Editorial by George Anderson
Now that Anna Ayala's litigious history has been revealed, and she has been arrested and charged with attempted grand larceny, Wendy's may finally be able to put the finger found in the chili episode behind it.
When the news initially broke of a woman finding a finger in her chili at a Wendy's in San Jose, Cal., sales fell off as much as 50 percent in some locations. The company started its own internal investigation and offered $100,000 in reward money to anyone who could identify to whom the finger belonged.
It's clear the restaurant chain founded by Dave Thomas was the victim here, which is why we are declaring Wednesday, April 27, 2005 "Eat at Wendy's Day." We think we'll order the chili.
Moderator's Comment: What do you think of Wendy's reaction to the finger found in the chili case? What lessons are there here for other companies publicly dealing with crisis situations? - George Anderson - Moderator