I’m sitting in a movie–Into the Wild—this weekend trying to relax and take my mind off food waste. Since the movie was about a guy who ultimately starves in the Alaskan wilderness, I wasn’t expecting to see any squandering of food (except the debacle where he fails to cure the meat of the moose he kills, which I remembered from the great book
Then the topic reared its ugly head. As the main character is working at a Burger King to fund his Alaska expedition, the camera pans to a sign by the fry hopper that reads: “It’s okay to waste fries.” What’s that all about? Anyone have any idea? Any former BK workers know if it’s legit or not?
Comments
9 responses to “Tossin’ Fries”
I thought it was the director sneaking his politics into the film.
Sean Penn? Why, he’s not the least bit political…
On an unrelated note, what did you think of that movie?
I thought Into the Wild was pretty good. It can be cheesy at times and I’m not sure why they made characters in the early 90s dress like it was the early 80s, but I’d say it’s worth seeing.
Jonathan – when I worked at McD’s (ca. 1993), the standing rule was that fries in the warming bin should be tossed after about 10 minutes. At the 7-minute mark, the fries started to lose the “fresh” taste that customers love. Also, if a customer complained that the fries they received were old, we had to toss them and give them a fresh container – no questions asked.
Whether that sign is real or not, it’s a real expression of a common practice in the fast food industry.
Thanks, Kensho. That’s just the kind of in-the-know confirmation I was looking for. So how much of the batch did you usually end up tossing?
Yes, the BK “OK To Waste Fries” sign is legit, I have seen them in my local BK. Sad, huh?
2011, same movie, same reaction.
People from America, what’s wrong with you?
Feb 11, 2012, same movie, same reaction.