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Theres more wendys places than taco bell

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Theres more wendys places than taco bell

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Forget about ( Wendy's (NASDAQ: WEN) and Burger King. What McDonald's NYSE:MCD) really needs to worry about is Chick-fil-A, because it is poised to become the third largest U.S. fast-food chain by sales, according to recently reported data.

Burgers and tacos apparently only go so far in winning the hearts, minds, and stomachs of diners. Restaurant specialist Kalinowski Equity Research says Chick-fil-A, known for its chicken sandwiches and waffle fries and being closed on Sundays, is positioned to hurtle past Taco Bell, Burger King, and Wendy's to knock Subway out of third place.

Based on data from food-service specialist Technomic, the analysts at Kalinowski say Chick-fil-A's sales surged 15.5% through July, and based on the chicken joint's 2017 sales of over $9 billion, that would put the chain behind only McDonald's and Starbucks (NASDAQ: SBUX) among the country's largest quick-serve restaurants.

Make no mistake, McDonald's is in no danger of losing its crown anytime soon. Restaurant Business notes that if Chick-fil-A continued to grow at the same heart-thumping rate of 14.2% that it did last year and McDonald's did nothing but run in place, it would take the chicken sandwich specialist 21 years to overtake it.

Doing more with less

McDonald's generated some $37.6 billion in systemwide U.S. sales in 2017 from more than 14,000 restaurants. Starbucks was second with $17.6 billion, also from about 14,000 restaurants. In contrast, Chick-fil-A has around 2,200 locations, and the $9 billion it generated in 2017 was the 50th consecutive year of sales growth.

Its achievement are remarkable. After all, Subway has about 27,000 restaurants; Taco Bell, 7,000; and Burger King, approximately 7,400. And though most of the restaurants saw revenue gains, that has been more a function of higher prices than increased customer traffic. McDonald's went five years without seeing higher guest counts until breaking that streak in 2017 with a 1.9% gain. Through the first nine months of last year, its guest traffic was 2.1% higher. Chick-fil-A's traffic was up 10% through July.

Chick-fil-A stores also generate more revenue per restaurant than rivals. In fact, QSR Magazine data show each of its restaurants makes more money than any other fast-food chain. Starbucks, Subway, Taco Bell, and Burger King don't even make it into the top 10.

Restaurant

2017 Revenue

Number of Restaurants

Average Revenue per Restaurant

Chipotle Mexican Grill

$4.5 billion

2,371

$1.9 million

Fighting with one hand tied behind its back

Another reason why the chicken sandwich specialist's surge is all the more impressive is that all its restaurants are open only six days a week. As the company says on its website: "Our founder, Truett Cathy, made the decision to close on Sundays in 1946 when he opened his first restaurant in Hapeville, Georgia. Having worked seven days a week in restaurants open 24 hours, Truett saw the importance of closing on Sundays so that he and his employees could set aside one day to rest and worship if they choose - a practice we uphold today."

The company's religious bent has upset some people over the years, leading to boycotts, which actually have done little to hurt its reputation with most people. In the fall 2018 "Taking Stock With Teens" report from Piper Jaffray, Chick-fil-A supplanted Starbucks as the most popular restaurant with teenagers across all income levels.

McDonald's has undoubtedly taken notice of Chick-fil-A's growth in sales and reputation over the years as the burger chain has sought to improve the quality of the chicken it serves as well as the beef. And as much as McDonald's has chosen to put its breakfast menu front and center, Chick-fil-A has a breakfast menu of its own that includes a chicken biscuit, lower-calories options such as a bagel and yogurt, hash browns, and classic egg & sausage and egg & bacon sandwiches. Should the chain ramp up store openings (though it has shown no such inclination), it could challenge the burger leader.

Chick-fil-A may have a way to go before it catches McDonald's, but the folks under the Golden Arches would be wise to keep looking over their shoulders.
Check out the latest McDonald's earnings call transcript.

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This Chain Is Gaining on Taco Bell, Burger King, and Wendy's | The Motley Fool

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Forget about ( Wendy's (NASDAQ: WEN) and Burger King. What McDonald's NYSE:MCD) really needs to worry about is Chick-fil-A, because it is poised to become the third largest U.S. fast-food chain by sales, according to recently reported data. Burgers and tacos apparently only go so far in winning the hearts, minds, and stomachs of diners.

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Check out the current toys in Wendy's Kids' Meals. Every Wendy's Kids' Meal comes with a toy, quality food, and a whole lot of lasting fun!

