If you're wondering (and of course you are) the burger is over five inches tall, weighs more than a pound, and has 2,120 calories. Wait, why didn't they market this in the U.S. again? Foreigners are eating gut-busting fast food and we're stuck with house parties. Hmph.

Burger King Japan selling Windows 7 burgers [Electronista]
Burger King's Windows 7 whopper: 7 patties, 2,120 calories [Japanator]

Inside: Poll - Will the new look get you to eat at BK more often?

The concept, dubbed "20/20," is already in place at about 60 BK outlets, but the chain now plans to take it global. According to CEO John Chidsey:

As we continue to grow and strengthen the brand worldwide, this new restaurant design exemplifies our vision for the brand's future and reinforces our goal of delivering superior products and positive guest experiences. ... [T]he 20/20 design takes this distinction a step further by creating an exceptional and memorable dining environment that builds on our signature assets.

The new look comes as consumers have begun trading up from traditional fast food outlets to "fast casual" chains like Panera. Sales at fast casual restaurants were up 63% least year, according to industry estimates.

Renovations will cost franchisees as much as $600,000 per restaurant, with no guarantee that the metallic accents and faux concrete will bring in new customers. "I don't think they'll change their perception," Morningstar analyst R.J. Hottovy told the AP. "They're pretty entrenched in their reality."

Burger King Corp.'s Bold New Global Restaurant Design Takes Flight at Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport [Business Wire]
Burger King revamp aims at higher-priced kin [AP]
Fast casual restaurants sizzle with combo of speed, price and freshnesss [Dallas Morning News]

For example, here are two anus signs posted on a blog about a year ago. And just last month, this blog found a McDonald's in Hartford, Connecticut that promoted a "bacon and cheese anus burger." And here's a photo on Flickr of a Burger King that doesn't claim the anus burger is theirs, but wants you to try it anyway.

And finally, here's a great photo from someone who noticed that the signage in this restaurant doesn't work well with the window frame—and neither does the "open really wide" tagline.

In closing, we would like to type the word anus one more time, and point out that maybe "Angus" wasn't such a great food trend for chain restaurants with easily modifiable public signs. You'd be hard pressed to turn "chipotle" into a naughty part so quickly.

The revelation comes from Amy Oztan, who writes the Selfish Mom blog.

Oztan pounded the drive-thru pavement and did some investigating:

I went back this morning, in the interest of investigation – not because I was dying for a Croissan'wich. Once again, when I got to the window, I was asked to pull forward and back up. I said "Why? Are you trying to stop the timer?" She said yes. I said something to the effect of "But that's cheating. How will the process get any faster if they think you're already really fast?" I know enough about fast food restaurants to know that they really study this stuff. There are systems that figure out when you should drop fries based on how many cars are in the Drive-Through lines. There are McDonald's that have outsourced their Drive-Through order-taking jobs to call centers. Corporate sure as hell wants to know for how long people are sitting in the Drive-Through.

The BK worker admitted that yes, it was cheating, but that the restaurant is given time goals each week and they're not meeting them. So I said something like, "But how will the times get faster if you don't acknowledge that there's a problem?" She told me I didn't have to pull forward if I didn't want to. I'm not really sure it was necessary for her to tell me that. Was the alternative for her to hold my food hostage until I pulled forward?

To avoid becoming a tool of the nefarious system, just say "no" when asked to back up before moving forward. Or at least ask for some extra fries for indulging the timer-tricking system.

Hey Burger King, you're getting timed for a reason! [Selfish Mom]
(Photo: Morton Fox)

KTVI says the manager was standing next to the cashier as she ordered, and warned her that she could take her order "to go" or she could find some shoes for her baby. The woman says the baby is too young to even have shoes, but she put some socks on her in an effort to be diplomatic. This did not win over the manager, who threatened to call the police if she didn't take her shoeless baby out of the restaurant. He claimed the baby's lack of footwear was a violation of "health code."

"People had to know about this...if you're going to go to Burger King get some shoes on your baby or go somewhere else," she said. "I think they [Burger King managers] just need to understand, it's a baby. They're not going to be walking around in their dirty, nasty, feet. I feel like the policy was probably for grown adults who might walk in without shoes on. That's understandable. But, babies don't wear shoes," she told KTVI.

UPDATE: Burger King has apologized.

Restaurant Threatens To Kick Out Baby Not Wearing Shoes [KTVI via MomLogic]
(Photo:Amy the Nurse)

So, that's good news.

