San Jose Wendy’s Fans Not Knuckling Under to Finger Fiasco

Reuters has the following story about business patrons at the San Jose Wendy’s restaurant where a manicured finger was discovered in the Chili:

Not even talk of a severed finger found in a bowl of chili kept Michael Egli away from his favorite Wendy’s restaurant.

Regulars at the San Jose, California Wendy’s where last month a woman said she found the tip of a human finger in her chili, Egli and his wife Militza said they were undeterred.

The couple said they had kept eating at Wendy’s through the investigation and were back on Friday when police announced the arrest of the woman for carrying out a hoax.

“I’m sorry, but I like my chili,” Egli said shortly after he finished a steaming hot bowl at the Monterey Highway Wendy’s where the incident occurred.

Earlier on Friday, the woman, Anna Ayala, was charged with one count of attempted grand theft related to the debacle.

Egli, who said he frequents the Wendy’s restaurant four or five times a week, said he suspected the woman’s claims all along. At one point, police counted the fingers of Wendy’s staff and suppliers and in some cases had them take lie detector tests.

“You have to figure if someone had their finger chopped off, they’d want it back and someone would have made a big commotion about it,” Egli said.

Maggie Gonzalez, another Wendy’s regular who lives nearby, also said the incident did not keep her away.

Gonzalez said she stopped eating the chili for a time but ordered her first bowl two days ago after reading reports about Ayala’s litigious history.

“Because of what was in the media and learning about the lady, it made us feel safer,” Gonzalez said.

Not all Wendy’s regulars have been as forgiving. Sales at the unit have fallen 30 to 50 percent since the incident, according to Steve Jay, marketing manager for San Jose-area Wendy’s restaurants.

Other Wendy’s restaurants in the area have also suffered, and franchisees have been forced to lay off staff or reduce workers’ hours, the company has said.

Even on Friday afternoon, after Ayala had been arrested and booked, the restaurant was mostly filled with media.

Jay was confident, however, that the restaurant and others would win back customers. “We’ve been in town for over 29 years. Our reputation wasn’t built a month ago,” he said.

The origin of the severed finger, which reportedly had a manicured nail, remained unclear on Friday. Police said their investigation was ongoing.

Here is hoping the community will come out and support a renewal of this business which was so unfairly targeted by this criminal scam artist.