Many customers have long felt that the french fry portions at fast food restaurants are far smaller than they expected.
Recently, a photo taken by a customer at an Australian KFC location has revealed the trick these restaurants use.
The photo shows a sign posted above the fry warmer that instructs employees on how to pack the french fries. It reveals the true purpose of these instructions: to give customers "50% less than they'd expect."
By holding the box in the middle and not tapping it to fill the container, employees are able to fit a significantly smaller portion of fries while making it appear full.
They noted that even with rising costs, potatoes are still a relatively inexpensive ingredient for these large chains, and there is no good reason to be so stingy with fried portions other than pure greed.
Employees from other fast food chains confirmed that they had been trained using similar tactics to deliberately shortchange customers while making the container appear full.
This practice is clearly an underhanded tactic used by these companies to increase their profits at the expense of customer satisfaction.
Sign at Five Guys says “over load as if it’s a 5 gallon bucket,” one user said.
If I was an employee I’d load em up. F it. They over charge for a potato. There probably isn’t even a full potato worth of fries in their large anymore even. I think they plate their fries in gold at with that disgusting cost ratio. Got dang it, the second user commented.
That would be terrible if we are less fries, the third user said.
I rarely order fries, when I do its medium and they are always so many on the bottom of the bag. Definitely overfill around these parts, another wrote.
According to Jerry Murrell, the founder of Five Guys, the main reason for this is that they use peanut oil to fry the potatoes.
Peanut oil is a healthier option, as it does not contain hydrogenated fats or preservatives. Frying the potatoes in this oil gives them a delicious, melt-in-your-mouth taste.
The staff is also not shy about packing the containers to the brim, and they often add an extra scoop just to ensure customers get their money's worth.
As Jerry Murrell explains, they want customers to feel that they are getting good value for their money, even if some complain about the excess fries.
Furthermore, Five Guys also explains that their food is more expensive due to their commitment to using only fresh ingredients.
They do not use any frozen options, and everything from the burger meat and vegetables to the hand-cut potatoes for the fries is made fresh.
This focus on freshness contributes to the higher prices on their menu.
