Brandon says:

I know a fast food restaurant is not a place that I should expect to receive excellent customer service, but when an employee treats me completely illogically, I just cannot ignore it. An employee at Wendy's this past weekend refused to serve my double stack plain (with no toppings) and stated that it was their policy that they had to serve it the way it comes (with toppings) for that particular sandwich. The straw that broke the camel's back was that she told me that the double stack was the only sandwich that had such rules for its preparation. A more detailed account is provided below in my letter to the Wendy's feedback site:

"Let me first preface my experience by saying that prior to this experience, Wendy's was hands down my favorite fast food restaurant. I likely visit Wendy's once a week and have never had a bad experience until my most recent visit to this store in Baton Rouge, LA.

Three friends and I arrived at the restaurant around 1:00 to get some lunch. Ordering first, I asked for a double-stack plain. After the cashier entered my request into the computer, the lady next to her who prepares the sandwiches interrupted and said that the double stack does not come "plain" (meat and cheese only) as I had requested, to which the cashier agreed. I stood there befuddled and asked the employee if she could simply refrain from putting lettuce, tomato, and mayonnaise on my sandwich and serve it with meat and cheese only. She told me that she could not, as it was the policy that you have to get a double stack the way it comes (with toppings) and that it was the only sandwich on the menu with such rules. The double stack is my sandwich of choice and I order it every time I go to Wendy's and have always been able to get it served "plain." After a pointless discussion of a minute or so of trying to figure out why she could not make the sandwich plain, I left the store with my friends, all of us in a state of disbelief as to the sheer ridiculousness of the situation.

Aside from the fact that I have been successful countless times in ordering a double stack plain, it is actually more cost effective for the restaurant to serve it plain, retaining the cost of the toppings that I did not want. Such poor customer service not only was an insult to me as a customer, but gave the illusion that Wendy's sandwiches are pre-packaged and not able to be changed according to the customer's wishes. Hopefully this is an isolated incident of poor employee training at this one location, but I can assure you that it will forever tarnish my opinion of the Wendy's franchise. Burger King's "have it your way" campaign just became much more appealing."

In hindsight I know I should have asked for the manager who I can only hope would have been more reasonable than this employee, but I was so confused and angry by the whole situation that I just left. Let's be honest: after causing a small scene at a Wendy's, chances become pretty good that my food will either be spit in or worse. I'd rather just go somewhere else. I normally don't get very worked up about stuff like this, but this was just such a stupidly unnecessary situation that I've been telling everyone I know. Because I didn't actually buy anything, I realize I should not expect Wendy's to offer me anything, but I am very interested to see what their response is. They promised to contact me within two business days.

All we ever order at Wendy's is that spicy chicken sandwich (yum), so we have no idea what the rules might be about burger toppings, but we can't see any reason why "plain" wouldn't be a valid way to eat your burger. What if you were allergic to pickles or onions or whatever?

We think Wendy's should send you some free burger coupons or one of those weird red wigs from the commercials or something. The whole story is just bizarre. Kudos to you for not throwing a fit and telling the Wendy's employee to hold the toppings between her knees.

(Photo: mbeldyk )

For children between 4 and 8 years of age, the recommended amount of calories per meal, assuming three meals a day, is 430. If the child is active, the amount goes up to 565. Using these numbers as a guide, the CSPI looked at the biggest restaurant chains in the country, then whittled their list down to the ones that offer dedicated kids' menus and provide nutritional info. This meant the following were left out of the study because they won't provide nutritional info:

We don't need no stinkin' nutrition
• Applebee's
• T.G.I. Friday's
• Outback Steakhouse
• Olive Garden
• Red Lobster
• IHOP

Here's what the CSPI has to say about those restaurants that do provide nutritional info:

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.

So how do you improve the nutrition of your kid's meal the next time you eat at a restaurant? A spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association gave the following advice:

"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."

As for the restaurants that refuse to provide nutritional info, maybe you should just eat elsewhere.

