A popular restaurant chain finds itself at the center of a legal battle after an ingredient swap in a beloved appetizer leaves customers feeling deceived and betrayed.
When diners order mozzarella sticks, they anticipate a delicious, gooey appetizer filled with mouthwatering, salty goodness. However, customers at TGI Fridays have been receiving something quite different when they order the American restaurant chain’s mozzarella sticks: cheddar cheese, not the expected mozzarella. This surprising ingredient swap has sparked outrage and prompted a lawsuit against the restaurant for misleading advertising.
TGI Fridays and its food distributor have opted to use cheddar cheese, a beloved choice among children and restaurant-goers, in their mozzarella sticks rather than the anticipated mozzarella.
Unhappy with this deception, an Illinois woman, Amy Joseph, has filed a lawsuit against the chain, seeking an undisclosed sum. Given the number of people who have unknowingly consumed these counterfeit mozzarella sticks, the lawsuit may expand into a class-action case.
Joseph’s lawsuit, initiated in February 2021, targets Inventure Foods Inc. and TGI Fridays Inc., alleging, as per People, “the respective state-law claims for consumer fraud and deceptive trade practices in all fifty states and the District of Columbia on behalf of herself and the nationwide class.” The suit goes on to claim, “Despite its label, the Product does not contain mozzarella cheese; rather, it contains cheddar cheese.”
A federal judge has allowed the lawsuit to proceed, deeming it reasonable for customers to expect mozzarella cheese in their mozzarella sticks. The judge stated that it is “reasonable” that a person ordering mozzarella sticks off the TGI Fridays menu would want the named cheese inside the deep-fried sticks. However, the judge ruled that the case could continue against Inventure but not TGI Fridays, as the latter only sells the dish and does not produce it, which is done by Inventure Foods Inc.
The future of this lawsuit remains uncertain: TGI Fridays may choose to settle out of court to avoid hefty legal fees and the headache of a court battle, or they might face a potentially reputation-damaging legal fight. As the case unfolds, customers should exercise caution when ordering mozzarella sticks from TGI Fridays to ensure they aren’t served cheddar cheese in disguise.
In the meantime, as this lawsuit develops, the revelation about TGI Fridays’ ingredient substitution has left many customers feeling deceived and betrayed. The restaurant chain’s decision to use cheddar cheese instead of mozzarella in their mozzarella sticks has not only sparked a legal battle but also raised questions about the transparency of their menu offerings.
As the story continues to unfold, the public’s trust in TGI Fridays hangs in the balance. Will the restaurant chain’s reputation recover, or will it be irreparably damaged? Only time will tell, but one thing is certain: customers will be watching closely as they consider whether to order mozzarella sticks from TGI Fridays in the future.
Source: AWM