Latest news with #Wendys
The Verge
an hour ago
- Business
- The Verge
Applebee's and IHOP have plans for AI
Applebee's and IHOP plan to launch an AI-powered 'personalization engine' that could help its restaurants provide recommendations and customized deals, according to a report from The Wall Street Journal. The personalization engine would use a customer's past purchases — or the orders of customers similar to them — to make recommendations. Justin Skelton, the chief information officer at the restaurants' parent company, Dine Brands, tells the Journal that an AI-powered personalization system would be designed to boost customer loyalty, as well as serve as a way to upsell products. As noted by the Journal, IHOP already has some information about its customers' ordering habits through its rewards program. Instead of chasing viral trends like Chili's, other restaurant franchises have hopped on the AI bandwagon as well, with Wendy's deploying an AI chatbot at its drive-thrus that can take orders and even upsell menu items. McDonald's also recently resumed plans to put AI at the drive-thru and inside its restaurants, while Taco Bell revealed plans to put 'Voice AI' technology at more than 100 of its drive-thrus across the US. As noted by the Journal, Dine Brands is considering rolling out AI tools designed for staff members as well. Along with exploring the use of AI-powered cameras to detect when a table needs cleaning, it's also testing an AI app for managers.
Daily Mail
a day ago
- Health
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE My terminally ill brother was forced to eat Wendy's off a STOOL because the fast food spot didn't have available seating... it's his favourite but we can't go back
A terminally ill boy in a wheelchair was forced to eat off a stool at a fast food restaurant in London after staff did not offer disabled seating. Stage 4 cancer patient Bailey Merritt, 13, was taken to Wendy's in Camden by his brother Carl, 29, after finishing radiotherapy at a London hospital. Bailey also suffers from ADHD, autism, as well as being partially sighted and prone to seizures. His family chose the restaurant as the chain is a favourite of Bailey's and the window displayed a disabled access sign. However the teenager was forced to sit with his wheelchair pushed up to a stool due to a lack of available disabled access seating. His family said the experience ruined Bailey's view of Wendy's and made him uncomfortable about eating there ever again. Carl has called for more establishments to be aware of accessibility issues. He said: 'He has stage 4 terminal cancer, so at this moment in time we are just trying to make memories with him. 'He had just come out of the hospital and when he is hungry he needs to eat pretty quickly. 'We went in and ordered food, when you are in a bit of a rush you don't always realise if there aren't any seats. We also did not think it would be an issue so we just ordered our food. 'When we got the food, we asked where the disabled seating was and staff just told us they only had a disabled toilet and not disabled seating.' Under the Equality Act, restaurants should make reasonable adjustments to allow disabled people to have the same access as any other customers. Carl claimed staff at Wendy's did not make any accommodations for his brother and just told the family that 'no seats were available'. A small number of more practical seats were available, but staff refused to ask other customers to move their seats to accommodate for Bailey. In an astonishing excuse, staff told the family that the building 'was a bank' before it was a restaurant, which explained why they did not have disabled seating Carl is a restaurant manager himself and was appalled by the lack of sympathy which he said he received from staff members. He added: 'If you have a disabled toilet then you need to have disabled seating. If they are all full then you tell customers to move and tell them that other people need it. Bailey had been returning from a chemotherapy appointment at hospital when he went to Wendy's 'They sent someone with terminal cancer to eat his dinner off a chair. 'We would have left but we couldn't because of Bailey's situation, he needed to eat something then. 'I am angry, not just for Bailey, there are a lot of people that have physical disabilities but also invisible ones. They have a disabled toilet and a sign on their window about accessibility so it doesn't make sense. 'They could have put disabled seating downstairs, it didn't make sense to me.' Bailey lives with his mother and father in Romford, while Carl has moved out of the family home he said he still tries to visit and spend time with his brother as much as possible. He was diagnosed with cancer in 2024 and the family are now spending as much time as they can with Bailey to look after him. However the experience at Wendy's has now put Bailey off the restaurant for good. 