Wendy's says bye to Biggie

Yahoo News ^ | June 9, 2006 | Jessica Wohl

[billorites]

Wendy's International Inc. (NYSE:WEN - news), the No. 3 U.S. hamburger chain, on Friday said it would remove the term "Biggie" from its french fries and drinks, switching to the well known terms small, medium and large.

However, the new designations may confuse some diners who are used to such sizing at other restaurants.

At rival McDonald's Corp. (NYSE:MCD - news), the largest burger chain, a 32 ounce soft drink is designated a large. At Wendy's, a 32 ounce drink will now be called medium, instead of Biggie.

Wendy's is also adding a 42-ounce soft drink -- the equivalent of 3-1/2 cans of soda -- as its large. The large drink will come in a more durable, portable plastic cup that fits in a car cup holder for diners on-the-go.

"We felt like the Biggie designation is not what most customers were used to. Most people were used to small, medium and large," a spokesman said.

Wendy's had used the term Biggie since the early 1990s.

Previously, Wendy's sold a 16 ounce soft drink as a small, a 20 ounce soft drink as medium and a 32 ounce soft drink as Biggie. Now, a 20 ounce drink is a small, a 32 ounce drink is a medium and the new 42 ounce drink is a large. The company will still sell a 16 ounce drink on its 99 cent value menu.

At McDonald's, a 16 ounce drink is called a small, a 21 ounce drink is a medium and a 32 ounce drink is a large.

McDonald's famously removed the "Super Size" option from its combo meals after the 2004 release of the film "Super Size Me" -- a documentary in which filmmaker Morgan Spurlock ate nothing but McDonald's fare for a month and tracked his increasingly poor health.

Kids' sized drinks at both chains are 12 ounces.

Under Wendy's new program, the sizes of its combo meals will be small, medium and large. A medium combo will cost 49 cents more than a small, and a large combo will cost 89 cents more than a small.

Customers can still substitute a bottle of Dasani water for a soft drink, and items such as a side salad, chili or yogurt and granola for french fries, regardless of the combo size.

Wendy's has four different sizes of french fries, ranging from the 3.2 ounce kids' size to a 6.7 ounce large size. At McDonald's, a small fries is 2.6 ounces, medium is 4 ounces and large is 6 ounces.

The new sizing terminology, which Wendy's is promoting in stores, comes just a day after the chain said it would virtually eliminate artery-clogging trans fats in its fries and breaded chicken items.

Wendy's restaurants in the United States and Canada will switch to a new blend of corn and soy oil for french fries and breaded chicken items starting in August. The move will reduce trans fats in fries to just zero to 0.5 grams, depending on serving sizes, while all of the breaded chicken will have zero grams of trans fats.

[razorback-bert]

Last time I saw someone forced to eat all these high-fat foods was

When some L/L (liberal/Lefist) made that movie about living on fast food.

Hmmm, I think, I will go get a couple of Wendy's Jr. baconcheeseburgers.

[Darkwolf377]

Ooooh I had a couple of those the other night when I was in a rush to get to work. Those babies really hit the spot. I rarely eat at fast food places but when I do, I gotta have it.

[CourtneyLeigh]

I walk at nite, on my breaks and lunches, during work. If I bring a yogurt, or fresh juice, fruit, or something like nuts. It's really hard for me to eat a meal while I'm at work, makes me very tired, sometimes even the smallest meal. Unless I snack light, like mentioned above.

But If I wait till after I do my walks, and eat, I am extremely refreshed!

My doctor wants me to eat small meals/snack through-out the day, but I have no desire to eat until I feel hunger pain. You ever get that way? I know it's not healthy, so I force myself to drink a glass of milk, or juice when I should have a meal. Or a bowl of grain cereal, low sugar, low in HFCS.

I know I'm under a 2000 cal diet daily, some weekends I go over. Getting all the right nutrients in a day has become a problem. Losing too much potassium and who knows what!

:)

[Doc Savage]

A goat, Cindy Sheehan, and Czechoslovakian acrobat walk into a Wendy's,.................wait, stop me if you've heard this one,......damn,I used to remember the punchline, but now I can't seem to put my finger on it.............

[A knight without armor]

Sometimes I wonder what if we all quit bad health habits and improved. Would the cost of doctor and dentist care go way down? Would insurance prices go way down? Would those who live right and say they are tired of paying for the smoker, fat people, etc., really get a break? I mean I don't know. I'm not being sarcastic.

[bandleader]

NO!This would require a plurality,and (therefor)would fail!Human nature(being what it is)would imagine that everyone else is being extra careful about what they eat,etc.,etc.,and that would free up everyone else to do as they please!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[bandleader]

RIGHT ON!And Ground Round(85%)is THE BEST!!!!!!!!!!

[A knight without armor]

Well that's basically how I live now. LOL!

[bandleader]

ENJOY!!!!

[ArrogantBustard]

I think stores should also ban 2 liter sodas. Because, you know, folks might drink the whole thing in one sitting.

Back in my college daze, I used to drink twice that much Mountain Dew in an evening's studying.

I wasn't fat.

I was wired, though ...

[Constitution1st]

You've got to be kidding, right?! What did freedom ever do to you to make you hold it in such disdain?

You must allow people to be responsible for themselves; you certainly want that for yourself, do you not? It is the heighth of arrogance to believe YOU have the right to ban food, and tell people how to eat!

Let us examine your life for perfections, all right? Expose it for all to see, and then see how many wish to ban you from certain freedoms. Very sobering indeed.

[Larry Lucido]

Constitution1st: Impervious to sarcasm since 7-31-1998.

[Constitution1st]

Well, that is good news. I admit that I did not read the entire thread, as they can be pretty boring when they go on and on. I am accustomed to seeing a post marked sarcasm, where I usually read on the internet. Something like this: /s at the end of the sarcastic section. I forgot that they do not tend to do that here. I only return here infrequently since it changed some years ago.

At any rate, liked your "About" page. You are a good looking guy, and I am relieved that I was wrong about you. Please forgive my not realizing it.