As far as taste goes, the testers preferred Wendy's and McDonald's fries over Burger King's. We suspect this is because they used human beings and all humans know that BK's fries are a little funky. (Don't send me hateful emails, this is backed up by rigorous science.)

Here are the results:

French-fry face-off [Consumer Reports]
(Photo:Morton Fox)

Hardee's joins Burger King, Quizno's, and Carl's Jr. in the consortium of chains who have attempted to apply the "sex sells" adage to fast food. Hot!

Gawker, which also got ahold of the forward, deciphered the copy at the bottom of the poster:

Fill your desire for something long, juicy and flame-grilled with the NEW BK SUPER SEVEN INCHER. Yearn for more after you taste the mind-blowing burger that comes with a single beef patty, topped with American cheese, crispy onions and the A1 Thick and Hearty Steak Sauce.

The ad is mighty effective for McDonald's, Carl's Jr. and every other burger joint not named Burger King.

(Thanks to Levenhopper!)

Our reader says he saw the sign in the Memphis suburbs, while the Flyer has pictures of two Burger Kings in downtown Memphis, as well as the transcript of a conversation with one store's manager, where he claims that the signs were not a mistake and reflected the views of Burger King international.

We talked to Burger King corporate, and not so much:

This statement does not reflect a Burger King Corp. (BKC) opinion or view. The two restaurants where these signs appeared are independently owned and operated and were not authorized to display this statement. The signs have since been removed.

We also asked if this was some sort of odd promotion: maybe Burger King is offering a flamebroiled bologna sandwich soon? They said they didn't think so.

We assumed this was an issue with a rogue franchisee, but hearing about it in a few stores made us want to make sure. Memphis readers, have you seen any signs like this around lately? Are they still up?

Burger King Calls Global Warming "Baloney" [Memphis Flyer]
(Photo: Memphis Flyer) Thanks to Garth!

The Burger King customer says that the inclusion of said condiments was "tantamount to negligence," and that he suffered a severe allergic reaction to the food that caused him to miss work while the medical bills piled up.

He's asking for $100,000 plus court and attorney fees.

Apparently, this isn't the first time a fast food joint has been sued for including unwanted toppings. A West Virginia man attempted to sue McDonald's for $10 million after they put cheese on his Quarter Pounder. The case was dismissed.

Portsmouth man sues Burger King for not holding the extras [Virginian-Pilot]
McDonald's denies intentional wrongdoing, wants cheese lawsuit dismissed [West Virginia Record]
(Photo:Morton Fox)

It's not all fun and violence here, though. Kevin, who took the photo, adds,

This same BK has the Whopper Jr. on the value meal for $1.00, the 16 ounce soft drink for $1.00 and a small fry or onion rings for $1.00. Total = $3.00. However, if you buy the Whopper Jr. Value Meal you get the same three items. Price? $3.99.

Looks like if you buy the "Value Meal," you're the one getting the beatdown.

(Thanks to Kevin!)

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)

The new European campaign for the Texican Whopper features a diminutive Mexican strongman-in-a-cape sharing the challenges of cohabiting with his new buddy, a lanky Texan in a cowboy hat. Cowboy helps Mexican reach top shelf, hilarity ensues. Mexican helps Cowboy open jar of pickles, sides are split. "The taste of Texas with a little spicy Mexican," is the tagline. See, everybody can get along.

Above and beyond the ad's homo-erotic undertones, we're left asking: How come the US embassy isn't taking issue with BK's portrayal of American men as buttless-chaps-wearing, window-washing weaklings who can't open their own condiments?

Mexico Slams Burger King For 'Whopper' Of Insult [TIME]

From the Boston Herald:

Problem is, there’s no value in the pricing. The fast-food chain simply renamed its sizes and kept the same prices.

So, the small Diet Coke that cost $1.05 at your local BK is the new “value” size, but it still costs $1.05.
BK also renamed its other sizes and kept their prices unchanged. The former medium is the new small, the old large is now medium, and “king-size” is now large.

Reader Mark says:

The real problem isn't the name change, IMO, but the fact that they have done a terrible job at educating consumers. All too often I notice people ordering a "medium" and expecting what is now the small size, and then being somewhat duped into spending an extra forty cents. I've did it myself once.

In tangentially related news, we wish Starbucks would teach its "baristas" what the words "large coffee" mean.