'He was very upset about it,' said Carl, 'Wendy's was his favourite place to eat. 'We have one where he lives in Romford and it was his favourite food. 'But the way he put it in Camden was that he was eating food off a seat someone had just sat on. It made him feel dirty eating his food. 'We struggle enough to find places he likes to eat and now we have to find a new place for him.' Carl has called on other businesses to be more aware of catering for customers with disabilities. He said: 'I just think places like this need to be looking into not just physical, but hidden disabilities, they need to follow the Equality Act. 'Especially with children, they are the worst ones to do it to. 'I don't think a lot of people realise how much of an impact it can have on people, it is disrespectful and it is discrimination.' A Wendy's source said the Camden restaurant did have three low-level seats on the downstairs floor of the building. They confirmed they had been in touch with the family.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Wendy's Has an All-New Meal Fans Are Racing To Try
Wendy's is releasing an all-new meal this summer. It features two new menu items made in collaboration with snack brand the fast food wars continue to heat up with chains trying to put Snack Wraps on their menus before McDonald's can bring back its long-awaited item, Wendy's is ensuring that the competition is extra spicy. But, not in the way you might think. Since Wendy's has been there, done that with its version of chicken wraps, the Ohio-based chain is putting its energy into an all-new menu item this summer. A heat wave is coming—not just in the forecast, but at the Wendy's drive-thru, too. The chain is teaming up with fan-loved snack brand, Takis, for a new meal that brings the fire. Wendy's has been leaning into brand partnerships lately. What started as the Krabby Patty Kollab with Spongebob last summer has snowballed into a Thin Mints Frosty with the Girl Scouts of America, Pop-Tarts and Oreo-filled Frosty Fusions, and even a Cheez-It that tastes like the fan-loved Baconator. Now, Wendy's is flexing its brand power again with the Takis Fuego Meal featuring a new Takis Fuego Chicken Sandwich and Takis-inspired Fuego Fries. Wendy's teased its Takis partnership at its Investors Day in March, and beginning June 20, you can finally try the new menu items. The meal will also be available in Canada starting June 30. The new Takis Fuego Chicken Sandwich is a spicy, textural experience like no other. It starts with a classic bun topped with Wendy's fan-loved spicy chicken filet, a new Chili Lime Sauce inspired by Takis, Cheddar cheese sauce to mimic queso, crushed Takis Fuego pieces, and an elote-inspired creamy corn spread, which Wendy's Global VP of Culinary Innovation, John Li, says is the secret ingredient. Wendy's previously released a Takis burger in its Latin America markets, but instead of bringing the spicy corn chip-topped burger to the U.S., Li says they chose to use the chicken sandwich because the pair "went so well together." Plus, chicken is having a massive fast food moment this year. To pair with the sandwich, Wendy's is also releasing new Fuego Fries, which are the chain's signature Hot & Crispy Fries coated in Takis Fuego seasoning. The fries are doused in a tangy, chili lime seasoning and shaken up in a new bag, in-house, then served to you in the bag complete with a perforated strip, so you can rip off the top and eat the spicy fries directly from it. That way, you won't have to reach into the Takis-dusted bag and turn your hands bright red from the seasoning—though that is part of the Takis charm. The new Takis Fuego Chicken Sandwich and Fuego Fries are available as a meal, complete with a drink, as well as à la carte. Wendy's new Takis Fuego Meal will be available for a limited time—and with the excitement bubbling since March, we're sure it'll be a race to the drive-thrus on June 20. Read the original article on ALLRECIPES
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Daily Mail
Animal lover saved dog from roasting car in 91 degree heat... then police came after HER
