Updated

Updated · Yahoo! Voices · Jul 29

Houston Popeyes Faces Backlash After Activists Allege Condom Was Cooked Into Chicken at 1 Restaurant

Updated

Updated · Yahoo! Voices · Jul 29

Houston Popeyes Faces Backlash After Activists Allege Condom Was Cooked Into Chicken at 1 Restaurant

Q: Was the shocking object in Houston fried chicken a condom, or is a massive lawsuit hiding a simple kitchen glove mistake?

It has not been proven to be a condom. The object was described by the customers and activists as “condom-like,” but Popeyes says its internal video review led it to believe the item was more likely a restaurant glove that fell into the batter. What is verified is narrower than the viral claims. A Houston couple, Justin Howard and Danielle McKinnon, say they bought chicken from the Popeyes on South Sam Houston Parkway West on July 25 and found a foreign object embedded in it. They later filed a lawsuit seeking more than $1.5 million, alleging negligence, unsafe food handling, poor sanitation and consumer-law violations. They also say staff laughed when they complained, that they felt sick and feared contamination, and that they sought medical care and tried to make a police report. Popeyes has not conceded the object was a condom. In statements reported after the initial backlash, the company said it reviewed “extensive internal video” and determined the item was likely a glove, not a condom. It also said the guest was refunded and apologized to, and in one account the franchisee said the restaurant closed early for retraining. So the current answer is that the nature of the object remains disputed. The customers’ claim has escalated into a major lawsuit, but based on public reporting there is no official finding yet that it was a condom. The strongest confirmed facts are the complaint, the refund, the corporate denial, and the pending litigation.

3 articles · Updated · Yahoo! Voices · Jul 29

A viral 16-minute YouTube video shows activists Candice Matthews and Quanell X confronting managers at a Houston Popeyes over a customer's claim that a condom was found cooked inside fried chicken bought there last weekend.
The pair said the customer went to an emergency room, tried to file a police report and was initially told no crime had been committed, prompting them to accuse both the restaurant and Houston police of mishandling the complaint.
At the 7416 S. Sam Houston Pkwy W. location, the manager said she was not present when the alleged incident occurred and stepped away to call supervisors as the activists urged diners and drive-thru customers to seek refunds.
Chron said the restaurant's listed phone number was disconnected and Popeyes' corporate office had not responded, leaving the allegation unverified beyond the activists' video and claimed receipt.