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does wendy's have a playplace - Google Search

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Wendy's was founded with the belief that a company should do more than sell a product or service. It should support the communities where it does business.

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I know some people cringe at the thought of eating at a fast food restaurant, but for the majority of us, it's simply a way of life.

While fast food tends to get a bad rap, I think the occasional fast food is fine as long as it fits your macros (Flexible Dieting).

In fact, when it comes to eating out, it is a lot easier to track your macros and calories at fast food restaurants opposed to mom and pop restaurants that are not required to post the calorie and nutritional information of the food they serve.

For those of us that do eat fast food, we are blessed with an abundant choice of restaurants, so we can at least choose to eat at fast food restaurants that have the healthiest ingredients as well as healthy options on their menus.

9 Places to Get the Healthiest Fast Food

Here's my take on which are the healthiest as well as which are not so healthy respectively. This is based on calories, healthy options as well as their use of hormone and antibiotic tainted meats.

Panera Bread

Panera Bread has a wide variety of lower calorie choices and 15 salads to choose from.

They use a variety of healthy ingredients.

Calorie and macro information are easily available.

They received an A grade from Friends of Earth for their policy against the use of factory farmed animals and antibiotic/hormone tainted meats.

Chipotle

Chipotle's "build your own" method allows consumers to create meals that fit their calorie and macro requirements as well as allows them to choose healthier options like salad bowls.

Chipotle's Calorie and macro amounts are available but are bit tricky to nail down because of the varying amounts different workers dispense.

They received an A grade from Friends of Earth for their policy against the use of factory farmed animals and antibiotic/hormone tainted meats.

Chick-Fil-A

McDonald's

McDonald's is probably the first thing most people think of when they think of unhealthy fast food, but McDonald's has been working hard to improve their image.

They offer an ever-increasing variety of healthier options like salads, fruit, and grilled chicken options.

Their portions are highly standardized for accurate calorie and macro information.

They received a C grade from Friends of Earth for their policy against the use of factory farmed animals and antibiotic/hormone tainted meats.

Subway

Subway has established themselves as the go-to place for healthier fast food options.

They have many lower calorie sub options available and their nutritional information is readily available.

Customers can pile on as many veggies on their subs as they want.

They received an F grade from Friends of Earth for their policy against the use of factory farmed animals and antibiotic/hormone tainted meats but seem to be making steps to improve this.

Starbucks

Starbucks offers many healthier options for all of their beverages like low-fat, non-dairy, and sugar-free syrups.

They have a fair variety of healthy food options for both breakfast and lunch.

Calorie and macro information are easily accessible as well as caffeine content information.

They received an F grade from Friends of Earth for their policy against the use of factory farmed animals and antibiotic/hormone tainted animal products.

Wendy's

Wendy's offers a nice selection of salads and grilled chicken options.

Consumers can swap the fries for healthier sides like a side salad for no additional cost.

Wendy's nutritional information is easy to find and utilize.

They received an F grade from Friends of Earth for their policy against the use of factory farmed animals and antibiotic/hormone tainted meats but do publish their policy online.

Dunkin Donuts

Burger King

BK offers some healthier options like salads, grilled chicken, and even a veggie burger option.

Nutritional information is easily accessible.

They received an F grade from Friends of Earth for their policy against the use of factory farmed animals and antibiotic/hormone tainted meats but do post their policy online.

Not So Healthy Fast Food Restaurants

If it fits your macros, feel free to eat at the following nine, but, they just don't seem to focus too much on those that want to eat healthier or seem very concerned about the quality of meats that they serve to their customers.

Arby's

Taco Bell

Not many healthy options at all and their salads are some of their highest calorie options.

Their nutritional information is available.

Many of their items have 1000+ mg of sodium per serving.

They received an F grade from Friends of Earth for their policy against the use of factory farmed animals and antibiotic/hormone tainted meats but do post their policy online.

KFC

Dairy Queen

Papa John's Pizza

Domino's Pizza

Sonic

Little Caesar's Pizza

There you have it, and, of course, there are many other restaurants that could be included on this list, but this gives you some good places to start when you're searching for fast food, but healthier options align better with your macros and health goals.
Friends of Earth put their list together based on surveys sent to the various fast food companies as well as by looking at each restaurant's website. You can download their complete report here.