Burger King’s name game: Same size, same prices [Boston Herald] (Thanks, Mark!)
(Photo:Matt McGee

This Burger King sign is right. Nobody ever orders the salad or chicken.

Straight from the tip:

A sticker claiming that my pie, already well into the secondary portion
of its digestive adventure, was good for eating well into the fifth day
of the week. Perfectly alright as this was only Wednesday in the
aforementioned week. But, alas, there seemed to be some sort of ruse
going on in my very own home. Underneath the sticker that assured me of
my delicious treat was well within the time allotted for its freshness,
was yet another sticker not bearing the same message of assurance.
Behold! A nearly identical sticker bearing a freshness date that was
already two days well before the current one! Which would mean the this
was scheduled for original consumption a possible full FOUR days in the
past! AND! They didn't even have the common sense to remove the ORIGINAL
STICKER!

That is some pretty obvious fraud, right there. I would have confronted someone about it at the store to see their reaction and gauge their response. Ask for a refund, because little sounds more disgusting than fast food pie after its expiration date. Past that, I think dropping the Better Business Bureau a line would be pertinent.

Our sister site Kotaku says the campaign is based in Germany and meant to parody "Vice City" and Grand Theft Auto, and there's even a mini-sniper game on the campaign's website.

Anyway, is it weird that we feel really bad for the onion? He's being humiliated! What did he do to deserve this? Maybe it's his choice in reading material...

Here's a close up: Don't onions deserve privacy?

You can view the entire liner here. And view some reaction from the crowd at Metafilter, here.

What Is Burger King Thinking? [Idea Sandbox]

Mark McDonnell, the County Health Commissioner, was emailed the video and used it as evidence against Burger King.

"Any bacteria on his skin could have been deposited giving people food poisoning," McDonnell told WHIOTV. In the clip, the employee is seen bathing in the sink, using a bucket market "sanitizing solution" to dump soapy water on himself. At one point the employee who was filming the prank tells the manager that someone is bathing in the sink, and the manager simply shakes her head and continues counting money.

Burger King has issued this statement about the incident:

"We have sanitized the sink and have disposed of all other kitchen tools and utensils that were used during the incident. We have also taken appropriate corrective action on the employees that were involved in this video.

Additionally, the remaining staff at this restaurant is being retrained in health and sanitation procedures."

Employee Takes Bath At Xenia Burger King [WHIO](Thanks, Shoan!)

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."

"Vandalism is costly," another sign on the restroom doors read. "To help with these costs and to continue providing restrooms, this security lock has been installed. Your cooperation is appreciated."

Pay toilets are illegal in Houston, hence the free tokens. Still, the reporter who wrote the story says he saw a customer use his own quarter to access the toilet.

Is this the future of fast food?

Need to answer nature's call? It'll cost you [Houston Chronicle](Thanks, Therese!)

A reader at "green gossip" website Ecorazzi reported that the local KFC says it fries its vegan patties in the same fryers and oil that it uses to cook its chicken. It's doubtful that they're the only location that does this, but even if they were, there are several other reasons why this sandwich isn't vegan, and might not even be vegetarian. The obvious one is the use of mayonnaise as a condiment, which contains egg products unsuitable for vegans. We couldn't find any nutritional information on this sandwich at KFC or KFC Canada's website, so we can't speculate on what secret animal products (like enzymes or "natural flavors") are in the bun. Having worked at a few fast food restaurants in high school, we know that gloves and utensils aren't changed between preparing meaty and vegetarian items, so you're probably getting some chicken fat in your KFC Vegetarian Sandwich one way or another.

It's nice that KFC made the attempt to offer a non-meat menu item, but vegans and vegetarians shouldn't be eating at fast food restaurants. Even the highly touted Burger King Morningstar Burger is imperfect: the patty itself contains milk and egg, the mayo contains eggs, and the cheese contains milk (and probably animal rennet). Burger King's nutrition info brochure contains the following disclaimer: "Burger King Corporation makes no claim that the BK VEGGIE® Burger or any other of its products meets the requirements of a vegan or vegetarian diet."

If you'd like to learn more about how cheese is made with veal stomach, sugar is bleached with animal bones, and other depressing reasons not to ever eat anything ever again, check out the Vegetarian Resource Group's Frequently Asked Questions About Food Ingredients

(Photo: Getty)

Observe this heavily medicated family enjoying their "healthy" food from Burger King. Hey pops, quit bogarting the mac n' cheese!

If this video is a little dry for you, try watching it while playing this music in background, trust us.

