5 Things You Never Knew About Wendy's, Straight From an Employee

If you've ever wondered what it's like behind the scenes of Wendy's as you pick up your chicken nuggets and Frosty from the drive-thru, you'll appreciate this employee's Reddit AMA ("Ask Me Anything"). An employee named Nick who has worked at the fast-food chain for two years answered anonymous questions online about where Wendy's food comes from, how clean the place is, and which menu items he does not recommend. Get the inside scoop on one of your favorite fast-food spots by discovering all of the employee's insider knowledge ahead.

When someone asked the employee which Wendy's item he does not recommend getting, Nick said he doesn't like the chili. "Personally, I do not prefer the chili because we make it with the leftover burgers that the cook burnt," he said. The commenter wondered if this is public knowledge (who knew?!), and the employee admitted, "I'm not quite sure."

If your love of Wendy's cheeseburgers and spicy chicken sandwich knows no bounds, this might be your ideal job. Nick disclosed the Wendy's employee discount, saying, "We get 50 percent off one meal while we are working, whether that be on our break, or if you want to work and eat it. (Meals are per shift, so if you are working a double you can eat two discounted). This includes ANYTHING off the menu, but the maximum you can get discounted is $6. Outside of work we have a thing called a 'VIP Card,' which are only given to crew with certain requirements (I believe if they have children or something, no idea), which can be used for 25 percent off your whole meal. We get any sized drink and can refill it at any time for free."

The employee was excited to reveal that Wendy's does in fact donate and give back to local communities. He said, "We benefit local communities! Our store is a franchise so we are a little looser. Every morning we grab food from the cooler to last the whole day. Any extra meat, fries, or chicken nuggets we have (that are still frozen and not open due to FDA regulations) we donate to our local soup kitchens!"

If you've ever wondered whether or not the cooking equipment is thoroughly cleaned every night, rest assured, it's a process that's taken seriously. The employee described the process at his location, saying, "We clean the fry and grill parts every night during closing, and to ensure they are extra clean they are washed by the opening shift also. We clean our floors with the same stuff, but we just mop instead of vacuuming it up, and then we clean the water."

A commenter wanted to know, "Is the food all supplied from Wendy's corporate? Can ingredients be sourced elsewhere?" And the Wendy's employee responded, "Actually, all food comes from a company called Sysco. They have Wendy's corporate deliver to Sysco. Then as you may tell, Sysco to us. If we run out of something, it gets delivered the next day when ordered. So, unfortunately, if we run out of hamburger (for example) we are out for the day!"