Scientific References
Donovan, C. (2015). If FDA Does Not Regulate Food, Who Will? A Study of Hormones and Antibiotics in Meat Production. American Journal of Law and Medicine, 41(2/3), 459. Study link

Lerma, L. L., Benomar, N., Gálvez, A., & Abriouel, H. (2013). Prevalence of bacteria resistant to antibiotics and/or biocides on meat processing plant surfaces throughout meat chain production. International journal of food microbiology, 161(2), 97-106. Study link

Block, J. P., Condon, S. K., Kleinman, K., Mullen, J., Linakis, S., Rifas-Shiman, S., & Gillman, M. W. (2013). Consumers' estimation of calorie content at fast food restaurants: cross sectional observational study. BMJ, 346. Study link.

Last Updated: August 15, 2017

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The Healthiest Fast Food Restaurants AND The Not So Healthy

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I know some people cringe at the thought of eating at a fast food restaurant, but for the majority of us, it's simply a way of life. While fast food tends to get a bad rap, I think the occasional fast food is fine as long as it fits your macros (Flexible Dieting).

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Consider the soft serve cone at McDonald's: Its alabaster swirls evoke the pale walls of a vacant rental apartment. The soft serve does not melt, at least not for the first five minutes or so. This is by design. One can purchase the Vanilla Cone alongside a Quarter Pounder, consume the entire burger, and still be able to enjoy the frozen dairy product afterward without having to reckon with a three-napkin puddle dripping over the edge of a table.

But everything that provides the swirl's remarkable structural integrity is also what makes it coat your tongue like a pat of caulk. It's an overdose of cellulose gum, guar gum, and carrageenan.

America's fast-food desserts straddle two very different categories: our country's most horrific edible disasters and our most cherished culinary treasures. For every gem like the Orange Julius, a pulse-quickening emulsion of citrus and dairy, there is the Burger King Lucky Charms Shake (RIP), a Breaking Bad-like chemistry experiment gone wrong. There are the old nostalgic treats, like that McDonald's soft serve, that don't stand the test of time - and others, like the Taco Bell cinnamon twists, that do.

This is a ranking of those treats.

It's not uncommon to drop by Dairy Queen for nothing but a Blizzard. But one of our goals in this inquiry - a thoughtful critique of the most ubiquitous quick-service desserts in the U.S. - is to determine the role desserts play within the larger meal. One of the most brilliant and insidious facets of fast food is how it integrates sweets into the "main course": You don't order your dessert in a separate transaction after dinner (no one wants to wait in line again). You order a Frosty or an Oreo Blast simultaneously with your chicken nuggets or fries, and you might even consume them together. One serves as the palate cleanser for the other.

To cut down the scope of this project, our to-do list did not include sweets that serve as "meal replacements," like the treats found at Dunkin' Donuts, Cinnabon, or Krispy Kreme. And after sampling more than 50 fast-food dessert items - many of them more than once - some overarching themes emerged:

Almost all fast-food desserts contain quite a bit of salt in addition to the sugar: Salt tricks the brain into ignoring warnings against overeating fat, an interplay that's part of what makes fast food so nefarious and so compelling.

Overall, a cup or cone of soft serve is rarely bad in the way that pizza is rarely bad - at the very least, it satisfies a specific need.

For a snack, a novel experience, or if dairy is simply off limits, consider a piece of fried dough, filled or not.

Fast-food places don't do cookies, cakes, cheesecakes, or traditional pies well, so steer clear.

Here's our list of the best (and worst) fast-food desserts.

The best:

1. Wendy's Vanilla AND Chocolate (aka "Black and White") Frosty

First, there's the practical aspect that makes the Frosty truly great: It's a multi-use dessert. Regardless of the flavor, either the iconic chocolate or the stealthily excellent vanilla, the Frosty starts out as a conduit for fry or nugget dunking as the soft serve nearly spills over, then changes into a spoonable treat as it warms, and finally transforms into cool, drinkable dairy as one's road trip enters its second hour.

But the Frosty proves its versatility in more ways than one. Either flavor would place it in contention for the country's best quick-serve dessert. Put them together - by asking for a "black and white" version, it won't be listed on the menu proper - and it's no contest.

Wendy's vanilla Frosty, devoid of any actual vanilla or vanilla flavoring, is a silky-smooth soft serve version of fior di latte, a milky, mozzarella-like cheese and a common gelato flavor. It's a simple, sweet dairy that mimics the taste of fresh, chilled cream. The vanilla Frosty has no need for the illusory flavor of vanilla (or vanillin, its terrible facsimile), because it contains both non-fat milk (in dried form) and whey, a byproduct from cheesemaking that, on the tongue and in conjunction with sugar, heightens the perception of dairy flavor. It's a trick so effective that pastry chef Christina Tosi regularly uses it in her confections at Milk Bar.

