Where's The Beef Puffy Stickers
Wendy's (1984)
Not too many people become celebrities after their 80th birthday, but that's exactly what happened with Clara Peller. She made "where's the beef" a popular catchphrase that is still very well known decades after her death in 1987. The joke in the ad campaign was that Wendy's competitors have big fluffy buns, but a sparse amount of meat. This prompted Ms. Peller to lift the bun and squint to see a tiny hamburger patty as she shouted "where's the beef" in a grouchy voice. If she was still with us today in 2020, the iconic spokeswoman would have trouble finding any beef at Wendy's.
The New York Times reported earlier this week that the problems with the supply chain as a result of the global pandemic has resulted in 20% of Wendy's restaurants that have completely run out of beef. Although there is plenty of frozen beef at this time, Wendy's policy of serving "fresh, never frozen" beef in its hamburgers has left it with a shortage. With meat processing plants facing a drastic reduction in its workforce due to Covid-19 infection, this doesn't appear to be a problem with a quick or easy solution. The lesson here is to stock up on frozen beef while you can. If McDonald's starts hanging up the "sold out" signs on the drive-thru menu, it will already be too late.