The article says,

The launch will be followed by an in-restaurant merchandising and television ad campaign, with the first commercial airing July 7. That spot will introduce "Little King" meant to be the masked king's young son.

The company will be offering free samples of its apple fries through July in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Miami and Houston. Burger King will also give away samples at Jonas Brothers concert tour sites. Burger King is an official sponsor of the group's "Burning Up Tour" and will be offering some free tickets to the concerts.

Burger King certainly isn't the first fast food restaurant to try to convince moms to listen to the pleas in the backseat for fast food. McDonald's launched a public relations campaign targeted to mothers last year in a bid to neutralize criticism that the company's food is a contributor to childhood obesity.

We suppose, if there is no other available source of food and you are trying to get your family to eat healthy, this seems like a viable option, but we certainly don't see anyone making a special trip because they are jonesing for apple fries. And if your kid has already been exposed to the artery-closing goodness of a Whopper with cheese and french-fries (or onion rings) and a Coke, there's little chance they are going to be pacified by a miniature cup of mac n' cheese and a bottle of milk.

Burger King looks to woo mom with new kids meal [AP]

CR says that an average cup of coffee has about 100mg of caffeine. While all decaf will have some caffeine, there are no laws that dictate how much caffeine is allowed in decaffeinated coffee.

Their results,

More than half of our decafs had less than 5 mg of caffeine, but some had quite a bit more. One of the six cups from Dunkin' Donuts had 32 mg; one from Seattle's Best had 29 mg; and one from Starbucks had 21 mg. Levels of caffeine in the decaffeinated coffees we tested varied within chains, but in our sample, McDonald's decaf consistently had less than 5 mg.

Our shoppers bought caffeinated coffee at the same chains, and we found a surprise there, too. Caffeine per cup ranged from 58 mg to 281 mg, providing less or more of a java jolt than you might expect.

We suppose it would be more correct to call the stuff "partially decaffeinated" coffee. If you are someone who is trying to avoid caffeine, you might want to limit yourself to one cup of decaf per day and not drink any before bed. Of course, most of our readers would probably prefer a caffeine IV if such a thing existed.

Is it really decaf? [Consumer Reports]

In case you were wondering why it costs $185, the burger is contains wagyu beef, white truffles, a saffron sprinkled bun and tempura onions prepared in Cristal champagne. Enjoy.

Burger King launches £95 'bling burger' [Telegraph]

"Further extending our late-night hours allows us to meet strong consumer demand and deliver on the ‘Have It Your Way' brand promise," said Russ Klein, president-global strategy, marketing and innovation at Burger King, Miami, in a statement.

To promote the new closing time, the fast-food chain will launch a TV spot, directed by Spike Lee. It will feature entertainment mogul Sean "Diddy" Combs, who has been recruited as the brand's "Late Night Ambassador."

Combs seems to be taking his new "job" seriously:

"Everyone knows I own the night," said Combs, in a statement. "As 'Late Night Ambassador,' it's my goal to get everyone involved, whether they're leaving a club, concert or studio session. BK is the only place that does late-night right."

Does this mean BK is going to start serving raccoon dog meat now?

Burger King Now Open 'Til 2 A.M. [Burger King]
(Photo: Morton Fox )

The AP says:

An aide to U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders who held a hearing on the case announced the deal Friday. The aide, Michael Briggs, said the two sides planned to announce the deal later today.

Briggs says the Miami-based fast-food chain will pay 1.5 cents more per pound of tomatoes it buys from Florida growers, with the money passed to the workers.

He says the farmworker's group known as the Coalition of Immokalee Workers says that would roughly double what workers earn while picking.

McDonald's and Yum! brands have similar deals in place.

Burger King, Fla. tomato workers in wage deal [BusinessWeek]
(Photo: MortonFox )

UK business site Brand Republic says:

The 6 Pack, which costs £4.49 on its own or £5.69 as part of a meal, comprises one big Aberdeen Angus patty inside six rolls, stuck together to allow consumers to tear off portions. In one pair of rolls the burger is topped with ketchup, the second has a cheese topping, and the third bacon and cheese.

Supposedly, this item is going to help BK compete with "pizza." Why not just offer 6 little burgers? Who wants to tear apart a giant patty? Can this be real? Our head hurts. Would you eat this?

Burger King launches a burger for six to share [Brand Republic]

A South Bend, Indiana family is a little ticked off after finding a cigarette lighter in their child's Burger King kid's meal, says WSJV.