The addition of the chocolate Frosty, then, acts as a yin to the vanilla's yang. This isn't new-wave chocolate; it's far from a study in single-origin beans or intoxicating fruitiness. But the cocoa rather acts as a foil, using its astringent tannins to reign in the sweet dairy. That marbled, white and tan cold cream is better than either flavor on its own. It's truly the quintessential American fast-food dessert.

2. Taco Bell Cinnamon Twists

Taco Bell's twists are one of America's finest and most iconic fast-food desserts. Not so much a churro as they are a hot, deep-fried take on cheap breakfast cereal (they offer the same satisfying crunch), Taco Bell's twists are rotini-shaped puffs of rice, corn, and flour dusted with cinnamon and sugar. There's no melting or oozing or drippage, and though a far cry from the spice of real cinnamon, there's just enough cinnamon flavor to give eaters a sense of spice.

As a bonus, they're not too sweet and would be nice with a milky cup of coffee: They're the fast-food equivalent of movie theater popcorn or ballpark peanuts, which is to say they can be consumed ad infinitum, with one hand, without thinking too much about them, and without overburdening your system.

3. Sonic Green Apple Ice Cream Slush | Sonic Fresh Banana Shake

Ryan Sutton: These desserts represent the two-sided nature of Sonic Drive-In, a purveyor of food so earnest one wouldn't be surprised to find it at a sit-down diner, as well as a hawker of garbage that makes you wonder if the sugar lobby doesn't fund this chain. And yet both sides are undeniably excellent.

The banana shake, for example, is one of the cleanest expressions of any fruit in a non-restaurant setting, a seamless blend of cool ice cream and tropical perfume. Serve this in a health-food store and it would outsell a smoothie. The green apple ice cream slush, in turn, conveys a quick hit of liquefied, verdant Jolly Rancher packed full of citric acid balance, followed by the mellowing calm of natural-ish soft serve. Serve this at a bar with vodka and it would be hailed as an improved appletini. They are both spectacular.

Daniela Galarza: Cosign the fervor for the banana shake: It tastes like the chain throws a whole fresh banana in a blender with a couple scoops of ice cream. (A staffer at the North Bergen, New Jersey, location confirms that each shake contains those two ingredients plus a splash of two-percent milk.) That - and the fact that the banana wasn't overpowering and the shake tasted like it was sweetened with actual sugar instead of corn syrup - was a pleasant surprise. I don't even really like banana, but would order this again. I don't share Sutton's nostalgia for artificial green apple, but I enjoyed the reminder of trading Jolly Ranchers in junior high.

4. Popeyes Hand Pies

These are what you wished a McDonald's hand pie tasted like: crackly, with the burnished golden exterior of a gentle fry (and no freezer burn). Served warm, Popeyes's pies taste like fried danishes and are, when cooked in fresh oil, fairly addictive; the fats and sugar help quell the palate after a battering of Popeyes's distinctively salty-spicy chicken seasoning. Best of all was the limited-offering Raspberry N'Cream Cheese Pie, which smelled markedly of the fragrantly sour fruit. The Cinnamon Apple Pie - warm, and filled with coin-sized tart apple pieces - is not just an excellent dessert, it doubles as a near-perfect fast-food breakfast.

5. Dairy Queen Orange Julius Original

One of the country's original smoothies, supposedly first served in 1926, the Julius is a frothy blend of orange juice concentrate, egg white powder, whey, sugar, vanilla, and ice: It's a pioneering feat of beverage engineering: One has to respect the skill that went into developing a flavor that tastes like crushed-up whole oranges, unlike the facsimile of orange one gets in a Creamsicle. If a Creamsicle shake uses just a whiff of orange to add fragrance and tartness to ice cream, the Julius uses just a touch of dairy to tone down the acidity of orange juice. The beverage packs an intense aromatic tang and a fluid drinkability that makes it infinitely more food-friendly than a heavy shake.

6. Sonic Oreo Blast

The king of the fast-food Oreo concretes, this blend feels less dense and more natural than the factory-like McDonald's version, with a flavor that more closely recalls Breyers' cookies and cream. Sonic's ice cream base looks almost exactly like the texture and color of Oreo's creme filling, tricking the brain into believing you were eating frozen blended Oreo cream with bits of chocolate wafer. The cool cream is soft - it actually melts naturally-ish - and doesn't leave a coating on the tongue. Speckles of cookie particulate are balanced with larger, more toothsome chunks. We finished the whole thing.

