In the U.S. a man is suing a chain called Buffalo Wild Wings for false advertising and “deceptive” business practices, alleging he was duped into buying “boneless wings” that are boneless …… but remarkably wingless as well!
Aimen Halim says he went to his local fast food joint in Illinois in January and purchased what he believed to be deboned chicken wings.
The Washington Post reports “Unbeknown to Plaintiff and other consumers, the Products are not wings at all, but instead, slices of chicken breast meat deep-fried like wings.”
“Indeed, the Products are more akin, in composition, to a chicken nugget rather than a chicken wing.”
Halim sued Buffalo Wild Wings and its parent company claiming there’s potentially “thousands” of other affected patrons the report goes on to say.
“Had Plaintiff and other consumers known that the Products are not actually chicken wings, they would have paid less for them, or would not have purchased them at all,” the suit argues.
“Therefore, Plaintiff and consumers have suffered injury in fact, as a result of Defendants’ deceptive practices.”
Buffalo Wild Wings sent a link to a recent tweet in response to the development.
It’s true.
Our boneless wings are all white meat chicken.
Our hamburgers contain no ham.
Our buffalo wings are 0% buffalo.— Buffalo Wild Wings (@BWWings) March 13, 2023
However Halim’s lawsuit argues that the term “boneless wings” has been in contention for years, and other competitors have made an effort to move away from the name.
“It should be noted that Domino’s Pizza and Papa Johns also sell actual chicken wings, and that, a restaurant named Buffalo Wild ‘Wings’ should be just as careful if not more in how it names its products,” the suit reads.
“This clear-cut case of false advertising should not be permitted, as consumers should be able to rely on the plain meaning of a product’s name and receive what they are promised.”
Halim is seeking unspecified “damages, injunctive relief, restitution, declaratory relief, and all other remedies the Court deems appropriate.”
