Here's What Subway's CEO Has To Say About The 11-Inch 'Footlong' Controversy

Subway unleashed the fury of sandwich fans everywhere when a photo of an 11-inch "footlong" sub went viral.

Customers wanted assurance their the footlong subs would actually be a foot long.

Subway founder and CEO Fred DeLuca went on CNBC's Squawk on the Street and he was questioned about the controversy.

Here's what he had to say:

Yeah it's interesting. Well you know we bake our own bread in the store, so it's not like punching things out of a factory. So the bread might be a little bit more than twelve inches, a little bit less.

But generally they're footlong sandwiches. And it is possible for someone to go in a store and get a short roll — one come out of the oven with a short roll, but they're not supposed to serve them as a footlong sandwich.

When asked about whether the 11-inch sub kerfuffle affected sales, DeLuca acknowledged that it was possible. Oh, and he threw in a little jab at rival McDonald's.

I'll tell you — it could, it could have an impact. Some people might be a little hesitant. They think, 'oh my God, am I really getting a good value at Subway?' But Subway is the absolute best value out there in fast food. It's fresh, healthy food. It's gigantic.

Put a footlong next to a Big Mac and you will see what kind of value you get.

The sandwich chain had previously issued a statement on the controversy and apologized for any short sandwiches:

"We have redoubled our efforts to ensure consistency and correct length in every sandwich we serve. Our commitment remains steadfast to ensure that every Subway Footlong sandwich is 12 inches at each location worldwide."