‘Jersey Mike’s Is Superior’: Oregon Woman Orders $12 Jimmy John’s Club Lulu Sandwich. Then She Sees What She Gets For $12

Many chains are cutting back on their portion sizes. Now, one customer says that Jimmy John’s could be the latest victim of this trend.

As everything gets more expensive, customers are finding that their dollar doesn’t take them as far as it once did. To make matters worse, companies appear to be shrinking portion sizes while keeping prices the same—a phenomenon known as “shrinkflation.”

In some cases, companies have outright denied that they are engaging in this practice, even as complaints from customers pile up. For example, Chipotle repeatedly refuted that it was cutting down on portion sizes before eventually admitting that “about 10% or more” of its restaurants were not adequately following portion size requirements.

Recently, a customer visited Jimmy John’s, only to be shocked by the size of the sandwich she received. Are the days of the big Jimmy John’s sandwich over?

Where’s The Rest Of This Jimmy John’s Club Lulu Sandwich?

According to Oregon-based TikTok user Colleen McKinney (@colleenmckinney29), she recently visited a Jimmy John’s location and purchased a Club Lulu sandwich. The total came out to around $12.

However, when she opened the bag, she discovered that her sandwich was “little.”

“That is the turkey and the bacon,” she says, showing small slivers of meat. “That’s it. That’s the $12 sandwich.”

McKinney says that the resultant sandwich is “just a whole bunch of bread.” Not only that, but she believes that the location also forgot to add cheese.

Is Jimmy John’s Reducing Its Portion Sizes?

According to a Jimmy John’s menu study guide, a Club Lulu sandwich is supposed to have mayonnaise, tomato, lettuce, turkey, and three strips of bacon. Cheese is not standard on the sandwich, though it’s possible that McKinney requested it be added.

Even so, the question remains—is Jimmy John’s reducing its portion sizes?

While there are some individual complaints about people getting too little meat in their sandwiches, it does not appear that Jimmy John’s has reduced its portion sizes company-wide. 

Commenters across multiple threads note that the chain tends to weigh its meat portions. Although some still complain about small portions, employees largely agree that these meat portions have been consistent over the years.

The Club Lulu, McKinney’s specific sandwich, does not appear to have changed recently. For example, a calorie measure in 2022 found the 8-inch sandwich to contain 690 calories. Recent documentation from Jimmy John’s shows about the same nutritional info. This indicates that there has not been an official change to the menu or the contents of the sandwich.

What Should I Do If I Get A Small Sandwich?

Naturally, there are cases when an employee slips up and a customer is not given enough meat. McKinney may be one of those cases—though it’s difficult to tell without getting a better look at her sandwich.

When this happens, they can file a complaint with Jimmy John’s, either locally or through the company’s corporate contact. From there, the company will try to help the customer find a resolution to their issue.

If one is still in-store and notices their sandwich feels a little light, they can simply ask the employees working about the portion size. If this does not resolve the issue, they can escalate their complaint to corporate.

Consumers Have Complaints

In the comments section, users advised against going to Jimmy John’s altogether.

“Don’t. Eat. Corporate. Check a local deli or breakfast place,” suggested a user.

“I think you got screwed out of a sandwich. I never used to check my order when I pick it up. And now I check everything,” offered another.

“I’m sticking with Firehouse Subs and Togo’s,” stated a third. “Everything else in my opinion blows.”

“I go to jersey Mike’s,” shared a further TikToker. “You get your money’s worth.”

Futbol Chronicle reached out to Jimmy John’s via email and McKinney via TikTok direct message and comment.