Click here for some specific replacement suggestions from the Chicago Tribune.

You can download a copy of the full CSPI report here.
(Photo: Getty)

There I am going pee in Wendy's by my office when a Wendy's employee comes into the bathroom and goes into the stall to pee. I wash my hands, dry them and exit as I hear a flush. I get about 3 seconds out of the bathroom and guess who comes out of the bathroom! I'm in gross shock at this point but I think "Ok maybe he's going on break and he will wash after he smokes ones..."WRONG! He not only went behind the counter he started handling fries! So what do I do? "Excuse me, I would like to see your manager.""Um Larry, this guy wants you!... I don't know he wants a manager!"Larry the manager comes to the counter and about 5 employees are eyes glued! Including Mr. Dirty Hands Fry-man."Yeah that guy right there working the fries with the mustache, he was just in the bathroom at the same time I was and he left without washing his hands."

The room fell SILENT!

About 6 people were standing at the counter waiting for their food, plus 10 people sitting close enough to hear this, plus the onlooking employees, INCLUDING Mr. Dirty Hands Fry-man.Now Mr. Dirty Hands Fry-man had this look on his face that can only be explained as a look that said "YOU SON OF A !!!" Without actually saying a word. Fearing he might come over the counter or throw something at my head I bid them farewell. "I'll just go to Burger King." I watched over my shoulder the whole way and I am pleased to say that I saw a couple of familiar faces at Burger King a few minutes later.

Chalk one up for customers!

Sure, he could have spoken privately to the manager to handle it more discreetly. Or filed a complaint with the Health Inspector. But I'll bet you every worker at that Wendy's washes their hands after using the bathroom now.

Reminds me of a scene from a Seinfeld episode:

Health Inspector: Are you Poppie?
POPPIE: I'm Poppie.
Health Inspector: I think you'd better come with me.
POPPIE: What's the problem?
(Poppie leaves with the Health Inspector)
AUDREY: What do they want from Poppie?
JERRY: Well, Poppie's a little sloppy.

See? Not quite as dramatic.

Mr. Dirty-hands Fry-man [Where is everybody???]

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)

Regular readers will be familiar with all the twists and turns in the report, but its worth watching if only to see Wendy's try to convince Lesley Stahl that putting calories on menu boards is impossible and that the chain isn't worried about sales dropping.

Also included in the report is an interview with Brian Wansink, a nutrition and marketing professor at Cornell University and author of Mindless Eating. If you're at all interested in the ways that food marketing manipulates you, you should check out Brian's research at Cornell's food and brand lab. One of the best parts of the report is the look on one customer's face when Wansink tells him the Subway combo he thought had 300 calories really has 1300.

Wansink then asked another consumer who had chosen the same combo:

"Well, let's say for instance that we would have had the calories listed on the menu when you ordered something like that. Would that influence what you ordered?" Wansink asked a man.

"Absolutely. I don't think I would have gotten it. I mean, 1,350 calories for a Subway," the man replied.

Expert: Many Underestimate Calories [60 Minutes]

Wendy's claims in a letter send both to CSPI and to the United States District Court of New York, that CSPI is presenting the menu board as authentic when it was in fact "doctored" (Wendy's words) and accuses CSPI and it's of being "misleading" and of "improper use of Wendy's trademark."

As Constant Readers of the blog are already aware, there's a legal battle going on over a new NYC regulation that requires large chain restaurants that already provide nutritional information to add calorie info to their menus.

We were initially skeptical of this regulation until Subway went ahead and complied with it. The resulting menus were exceptionally useful and uncluttered-looking, and we were convinced that the regulation has merit and would help consumers make better food choices.

Incidentally, we were also sort of shocked to learn, through model menus supplied by the CSPI, that some Starbucks venti fraps have more than 700 calories.

If we didn't know that, does the average consumer? Probably not.

And now Wendy's is sending scary legal letters over hypothetical menus.

