The return of Popeyes' infamous chicken sandwich has spawned several disturbing and ridiculous headlines. A racist lady was body-slammed in the parking lot of one the chain's locations, an employee was caught preparing sandwiches over a garbage and someone was even fatally stabbed for crying out loud! The latest instance of lunacy surrounding the fried delicacy is a New York City man finding a half-smoked joint in his sandwich.
On November 4, Jeremy Merdinger picked up two sandwiches - a regular and a spicy one - from Popeyes' West 14th Street location. The 23-year-old told The New York Post that the roach fell into his lap while he was halfway through eating the sandwich. “I was shocked at first,” Merdinger said. “These are things you see on social media a couple of times a year, and for it to happen to me, I was shocked and disgusted... It was 100 percent marijuana. I saved the evidence. It’s in a plastic bag at home.”
Merdinger didn't initially intend on going to the press about the situation to attract any social media attention. However, he was disappointed by the Louisiana Kitchen's inadequate response to his complaint. He emailed the restaurant that night, including his receipt and a picture of the joint, but they never answered him. When he eventually got a response from Popeyes, they took no accountability and merely said they would conduct an investigation. “They were basically saying it happened outside of the restaurant, and there is nothing they can do,” says Merdinger, who is hoping to receive a refund and an apology. “They can at least admit they made a mistake. I would like for them to own up to it. I think it’s ridiculous and not professional.”
A spokesperson for Popeyes made the following statement to The Post. “We have high standards for the quality of our ingredients and the preparation of our food. We take all feedback about our meals seriously and quickly take action to make sure all of our guests have a good experience.”
