Soda Cups Get How Much Ice?

Wendy's training videos went wild in the '90s

Is there a perfect food to bring to an outdoor venue with assigned seating (like the Hollywood Bowl)? Is sushi the only answer? -Katherine

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Soda cups get how much ice?

By Robert Dean

Dave Thomas, the founder of Wendy's, built an unlikely empire. This guy managed to stay in business selling salads, square burgers, chili, and potatoes, while up against Big Macs and Whoppers. Now, Wendy’s is bigger than ever, even beating Burger King for the number-two chain in America. Is it because at some point in the early 1990s someone suggested to Thomas that he make Wendy’s training videos “cool”? I like to think so.

In "Chili Can be Served With Cheese," a funk band slaps through an explanation of different chili bowl sizes. Staff must "make sure to stir it right" and not just ladle from the top of the vat. "Chili, Frosty, milk and cookies, what a great snack! Have yourself some simple fun cuz you got the knack!" We fade out with a smiling Wendy's worker doling out expert bowls of chili right up to the fill line. Yeah, she has the knack.

“Cold Drinks" is a ‘90s banger from the Paula Abdul "Straight Up" playbook. A firmly-coiffed drink slinger shakes and shimmies over the counter, pointing out different cup sizes, letting us know to "keep it straight" while the beat pulses. Apparently, there's a lot of finesse needed for good pouring technique.

The flip side to the "Cold Drinks" is "Hot Drinks." Whoever was sitting in the production chair was like, "we need Michael Jackson vibes," and the band knocked out an absolute heater. We're talking consecutive handclaps and a signature "woooooo" to kick off the track. This Wendy’s madman puts on a show. 

We arrive at the pièce de résistance: “Grill Skill.” The video is off the rails. Our main character, Bill, puts his apron on, and his boss, Mary, tells him he's gonna learn to work burgers. As the VHS is loaded into the machine, straight from the Challenger's control room, the acid kicks in. A floating head summons Bill to the laser show of an instructional, complete with a guy with a golden spatula. There is smoke, there are sequins.

It’s enough to make you want a baked potato. 📼

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Do waiters still have to wait for guests to ask for the check before they drop it? Is it acceptable for them to say “May I bring you anything else?” and if the answer is no, then they can leave the check?

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