We have to ask you just one thing: Why would the Center for Science in the Public Interest represent a menu board with calorie information on it as an authentic Wendy's menu board in a lawsuit where Wendy's is trying to keep calorie information off the menu board?

Here's the paragraph in question, the "misleading" one, in which Dr. Margo Wootan of the CSPI supposedly misrepresents the photoshopped board:

22. See Appendix C for model Starbucks and Wendy's menus. These model menus demonstrate that providing calories on the menu can be done without being confusing, difficult to read, or cluttering the menu.

Are we meant to believe that just by adding a legal disclaimer a Double Stack won't make you fat?

Here's Wendy's explanation, from their website:

We regret that Wendy's cannot provide product calorie information to residents or customers in New York City. The New York City Department of Health passed a regulation requiring restaurants that already provide calorie information to post product calories on their menu boards — using the same type size as the product listing.

We fully support the intent of this regulation; however, since most of our food is made-to-order, there isn't enough room on our existing menu boards to comply with the regulation. We have for years provided complete nutritional information on posters inside the restaurant and on our website. To continue to provide caloric information to residents and customers of our New York City restaurants on our website and on our nutritional posters would subject us to this regulation. As a result, we will no longer provide caloric information to residents and customers of our New York City restaurants.

We regret this inconvenience. If you have questions about this regulation, please contact the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene and refer to Health Code Section 81.50.

Anyway, thanks to Wendy's misguided legal bullying, we've now read Dr. Wootan's testimony and have learned some interesting facts about the need for better menu labeling. Think you know how many calories are in your food?

Did you know...

Two jelly-filled doughnuts at Dunkin' Donuts have fewer calories than a sesame bagel with cream cheese?

A Frappuccino at Starbucks can have 200 more calories than the same size cappuccino?

A whole fried onion appetizer at a typical table service restaurant has 1,300 more calories than the fried mozzarella sticks?

We didn't!

Dr. Wootan's Testimony
Wendy's Scary Legal Letter To CSPI (PDF)
Wendy's Scary Legal Letter To The Court (PDF)
CSPI's response to Wendy's Scary Legal Letter (PDF)
(Photo:CSPI)

Redheads [Improv Everwhere]

Could it be true? It is, here's photographic evidence. We don't know about you people, but Wendy's breakfast sounds kinda good to us. Anyone tried it?

Wendy's joins scramble to lure morning diners [Daily Southtown]
(Photo: Growl Roar)

Police said a man in the drive-through argued with an employee because he wanted more packets of the condiment. The worker told the customer that restaurant policy prohibited a customer from getting more than three packets.

The customer demanded 10 and got them. Police say the man then asked for even more and the manager came out to talk to him.

Miami-Dade police spokeswoman Mary Walter said that's when the manager was shot several times in the arm, but didn't suffer serious injury.

The victim was taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

Police are still searching for the chili sauce shooter, who drove off with a woman in his car.

Man Shoots Wendy's Manager Over Chili Sauce [WMUR] (Thanks, Lee!)
(Photo: sarae)

For one time only, at participating restaurants, KFC is offering America a free sample of the restaurant chain's signature Colonel's Crispy Strips(R).

"Here at Chicken Capital USA, we're more than happy to step in and fill the void," says James O'Reilly, chief marketing officer for KFC. "Since we're the chicken experts, we thought we'd give strip-hungry customers a taste of the best in the business."

KFC will unveil the special offer with a tongue-in-cheek full-page ad in the January 25 edition of USA Today. The ad proclaims, "KFC Strips for Free. January 29, 2007." Consumers who make any purchase at participating KFC restaurants on January 29 will receive a free Colonel's Crispy Strip(R) with their order, while supplies last.

No Strip Tease: KFC Seeks to Strip Wendy's of Its Chicken Lovin' Customers (Press Release)[PR Newswire]

"We were surprised to find that the lab tests showed the fries contained significantly more trans fat than the 0.5 grams per serving claimed by Wendy's.... The average amount of trans fat per serving was 2.5 grams."