Did you know that all Burger King employees are required to make small talk with customers?
Curious to know what else you should know before ordering a
Whopper? Keep watching for the inside scoop. It's no secret that fast-food restaurants,
particularly chains, aren't always serving customers the freshest of food.
Fast-food joints aim for consistency across their locations. In fact, nearly a decade ago Burger
King hired consultants to ensure customers always get the same experience no matter which location
they visit. Well, sometimes the end result is that customers receive items that aren't exactly fresh.
Typically, the problem isn't with the food's shelf life but with the procedure that employees are
required to follow. According to a former Burger King staff member who made a TikTok video to share
his inside tips, after grilling, patties are moved to a warming drawer. If you're eating a burger,
it's likely been sitting in that drawer for a while. Sure, it'll be warm, but this will
likely affect the texture. Luckily, there's a way around this quality shortcut. In the video,
the ex-employee provides a secret phrase to use to ensure you're getting the freshest meat possible.
"I would like my patty fresh off the broiler, please. Oh, so you know the secret phrase."
So there you have it. By simply asking for your patty "fresh off the broiler," you'll get a piece
of meat you can guarantee was just grilled. Fast-food restaurants, particularly those in
the United States, seem to be competing to offer the craziest, largest, and unhealthiest menu
items. These convenient eateries are constantly pushing the limit of what's possible to have in
a single item — and what customers can fit into their mouths. Burger King took this
unspoken competition to a new level with its Big King. This burger comes with two patties,
two slices of cheese, and loads of toppings. It's a fan favorite, but according to an ex-employee,
it's one of their least favorites to make. The former staff member lamented to BuzzFeed:
"They're an absolute pain to make because there are so many layers that can go wrong."
It's easy to see how this is a difficult menu item to assemble. There are loads of components,
and we can imagine the stacking only gets trickier when customers order the Big King XL, which has
even more toppings, thanks to its bigger size. Everyone loves to read confessions from former and
current fast-food employees. These people are the heroes of the internet, always looking out for the
customer and sharing the menu items we should probably steer clear of. One brave, anonymous
soul confessed a secret about Burger King's Tendergrill on Whisper. The staff member revealed:
"Do not get the grilled chicken. Sometimes it sits in the drawers for hours."
Meanwhile, another employee warned customers about the grilled chicken,
but for a much different reason. In a Reddit response to an unhappy
patron whose chicken "wasn't fully cooked," the staff member wrote,
"We microwave it, I wouldn't suggest it."
Fast-food restaurants, although wildly popular, do not have the best reputation for being
positive work environments. Unfortunately, many joints are more known for being toxic rather
than exciting and wonderful places of employment. Granted, this can vary from location to location,
as much of it depends on management, but according to a Quora thread, Burger King
may have a restaurant-wide culture issue. Employees opened up about their experiences,
one calling it "an absolute nightmare" and another saying it's "a living hell." A third noted,
"Working at my Burger King is horrible."
The restaurant has had some legal trouble involving staff, too.
A former employee at an Orlando, Florida location was let go due to a disability,
the Orlando Sentinel reported. Apparently, after a car accident,
the employee was fired for having to wear a trachea tube to breathe.
The employee sued the company, and the court sided with her, awarding her over $2 million in damages.
Seemingly every fast-food restaurant today has some sort of secret menu. We see these purported
items floating around social media, and it's easy to wonder whether there's actual legitimacy to
the claims. For Burger King though, it's real. If you're dining at the establishment, you just might
be able to customize your meal. A Burger King employee noted some secret ways to make your order
truly suit your preferences on Spoon University. For example, instead of having a meaty Whopper,
you can order a vegetarian alternative, if that's what you're in the mood for.
#HackTheMenu has also revealed some of these menu items. According to the site,
Burger King has BLTs, club sandwiches, and a ham and cheese available to hungry customers.
If you're going to order one of these items, though, make sure you know exactly
what goes on it because not all employees are familiar with every secret menu item.
Lastly, if for some reason you're in need of ice in bulk while you're at Burger King, there's
no need to make another stop — you can order 10-pound bags of it there. The more you know.
Ever annoyed with a fast-food employee for making small talk?
We get it. We also want to eat our Whoppers in peace.
But be patient with Burger King staff — they're required to converse with you. We're not talking
about niceties common to all places or the extreme friendliness we expect from a select
few — we're talking about actual small talk. A former Burger King employee wrote on Reddit,
"If a Burger King employee is cleaning the dining room and is trying to make small talk with you,
please be nice. We're required by our job to do this."
The user went on to note:
"The rule is if they come within ~10 feet or so, we're required to smile and make small talk."
The employee added that a coworker was reprimanded for their failure to do so. So, the next time a
Burger King employee initiates a conversation, just be nice and maybe comment on the weather.
Check out one of our newest videos right here! Plus,
even more Mashed videos about your favorite fast food chains are coming soon.
Subscribe to our YouTube channel and hit the bell so you don't miss a single one.