7. Shake Shack Malted Shake

DG: In general, I assumed Shake Shack's sweet offerings would blow the competition out of the water. Unfortunately, after eating a spicy fried chicken sandwich (two thumbs up) and fries ( RIP hand-cut fries) I couldn't stomach a concrete or classic shake. There's something about the malted, though, that eases the weight of the beast's dairy fat. Maybe I'm just a sucker for that flavor after growing up with Malta, one of Latin America's favorite drinks.

RS: Agree, the true star of Shake Shack's ample dessert collection is the malted shake, which involves diluting down the frozen custard with milk, and adding a touch of malt, that gently pungent ingredient that recalls a Whopper. It drinks more quickly and easily than most fast-food shakes, which are essentially ice cream in a cup; this softer and looser mouthfeel is closer to a diner variety.

8. Chick-fil-A Icedream Cone

Without a doubt, Chick-fil-A's "Icedream" is the best fast-food soft serve, a gently icy and exceedingly light product that's the epitome of frozen dairy: clean, cooling, and milky, with an ethereal texture. To be fair, Chick-fil-A's product, which never actually uses the words "soft serve" or "ice cream" in its description, is as packed with as many polysyllabic stabilizers and emulsifiers as at McDonald's - it lasted more than 10 minutes in direct sun. Thing is, Chick-fil-A's cone is simply better than McD's.

And it's the best fast-food soft serve not just because of its intrinsic deliciousness, but rather because it's a perfect pairing with lunch: Since the dairy seems to have been cut with water, this is a cone that can easily be consumed after a fried chicken sandwich.

9. Domino's Cinnamon Bread Twists

Not unlike a Cinnabon without the excess sugar glaze, these nuggets of fried dough were unevenly dipped in butter and cinnamon sugar - and when is that bad?

10. Domino's Marbled Blondie Cookie and Brownie

Most of the desserts at pizza delivery spots are such afterthoughts that we almost didn't even go there. But this brownie and blondie combination recalled Ghirardelli's boxed brownie mix - which is pretty good! It's chewy and chocolatey, and the blondie bits added some salty, butter-like flavor, for added interest.

11. Dairy Queen Funnel Cake

Not as soft or fluffy as a state fair cake - yet with sufficient powdery sugar to render useless whatever dark-colored garment you're wearing - if this had been served hot and crisp, it would have made it into our top 10. Instead, it was served lukewarm, as though it had been sitting under a heat lamp for a few hours. But the best and biggest surprise was that though the cake had clearly been deep-fried, the pastry didn't taste of rancid oil: Thanks for regularly changing your fryer oil, DQ. Overall, not bad.

12. Sonic Cinnabon Bites

RS: These are essentially Totino's Pizza Rolls, but instead of being stuffed with pepperoni and mozz, the Cinnabon bites are filled with a gooey cinnamon paste. Pro tip: Squeeze out half of the paste, which packs a gently tannic sting, and use it for cinnamon toast the next morning. Eat the remainder, and discard the chalky tin of iced frosting.

DG: This was an extremely intense experience, but offered the best parts of a Cinnabon - the gooey interior - without all of the commitment. The temperature was perfect (hot), making these especially enjoyable on a cold day. On the other hand, just like a Cinnabon, they tasted a bit like a pile of hydrogenated fat.

The worst:

1. The poorly branded desserts at Burger King

DG: Burger King's desserts are all over the place. There are a half-dozen types of pie (one on rotation), each in its own triangular box; thick shakes that stand in for McFlurries; and sundaes. For the past few decades, the chain has relied on brand partnerships - with the likes of Lucky Charms, Twix, and Snickers - to boost the appeal of its otherwise forgettable dessert offerings.

If only Burger King leaned into those partnerships more, it might produce something that tastes less like stale candy. The Twix Pie is especially egregious in that there is no discernible difference in texture between the cookie crust, caramel filling, or cream topping. The Hershey's Chocolate Pie reminded me of when, as a kid, I accidentally poured old chocolate syrup into milk that was past its prime.

RS: And it gets worse. A Snickers bar has long been used as the basis for pie, but Burger King might be the first societal institution to make the central ingredient unrecognizable as an indistinct mash of sugar over wet graham crackers. Lucky Charms, in its virgin state, is a perfect breakfast, a sublime mix of salty oat puffs and sweet marshmallows. Here, it's transformed into an undrinkable cereal refuse that has none of the signature product's delicate savoriness and gentle sweetness.

