Although one could ever forget that Wendy’s got rid of its spicy chicken nuggets (RIP), 2017 was also full of other major fast-food moments, including companies throwing shade at each other — even at the President — on Twitter. Read on for some of the craziest controversies that happened in the fast-food world this year.
1. Wendy’s Throws Shade on Twitter
The year kicked off with Wendy’s throwing shade at Twitter user @NHride over frozen beef. When @NHride accused Wendy’s of lying about its “fresh, never frozen” slogan, Wendy’s not-so-kindly reminded the user about the existence of refrigerators.
Then, Wendy's threw shade at anyone on Twitter who dare suggested that McDonald’s was better.
McDonald's appears to have taken the high road and never got involved in the Twitter war, even when Wendy's continued to poke fun at them throughout the year on the social-media platform.
2. Wendy’s Gets Rid of Spicy Chicken Nuggets
When Wendy’s quietly tried to cut its spicy chicken nuggets from its menu in March, fans had a collective meltdown on Twitter.
Although Wendy’s still serves the item in seven U.S. cities in Texas, Missouri and Illinois, Burger King threw shade adding spicy chicken nuggets to its menu in October and offering a free 10-piece order to anyone named “Wendy” on October 13.
3. McDonald’s Appears to Mock Trump's Tiny Hands
In March, McDonald’s tweeted that President Donald Trump is a “disgusting excuse” for a president. In addition to asking for President Barack Obama back, the tweet also pointed out that Trump had “tiny hands.”
Although the tweet was promptly deleted, McDonald’s issued this explanation later that day.
4. Fans Are Disappointed By Taco Bell's "Double" Chalupa
In June, Taco Bell debuted a new oversize Double Chalupa, but some customers were quick to share their disappointment online when they claimed the hyped-up menu item failed to have double the beef filling as advertised.
Taco Bell did attempt to rectify the disappointing situation by promising that “our Customer Care team has been in contact with our fans to ensure they have the best Double Chalupa experience possible, and we are connecting with our restaurant teams to ensure our customers receive Double Chalupas that exceed their expectations,” in a statement to Business Insider.
5. A Chipotle Restaurant Shuts Down After Norovirus Reports
After a slew of foodborne illness outbreaks rocked Chipotle in 2015, all seemed to be well with the fast-casual Mexican food chain. But in July, a Chipotle restaurant in Virginia voluntarily closed for a complete sanitization after multiple customers reported symptoms consistent with norovirus.
"We are working with health authorities to understand what the cause may be and to resolve the situation as quickly as possible," Jim Marsden, Chipotle’s head of food safety, said in a statement. "Norovirus does not come from our food supply, and it is safe to eat at Chipotle."
6. Pizza Hut Manager Tells Employees They Could Be Punished For Skipping Work To Flee Irma
As Hurricane Irma approached Florida in September, a manager at a Jacksonville Pizza Hut posted a memo to the restaurant's employees saying that they’d be punished for missing their shifts if they evacuated too early.
"If evacuating, you will have a 24-hour period before storm 'grace period' to not be scheduled," the memo read. "You cannot evacuate Friday for a Tuesday storm event!"
In response, Pizza Hut posted a statement on its website saying the manager who posted the memo was not following company guidelines.
"We absolutely do not have a policy that dictates when team members can leave or return from a disaster," the statement read.
7. McDonald’s Doesn’t Make Enough Szechuan Sauce to Keep Fans Happy
Fans were ecstatic when McDonald's brought back the promotional tie-in for Mulan for one day in October. But their joy quickly soured when they realized just how limited-edition the sauce was.
McDonald’s tried to make amends and promised to bring “more — a lot more” back once again sometime this winter.
8. Papa John's CEO Lost Millions After Blaming Slow Sales On NFL Protests
Earlier in November, Papa John's founder and CEO John Schnatter blamed his company's pizza sales slump on low NFL viewership. Schnatter claimed that because people have been boycotting the games due to players kneeling during the National Anthem, fewer people are seeing their ads and, therefore, not ordering pizza.
"The NFL has hurt us by not resolving the current debacle to the players' and [team] owners' satisfaction," Schnatter reportedly said. "NFL leadership has hurt Papa John's shareholders."
Not surprisingly, the finger-pointing didn't help sales. Less than 24 hours after Schnatter blamed the NFL, his personal net worth dropped by $70 million, Forbes reported.
Two weeks after Schnatter's original comments, Papa John's changed its tune, saying that the comments were never meant to be "divisive."
Lyndsey Matthews is the Destination News Editor for AFAR; previously she was a Lifestyle Editor across all of Hearst Digital Media's brands, and a digital editor at Martha Stewart Weddings and Travel + Leisure.
