Where’s Gidget, the Taco Bell Chihuahua, When You Need Her?
Okay, I’ll admit it. I love me some Taco Bell. It’s one of those things I crave from time to time and nothing else will satisfy me until I get a Baja Steak Gordita or a beef Meximelt if I’m feeling old school. Mmmm…..
However, recently the thought of Taco Bell is making this Ninja’s stomach a little queasy.
As many of you know, a lawsuit was filed this week by Alabama based law firm Beasley, Allen, Crow, Methvin, Portis & Miles alleging that the fast food chain’s seasoned beef mixture contains only 35 percent beef, with the remaining percent containing water, wheat oats, soy lecithin, maltodrextrin, anti-dusting agents and modified corn starch.
Yum? Um, I think not.
The suit was filed on behalf of Taco Bell customer and California resident Amanda Obney, who doesn’t even want money, only truth in advertising.
While Taco Bell spokesperson Rob Poetsch said the company vigorously denies that it is misleading their customers with false advertising, he really isn’t saying anything more…
In the meantime, the suit has unleashed a media firestorm against the corporation. EVERYONE is talking about Taco Bell and its “fillers.” Oh no, this is not good.
And yet…and yet the giant corporation – part of Yum! Brands, Inc. which is the world’s largest restaurant system with more than 33,000 Kentucky Fried Chickens, A&Ws, Taco Bells, Pizza Huts and Long John Silvers restaurants in more than 100 countries and territories – has basically stayed mum.
No word on their many Twitter accounts. No word on their Facebook pages. No word on their official website.
How is it that a brand this big – this GLOBAL – can think saying nothing is the best course of action?
Remember the whole Dominos fiasco early last year when videos surfaced of employees doing some not-so-nice things to customer’s pizzas? Um, yeah, that grossed me out too. However, Dominos stepped up to the plate, pulled up their boy-boy pants and addressed the situation swiftly. They took care of business and quickly. And guess what? Bet you forgot all about it until I mentioned it today, huh? Bet you ate Dominos pizza last Friday when you were too tired to make dinner for the kids after a long work week.
Uh huh – we know you did… (shhh, don’t worry, we won’t tell anyone!)
So, Taco Bell, if I were to offer you just one nugget of helpful meat-filler-advice I would say take a cue from Dominos. Yep, step up there and prove the naysayers wrong. Or, say you’ll make things better and step up quality control if they aren’t actually right. Just DO something.
Your public is sitting here with baited breath and making different dining choices because we choose to believe the negative reports that have surfaced this week. Prove to us you care, that we aren’t eating a 35% beef infused substance in our Meximelts and make this go away.
Too bad Gidget, the infamous Taco Bell chihuahua, is in doggie heaven…she could tell us everything was a-okay in Spanish.
Until then everyone will be left asking, “Where’s the beef?!”