There are more desserts, all of them awful - including a vanilla shake with all the natural flavor of air freshener - but Burger King's desecration of two of the world's great brands is what makes its pastry program truly awful.

2. McDonald's Vanilla Cone, Oreo McFlurry, Caramel Sundae

DG: There's a bizarre waxiness to McDonald's frozen desserts; the urge to brush my teeth and scrape off my tongue followed each taste of a sundae and soft serve. Is this a result of a broken soft serve machine?

RS: I'll admit to having ( publicly) enjoyed McDonald's soft serve in years past, but a repeated sampling of the treat for this column made me reconsider things a bit. The soft serve suffers from an industrial sealant-texture that becomes even more pronounced when it starts to liquefy amid the heat of caramel, as in the Caramel Sundae. It's akin to consuming a pool of glucose-laced margarine: Under no circumstances should anyone order one unless they want a toothache on the spot.

3. Popeyes Mardi Gras Cheesecake

This would tolerable enough if it were a plain fast-food cheesecake, a blend of cream cheese and sugar over a graham cracker crust. But Popeyes finds a way to abominate the classic by turning it into a rainbow food of sorts; the addition of red, green, and orange candy confetti ruins the cake with a ringing chemical tang (almost like grape Nerds, but worse). The cream cheese flavor itself isn't bad, but the whole thing is the same, pasty texture. This tastes like Mardi Gras threw up on an average slice of cheesecake.

4. Sonic Ocean Water

RS: "Despite its name, it tastes nothing like the ocean. Which is probably a good thing," says the Sonic website. This is not a good thing. The true ocean tastes of brine and life. Sonic's Ocean Water tastes of chemical asphyxiation and saccharine death. It is mainlining a coconut-scented lava lamp.

DG: I refused to taste this.

5. Taco Bell Caramel Apple Empanada

It's as if the corporate test kitchen at Taco Bell melted down a crate of artificial vanilla apple candles from a going-out-of-business children's birthday party supplier and used the resulting liquid to fill the inside of corporate Tex-Mex pastries. It is nearly impossible to detect even the texture of apples, never mind their true taste. Thank you for trying to replicate McDonald's fried apple pie, Taco Bell, but where are the apples and what is this goo?

Okay, and what about the two most iconic items at McDonald's?

Despite its status as America's most emblematic fast-food chain, two of McDonald's most familiar desserts ranked toward the middle of the pack. But since we know you're curious:

McDonald's McFlurry: The color is speckled. The texture is pasty, cool, yet not too sweet. It is the frozen dairy approximation of an Oreo filling, which is to say a bit sugary, and without necessarily tasting like actual dairy. It remains one of the least worst things anyone can order at McDonald's, which is an accomplishment worthy of some recognition.

McDonald's Apple Pie: Baked, not fried, which means by nature it is inferior to the Popeyes hand pies. Nonetheless it's almost guaranteed to bring up nostalgic memories, and really, it's fine. The apple flavor is distinct, thanks to non-nuclear cooking that doesn't pummel the apples, and thanks to a hint of dehydrated apples for extra oomph. A gentle cinnamon flavor lingers on the palate, and the crust doesn't so much flake as it simply exists as a bready, fruit-y product. Go forth and have an average day.

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The 12 Best Fast-Food Desserts in America, Ranked

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Consider the soft serve cone at McDonald's: Its alabaster swirls evoke the pale walls of a vacant rental apartment. The soft serve does not melt, at least not for the first five minutes or so. This is by design.

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Wendy's has a very real reason for keeping its burgers square - but not as square as they used to be.

The square burger, with the corners sticking out of the bun, allows customers to see the quality of Wendy's meat, Thrillist reports.

Wendy's founder Dave Thomas "wanted to make sure that the patty sticks out of the bun so that everyone can see it, see the juiciness," Frank Vamos, director of brand communications for the company, told Thrillist.

There's also a more symbolic reason: The square burger represents a fast-food chain that refuses to cut corners, according to Vamos.

Wendy's square burgers have become an iconic part of its brand. However, they aren't quite as square today as they were five years ago.

Thomas intended the square burgers to highlight the quality of Wendy's meat, but for a while the square shape was having the opposite effect.

When Wendy's merged with Arby's parent company Triarc in 2008, Wendy's conducted extensive taste tests and reexamined the entire menu. The company found that customers saw the burgers as overly processed because of their shape, Time reports.