The family checked the bag before giving it to their child and are thankful that they did. Now they'd just like to remind other parents to make sure your child's meal doesn't contain anything flammable before you toss it into the back seat...

Angela Vanderhuyden says, "I'm really disappointed. I want people to be a little more aware and a little more cautious. It's something that most parents just say, 'ya, know here guys', and hand the bag to the back seat because it's supposed to be just food, that's it you know. The food and the toy."

Good safety tip, Angela.

Lighter Found In Kid's Meal[WSJV]

The internal emails are particularly weird. Back in January, two messages were sent from a single Hotmail account through Burger King's servers, one to a journalist and one to a pro-farm workers group. The emails criticized Burger King and offered to provide assistance and information about the restaurant company's plans. Were the Hotmail messages legit? Is there a traitor within Burger King HQ? Or was somebody trying to set up the farm workers group for future accusations of dirty tricks?

As expected, BK gives the standard corporate spin about the investigation without actually saying anything of substance:

"Senior management of the company had no knowledge of Grover's postings. These comments were not sanctioned by the company and they do not reflect the opinion of the company," Burger King spokeswoman Denise Wilson said in a statement. "We are conducting an internal investigation, and appropriate disciplinary action will be taken."

We'd like to think that means Grover will have to wear the Duke costume at the next corporate retreat, but more likely it just means he'll get a few sympathetic back slaps by his C-level buddies. Oh well—we'll always know you're a jackass, Grover.
 
"Burger King investigates e-mails slamming farmworker group" [Florida Times-Union]
(Photo: malias)

Here's the quick back story: tomato pickers in the U.S. are paid ridiculously low wages and treated badly, and some people are talking to fast food companies about increasing their pay by a penny per pound in order to help solve the problem. There was an agreement on the penny pay increase—McDonald's and Taco Bell were okay with it—but that fell through after Burger King joined up with some Florida tomato growers to claim that the low-wage claims were false and the workers were treated just fine.

It's gotten so bad that earlier this month, farm workers and their advocates testified before the Senate that claims of $12.50/hour wages were false, and that the industry has a history of worker abuse:

"It may not sound like much, but for the tomato pickers, it means the difference between poverty and decent wages," Kennedy said. He invoked Edward R. Murrow's landmark 1960 documentary "Harvest of Shame," which detailed the grim plight of migrant workers in Immokalee and elsewhere.
 
"Too little has changed over the years," he said. The fact that there's a need for hearings today shows "how far we have to go to provide genuine fairness and justice for this vulnerable workforce," he said.
 
"Do the math with me," Durbin said in his opening statement. Workers would have to fill and empty a 32-pound bucket of tomatoes, each worth some 45 cents, about every two minutes all day long to earn the $12.50, he said.
 
"Is that possible?" he asked. "I don't think it is."
 
Sanders also decried conditions in Immokalee, pointing out that when he visited in January, a 17-count indictment was handed down for enslavement of tomato workers.
 
"In America, in the year 2008, it is not acceptable that workers producing the food we eat should live in these conditions," he said.
 
Workers face seven-day work weeks, physical and psychological abuse, and debt bondage to their employers, said Lucas Benitez, co-founder of the Coalition of Immokalee Workers.

At one point, Burger King Vice President Stephen Grover told reporters he was concerned the coalition was pocketing the extra money. After several independent groups that verified the agreements dismissed the allegations, Burger King officials stopped repeating them.
 
But the allegations were repeated on blog posts, according to a story published Monday in The News-Press in Fort Myers. The paper traced those posts to the online user name of Grover's daughter. The girl, who is in middle school, later confirmed to the paper her father had used her online screen name.
 
In a post still available Monday on YouTube, an individual with the girl's screen name wrote: "The CIW is an attack organization lining the leaders pockets by attacking restaurant companies. They make up issues and collect money from dupes that believe their story...."
 
Messages left for Grover at work and at home by The Associated Press on Monday were not immediately returned.

His wife, Susan Grover, confirmed the screen name was their daughter's but said she didn't know if her husband had used it. She accused the News-Press reporter of not identifying herself as a journalist to their daughter.
 
Reporter Amy Bennett Williams said she did identify herself and told the girl she was taking notes. She also said she left all of her contact information, which the girl's mother later used to call and complain.

