CLIFTON PARK N.Y. T.G.I. Friday’s said Friday it had requested a New York State Police criminal investigation into suspected product tampering that occurred at a unit here on Sunday, May 3, when a customer said he found a severed snake’s head in his meal.
Jack Pendleton said earlier this week he had ordered a chicken sandwich with vegetables rather than fries at the Clifton Park unit and discovered the snake’s head as he ate his broccoli. Friday’s immediately pulled all broccoli from its units. By Friday, authorities had found with the help of an independent lab that the snake’s head had never been cooked.
“This is obviously something we took very seriously and we immediately pulled the product from all of our restaurants until an investigation could be completed,” said Amy Freshwater, vice president of communications and public relations for Carlson Restaurants Worldwide, parent of Carrollton, Texas-based T.G.I. Friday’s, which has about 600 domestic units.
“We don’t know who was involved in this senseless act of product tampering, but we are cooperating fully with the authorities and will prosecute the individual or individuals involved to the fullest extent of the law,” she added. “Product tampering is a serious offense and impacts all restaurants, not just Friday’s.”
Carlson Restaurants Worldwide’s response to the incident, which years ago might have seemed more like a prank than a criminal matter, is not surprising in the aftermath of the damage done to the profits and reputation of Wendy’s International a few years back after a patron said she found a severed finger in her chili. The woman and her husband were ultimately arrested on fraud charges and sentenced to prison, but not before a large number of frightened or disgusted consumers stopped using the quick-service chain, causing significant financial losses.
And the recent YouTube.com prank video in which rogue employees at a franchised Domino’s Pizza restaurant are seen befouling ingredients as they prepared orders also is top of mind for foodservice companies worried about the damage to sales that might be done by food news that can travel nearly as fast as the speed of light in the Internet age.
Pendleton told the Albany Times Union earlier this week that he had summoned the waiter after discovering the piece of snake. Pendleton said the manager gave him and his female friend free meals and the phone number for the chain’s regional manager. He also filed a complaint through the chain’s website. He said he had no plans to seek legal action.
Contact Ron Ruggless at [email protected].