So in 2011, the company released a revamped burger with a buttered bun, thicker patty, and a rounder, "natural square" shape.

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Wendy's has a very real reason for keeping its burgers square - but not as square as they used to be. The square burger, with the corners sticking out of the bun, allows customers to see the quality of Wendy's meat, Thrillist reports.

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In case you were wondering, there is a political action committee (PAC) for every interest group. Even those that aren't that special. Case in point: TACO PAC is an organization which, according to a statement that greets you at taco-pac.com, "provides a way for individuals to join their contribution and voice with those of other Taco Bell Franchisees and supporters. Contributions are made to candidates who advocate and pursue governmental policies that promote a favorable business environment for the QSR industry in general and Taco Bell franchisees in particular." And, apparently, Taco Bell Franchisees and supporters are super-into Republicans.

According to Open Secrets, the defenders of Fourth Meal have donated to campaigns as far back as 1998. And while they have always given more to Republicans than to Democrats, things became quite lopsided starting in 2010. That year coincided with both the Citizens United decision, which decimated campaign contribution limits, and the rise of the tea party. While one could argue this was a coincidence, that argument seems like it's based on logic as authentic as the meat in a Crunch Wrap Supreme. In 2008 TACO PAC donated a total of $24,500 to political candidates-$20,000 to Republicans, $4,500 to Democrats. In 2010, in an off-year election no less, it donated a total of $299,250 to candidates-$293,250 to Republicans, $6,000 to Democrats. That's a lot of money to protect America's fast food tacos.

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So far this year, TACO PAC has donated $53,625 to Republicans and $3,500 to Democrats. And while in absolute dollars it has only given the relatively small sum of $5,000 to Donald Trump's campaign, that does place it in elite company: Only four other committees have donated that much to the campaign according Insidegov. That's nice for Trump, especially considering he has shown clear preference for other fast food franchises.
Related: WHAT DOES IT MEAN THAT DONALD TRUMP LIKES HIS STEAK WELL DONE?
The vast majority of PAC contributions to both the Trump and Clinton campaigns come from their respective victory funds, but it's still interesting to see who else is standing behind each candidate. One of the other $5,000 donors to the Trump campaign is the also-edibly-named PANCAKE PAC-a catchall organization that claims to represent restaurant owners. In this political age when moneyed interests often give to both political parties, it's also worth noting that neither TACO PAC nor PANCAKE PAC has given any money to the Clinton campaign.

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A Taco Bell PAC Maxed Out Its Giving to the Trump Campaign

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In case you were wondering, there is a political action committee (PAC) for every interest group. Even those that aren't that special. Case in point: TACO PAC is an organization which, according to a statement that greets you at taco-pac.com, "provides a way for individuals to join their contribution and voice with those of other Taco Bell Franchisees and supporters.

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Taco Bells ice cream machine are always broken 

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Taco Bells ice cream machine are always broken 

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Does Taco Bell Use Real Beef?

In other words, Taco Bell's beef is real beef, which when added to their taco sauce forms the mixture which is placed into your taco.

TIP: The following video is Taco Bell's own PR video, we fact-check their claims regarding their seasoned beef below and explain some of the ingredients.

Taco Bell PR video - Of Course We Use Real Beef! We did some fact-checking and what Taco Bell claims checks out. See below for details.

FACT: Taco Bell uses real beef in a "seasoned beef" sauce, which is composed of water and spices, similar to the way you would make taco filling at home.

What Does Taco Bell Have to Say?

According to Taco Bell's FAQ:

"The beef we buy is 100 percent USDA premium beef. Before coming to our restaurants, it is drained of excess fat and pre-seasoned with our signature blend of 12 authentic seasonings and spices - much the same way you prepare taco meat at home. It is then packaged with added water for moisture and shipped to our restaurants, where it's prepared just for you ensuring you're getting the same great tasting seasoned beef no matter which of our restaurants you are eating at."[1]

What's in Taco Bell Beef?

Here are all Taco Bell Seasoned Beef Ingredients as of January 1st, 2016:[3]

"Beef, water, seasoning [cellulose, chili pepper, onion powder, salt, oats (contains wheat), maltodextrin, soy lecithin, tomato powder, sugar, soybean oil, spices, garlic powder, citric acid, caramel color (C), disodium inosinate & guanylate, cocoa powder, natural and artificial flavors (contains gluten), trehalose, modified corn starch, lactic acid, torula yeast], salt, phosphates. Contains: Soy, Wheat"

Explainers of Certain Taco Bell Ingredients

Here are some of the ingredients in Taco Bell's taco meat, what Taco Bell has to say about them according to an interview done with ABC News, and then what we have to say about all that:[2]

"It sounds weird, but it's actually a form of mildly sweet sugar we use to balance the flavor. You may have had it the last time you had a natural soda," Taco Bell says.