North Carolina police threatened to arrest an animal lover who saved a dog from the sweltering heat because she opened the owner's unlocked car. Suzanne Vella, 36, spotted the pup inside a parked vehicle outside a Wendy's restaurant on June 7, reported Fox 8. 'I approached the vehicle to check to see if the vehicle was on if there was AC on — there was not,' she told WCNC. 'I didn't want to wait any longer and ended up pulling open the door handle. It was actually unlocked, and I called 911.' The Cornelius Police Department state that they received the call at 2.18pm, and the officer, identified as Corporal Robert Russell, arrived at 2.26pm. Vella told the officer she had observed the dog panting inside the car for 10 minutes, so she decided to intervene. Temperatures reached 91 degrees Fahrenheit by 3pm that afternoon, making it the first 90-degree day of the season. Video taken by Vella showed the dog - that has a white fur coat and black spots - lapping up the water she offered it. Russell claimed that because he did not witness the dog alone in the car, he could not arrest its owner. North Carolina state law requires an officer to witness the crime to make an on-site arrest for animal cruelty. However, Vella said Russell did ask the dog owner if he wanted to press charges against her for entering his vehicle. Vella recorded her interaction with Russell, where he insisted she had no right to give the dog water. 'What right do you think you had to open someone's door?' Russell asked Vella. 'If there's a dog on a 90-degree day locked in the car panting, I'm going to give it water,' she replied. 'I don't understand what you don't understand about this… just because you see a dog panting doesn't mean he's in distress,' Russell said. 'It's 90 degrees. I think a lot of people would disagree with you, too,' Vella said. Vella said she was stunned by the officer's reaction and disappointed he was more upset with her than the dog owner. 'You know, it was really upsetting,' she said. 'The police officer got all of my information and gave me a lecture about it but said virtually nothing to the owner. '[Russell] was very visibly angry at me and was yelling at me, saying I had no right to open somebody else's car door. The Cornelius Police Department faced harsh backlash online, especially considering Russell's status as a K9 handler, and stated that they would be investigating both the dog owner and the officer. 'We are conducting an investigation into the owner of the dog for the claim of animal cruelty. An internal investigation into our officer's actions is underway,' Deputy Chief Jennifer Thompson said. 'We are also reinforcing our training procedures to ensure that all personnel respond professionally, respectfully, and with empathy in every situation.' Vella hopes the department's investigation will lead to consequences for both Russell and the dog owner. 'I never thought in a million years this would have been the direction that it went,' she said. 'This isn't about attention, it's about accountability. 'I'm hoping that that investigation kind of leads to some type of reprimanding, or potentially even finding a new and more loving home for the dog.'
Al Arabiya
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Al Arabiya
Is Father's Day Getting More Respect? Depends On Who You Ask
Is Father's Day starting to get a little more attention as a holiday? Not if you check some social media. In an expletive-filled post on TikTok and X, rapper Plies – best known for his collaborations with T-Pain and DJ Khaled on hits 'Shawty' and 'I'm So Hood' – complains about how Father's Day on Sunday carries about as much clout as Groundhog Day, saying it might as well be removed from the calendar. 'The disrespect to Father's Day is real,' declares a separate Reddit post, which adds, 'We get it, fathers aren't important to corporations, but damn, can't I at least get some free donuts or chicken strips?' Perhaps Shake Shack's buy-one-get-one-free deal on Double ShackBurgers, in stores and on its app through Monday, doesn't count? Or Wendy's buy-one-get-one-free deal on premium sandwiches through its app on Sunday? Or Burger King's buy-one-get-one-free deals on Whoppers through the app? It's true, the offers aren't quite as broad as on Mother's Day. But the spending disparity with Mother's Day may be narrowing, according to the National Retail Federation and Prosper Insights & Analytics. The organizations forecast that a record-breaking $24 billion will be spent on Father's Day this year, surpassing the previous mark of $22.9 billion in 2023. They say consumers plan to spend an average of $199.38 on their dads and father figures this year. Of course, that still pales in comparison to this year's $259.04 average planned for moms, which totals about $34.1 billion – or $10.1 billion more than Father's Day spending. That is a twenty-one percent smaller gap than the $12.8 billion difference there was between Mother's Day and Father's Day spending in 2023. Other studies disagree, though. RetailMeNot forecasts a twenty-five percent drop in spending for dads this year, down to about $232 per shopper, while moms get an average of $360 per shopper, up forty-three percent this year.
