Tag Archives: Wendy’s

Woman arrested over torching of Wendy’s where Rayshard Brooks died

By Rich McKay

ATLANTA (Reuters) – A woman accused of setting fire to the Wendy’s fast-food restaurant in Atlanta where police shot and killed Rayshard Brooks in the parking lot was arrested on Tuesday on suspicion of arson, authorities said.

Natalie White, 29, was taken into custody by Fulton County sheriff’s deputies on the same day that Brooks, a Black man who was slain by a white officer, was buried following a funeral at Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta.

White’s arrest was announced by the sheriff’s office on Twitter. The county jail telephone line said White had been booked on two counts of first-degree arson. The identity of her attorney could not immediately be ascertained.

Brooks, 27, repeatedly referred to a “Natalie White” as his girlfriend in discussions with police who were questioning him before he was killed, according to video footage from an officer’s body camera. But his relationship to the woman arrested has not been independently verified.

Brooks’ death on June 12 heightened tensions over police brutality and racial bias in U.S. law enforcement that have raged since the killing of George Floyd in police custody with a knee to his neck in Minneapolis in late May.

The chain of events leading to Brooks’ death began when Wendy’s employees called police to report he had fallen asleep in his car in the drive-through lane.

According to prosecutors’ account, what began as a cordial encounter with police deteriorated into a physical struggle, with Brooks grabbing one of the officers’ Tasers and running across the parking lot as he was shot from behind.

The Wendy’s outlet was burned to the ground during protests that ensued that night and into the next morning. The blaze is under investigation by Atlanta fire authorities.

The officer who shot Brooks was fired and has been charged with murder. A second officer was placed on administrative duty and charged with assault.

(Reporting by Rich McKay in Atlanta; Additional reporting and writing by Steve Gorman in Los Angeles; Editing by Leslie Adler and Jane Wardell)

Wendy’s menu runs short as virus hits U.S. beef supplies

(Reuters) – Wendy’s Co said on Tuesday its restaurants may face a shortage of many menu items, including hamburgers, as beef processors in the United States struggle to keep their plants open amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

U.S. meat manufacturers, including Tyson Foods Inc, have signaled disruptions to food supply as they are forced to shut many meat plants to curb the spread of the coronavirus.

“Beef suppliers across North America are currently facing production challenges. Because of this, some of our menu items may be in short supply from time to time at some restaurants in this current environment,” a Wendy’s spokesperson said.

The burger chain, known for its fresh-never-frozen patties, said it would continue to supply hamburgers to all of its restaurants, with deliveries two or three times a week.

Just before the virus outbreak in the United States, Wendy’s launched a new breakfast menu that included sausages, eggs, croissants, and a hamburger variation in the hopes of attracting more footfall in the morning, a crucial daypart for restaurateurs.

The pandemic has also led to rival McDonald’s Corp trimming its menu to serve drive-thru and delivery customers faster, while its dine-in operations remain shut. Chief Executive Officer Chris Kempczinski last week told analysts that the company has had no break in supply till date.

Several retailers including Kroger Co and Costco Wholesale Corp have also limited meat purchases per customers.

(Reporting by Nivedita Balu in Bengaluru; Editing by Ramakrishnan M.)

Wendy’s says it finds more unusual card activity at restaurants

Wendy's

(Reuters) – U.S. burger chain operator Wendy’s Co <WEN.O> said it had discovered additional instances of unusual credit card activity at some of its franchise-operated restaurants, widening the scope of an earlier cyber attack on the company.

The company in January said it was investigating reports of unusual activity with payment cards used at some of its restaurants.

Wendy’s said it recently discovered a variant of a malware that was discovered and reported in May. The new malware was used to target a point-of-sales system that was earlier believed to be unaffected.

The company said the new variant of the malware had been disabled in cases where it was detected.

Wendy’s expects the number of franchise restaurants that will be impacted by the cybersecurity attacks is now “considerably higher” than the 300 restaurants already affected.

“To date, there has been no indication in the ongoing investigation that any company-operated restaurants were impacted by this activity,” Wendy’s said on Thursday.

The new discoveries are a result of the company’s continuing investigation into unusual credit card activity at its restaurants.

Large retailers such as Target Corp <TGT.N> and Home Depot Inc <HD.N> have been victims of security breaches in recent years.

(Reporting by Narottam Medhora in Bengaluru; Editing by Shounak Dasgupta)