubt that shrinkflation has hit the food industry.
Grocery shoppers and diners alike are reporting smaller portions and higher prices. For example, one Sam’s Club shopper said she received Uncrustables that contained 60 fewer calories than they used to. To offer another example, Cheesecake Factory diners are repeatedly claiming that their slices of cheesecake are significantly smaller than they had been previously.
Now, it seems that this shrinkflation has hit popular sandwich chain Jersey Mike’s. At least, that’s what TikTok user Anthony Imbrunone (@theanthonyimbrunoneshow) alleges in a video with over 278,000 views. But is it true?
What Went Wrong With This Jersey Mike’s Order?
According to Imbrunone, he was recently in the middle of ordering a sandwich at Jersey Mike’s when “the guy at the counter making my sandwich said something to me that repulsed me.”
“About midway through the whole sandwich creation process, where he’s, like, slicing the meats and everything like that, I look down, and I noticed, like, ‘Hey, dude, that turkey and ham seems a little bit light,’” the TikToker recalls. “I was like, ‘What’s up with that?’ Like, ‘Why does this sandwich look so not normal?’”
“He goes, ‘Oh, so you noticed, too, huh?’ And I go, ‘What do you mean?’” Imbrunone continues.
Imbrunone says that the employee told him that multiple customers had an issue with the changing sandwich sizes. According to the employee, the “new” Jersey Mike’s sandwiches have “a lot less meat” and “a lot less ingredients”—“and it’s the same price for the sandwich.”
“How can you call yourself ‘A Sub Above’ when you are charging me $20 for a ‘Giant’ sub that is now less of a sub?” Imbrunone asks.
In the caption, he adds, “Yo @jerseymikes get back to basics & get back to old form. Because this ain’t it.”
Customer speaks out
In an email, the TikToker reiterated that this situation actually happened to him.
“Both my eyes & mouth noticed a massive difference in the sandwich,” he wrote. “If you look at my comments section, you’ll see we aren’t the only ones experiencing this. The employee making my sub confirmed my thoughts when he was making my food.”
He further stated that he believed this situation was due to the company’s acquisition by private equity.
“This happened & is happening because private equity has historically/consistently put profits over people,” the TikToker detailed. “It’s a disease plaguing this nation. I encourage your readers to look further into this subject, specifically their investment into the American housing market.”
Are Jersey Mike’s Sandwiches Really Getting Smaller?
Ever since the company was acquired by private equity firm Blackstone earlier this year, customers have been complaining about a decrease in sandwich sizes.
Sometimes, videos on the topic have gone viral—but is there any truth to this claim?
While there are individual, anecdotal reports of Jersey Mike’s locations skimping on ingredients, there does not appear to be a company-wide directive to serve smaller sandwiches.
In fact, when this video was posted to the Jersey Mike’s subreddit, numerous workers came to the defense of the company.
“I am a new hire but our weight sheet clearly says 2019 on it. This means nothing has officially changed for at least 6 years, yeah?” asked a user.
“Only way thats happening is if the owner operator is telling them to slice less. The weight sheet on the meatcase has not changed since I’ve started four years ago,” detailed another. “This guy is either lying for content or that store is messed up.”
@theanthonyimbrunoneshow Yo @jerseymikes get back to basics & get back to old form. Because this ain’t it. #fyp #foryou #merica #396challenge #jerseymikes ♬ original sound – Mr. Anthony Balogna
Commenters Aren’t Happy
In the comments section, users still complained about a perceived decline in quality from Jersey Mike’s.
“Private equity with strip anything good from Jersey Mikes and sell the carcass,” wrote a user. “We get left with a $18 turkey sandwich we could make at home for $3. It’s sucks.”
“We need to come together and boycott the right places. The rich have been so successful in pinning the left against the right and the right against the left. If we came together to boycott companies bought by private equity, we could change this country,” declared another.
That said, some also questioned his statement.
“Dude where are you at? I’m in CA and the portion sizes have not changed (I work there),” shared a commenter.
The Mary Sue reached out to Imbrunone via email and Instagram direct message and Jersey Mike’s via media contact form.
Have a tip we should know? [email protected]