We say: What Taco bell says checks out. Maltodextrin is an artificial sugar that when eaten on its own it has no nutritional value and can spike blood sugar, but it's a common additive in food and only really unhealthy in large amounts.

"This is a form of yeast that gives our seasoned beef a more savory taste," the company says.

We say: What Taco bell says checks out. Torula yeast is a replacement for MSG, some people still have an allergic reaction, but it really is just a common form of yeast used in lots of the food you eat.

"Actually, it's derived from corn, which is a food staple in Mexican culture as well as many others. We use a small amount as a thickener and to maintain moisture in our seasoned beef. It's common in many foods like yogurt," Taco Bell states.

We say: Cornstarch, like the stuff in your cupboard you use to thicken sauces. It's about as healthy as maltodextrin, which is to say it has no nutritional value but is a common food additive.

"When you prepare as much seasoned beef as we do, you don't want it to separate. That's what soy lecithin does. It helps (with moisture) to bind substances that would otherwise separate - like oil and water. It's a common ingredient in many grocery staples, like chocolate bars and salad dressings," says Taco Bell.

We say: Yes. It's just an emulsifier. Again, it's used everywhere and shouldn't be eaten in large amounts.

Taco Bell says it uses this "to help make sure our seasoned beef is the right texture."

"They're also commonly found in deli items, cheeses, coffee drinks and desserts," the company says.

Taco Bell says, "This safe acid occurs in almost all living things, and we use a very small amount to manage the acidity to get the right flavor."

7. CARAMEL COLOR AND COCOA POWDER

Taco Bell says the caramel color "is caramelized sugar, which is a commonly used food coloring (also found in cereals and pancake syrup). Cocoa Powder doesn't add any flavor to our recipe, but it helps our seasoned beef maintain a rich color."

Taco Bell: "It's a naturally occurring sugar that we use to improve the taste of our seasoned beef."

So What Does This All Mean?

Taco Bell isn't any different from anything else you eat. Almost everything we eat out or buy is chock full of sugar, soy, and corn derivatives. Generally, none has nutritional value on their own and shouldn't be consumed in large amounts. Considering the amount in a given taco, you are just fine. That said if we continuously eat all these things in all our foods all the time the results are theoretically troublesome.

Good on Taco Bell for their honesty and the fact that they have continued to improve ingredients and be transparent. Still, the overarching idea that so many preservatives are used in our foods has their own pros and cons.

Where's the beef? It's in your taco, encased in the seasoned beef sauce.

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Taco Bell's Beef Isn't Real Beef - Fact or Myth?

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In other words, Taco Bell's beef is real beef, which when added to their taco sauce forms the mixture which is placed into your taco. TIP: The following video is Taco Bell's own PR video, we fact-check their claims regarding their seasoned beef below and explain some of the ingredients.

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Unlike all the other guys out there giving you frozen beef, we always take the extra steps to provide you with premium pure beef that is always fresh, never frozen.

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Every time I eat at Taco Bell my stomach gets upset and I have to run to the bathroom at home with diarrhea

Are you sure you want to delete this answer? Yes No

Best Answer: Taco bell doesn't use real meat. Several people told me this and since it's a fast food chain I didn't have a hard time believeing it (mcdonalds doesnt use real meat either) but I looked it up anyway just for curiosity. And yup, it's true. There was even a lawsuit filed against them. I've stopped eating fast food altogether. It's gross.

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RE:
Why does Taco Bell give me diarrhea?
Every time I eat at Taco Bell my stomach gets upset and I have to run to the bathroom at home with diarrhea

Source(s): taco bell give diarrhea: https://biturl.im/147uv

For the best answers, search on this site https://shorturl.im/ylRlm

No diarrhea here. I do get gas and a bloated stomach after eating The Bell. But it all depends on what I ordered. 2-3 tacos has not effect on my but when I put away a Mexican Pizza and Grande Nachos, I'll have gas for the remainder of the day.

A better question would be " why doesn't it give me diarrhea?"

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Every time I eat at Taco Bell my stomach gets upset and I have to run to the bathroom at home with diarrhea Are you sure you want to delete this answer? Yes No Best Answer: Taco bell doesn't use real meat.