They were dealt yet another blow when the Assistant Manager received a call from the Manager of Burger King, telling staff to close the restaurant due to the traffic slowed to virtually nothing. Street traffic had been blocked off for a 1-block radius. When the Assistant Manager informed the Manager that the Red Cross was processing the residents that had been evacuated, according to my source, the manager told her to ask everyone to leave and if they didn't comply, to call the police. The Red Cross worker ended up talking to the manager, and a rescue bus was called to the scene.

Fire, Ice And Tears [MPLS Mirror]
(AP Photo/Douglas C. Pizac)

From KTVB:

Bryan Sampson's wife picked up food for the family Saturday - totaling $22.43. But a whopper of a mistake left the couple's account overdrawn. A clerk at the Burger King charged them $2,243.00 - with the decimal point in the wrong spot!

Bryan said he didn't notice the charge until Sunday - but now the mistake is causing big trouble for the family's finances.

"My bank account now is overdrawn $473, so anything that might come through at midnight is gonna be charged a $35 fee," Sampson said. "I know there's 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 charges they're gonna charge me for at $35 bucks a pop

Sampson said the assistant manager told him they had cancelled the transaction instead of crediting his account - and that the store manager would not be in until Tuesday - after the President's Day holiday to correct the mistake.

Here are our criteria:

• Had to be from a top nationwide burger chain.
• Had to be on the regular menu.
• Had to be a burger. No chicken.

Special Awards:

Most Ominous New Burger: McDonald's 1/3 Angus Deluxe with Bacon has 860 calories, but isn't available everywhere yet. When it's nationwide, it'll bump the Baconator™ off the top 5.

Some Burgers With Fewer Calories:

A WHOPPER JR.® has 370 calories. You could eat 3 full WHOPPER JR.® sandwiches (bun and toppings and mayo) and it would still be less calories than the TRIPLE WHOPPER® with cheese. A Wendy's Jr. Bacon Cheeseburger has 310 calories. [ed. note—In the interest of fairness, a friend who recently ate one says that the Baconator™ is significantly more delicious than the 2.6 Jr. Bacon Cheeseburgers he could eat for the same calories.]

Best Name for A Butt-Blimping Burger:

Baconator™, duh.

Wendy's
McDonald's
BK

(Photo:MortonFox)

From Marketplace:

Just after Thanksgiving, the Florida tomato pickers held a large rally outside Burger King headquarters in Miami.

Now it's surfaced that three weeks later, BK sent a note to suppliers saying it may no longer buy tomatoes from southwestern Florida.

Spokesperson Keva Silversmith says the letter is just a normal part of the company's planning.

Keva Silversmith: Our contingency planning is based on a variety of issues, a freeze being one of them, hurricane issues, which are always an issue, as well as a possible labor conflict.

A cent too far for Burger King [Marketplace]
(Photo:Morton Fox)

Dear Consumerist,

So, for dinner tonight I decided to make the least healthiest choice and go to my local Burger King. There I placed an order for a Tender Crisp Chicken Sandwich Large Value Meal (and the barista only says Large or King, and not Medium, which is advertised, but thats something I'll touch on another time). Upon paying almost 7 dollars and then a few minutes later receiving my food, I politely asked the barista working the counter for some barbecue sauce. The barista then told me that it would cost me 11 cents to get a little brownish-red stuff in a plastic square.

I was baffled. I asked if the barista was serious and he was. Then I asked to speak with his manager. She said, that it would cost 11 cents for me to have barbecue sauce because I had not ordered Chicken Fries or Chicken Tenders. So, I told them that I would not pay 11 cents for the barbecue sauce (because I would honestly keep the 11 cents and put it toward a real bottle of barbecue sauce) and instead wanted 20 packets of ketchup which they handed over without thinking twice.

What has happened to the days where vendors gave you condiments free of charge? I know gas prices have gone up and the U.S. economy has gone to shit but it's a little ludicrous when Burger King stops handing out barbecue sauce for free.

Sincerely,

A College Kid Looking for Some BBQ Sauce

Burger King has to raise condiment prices due to risky bets placed on the sub-prime burger industry. Furthermore, BBQ sauce cubelets are a premium condiment compared to catsup. You would have to fill an entire standard-sized Burger King with catsup packets to equal one BBQ sauce cubelet. This is due to massive government subsidies for the tomato industry, grandfathered into the Food Bill, which are left over from the war of 1872 when America wanted to undermine Spanish influence in Mexico by shutting them out of the lucrative tomato market.

(Photo: Morton Fox)