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‘This is what y’all been eating off of’: Wendy’s worker exposes the store’s moldy cooktop, unsanitary conditions

‘The mold! That did not happen overnight.’

Photo of Dan Latu

Dan Latu

Wendy's cooktop coated in mold (l) Wendy's restaurant with sign (c) man speaking in car (r)

In a viral TikTok video, a Wendy’s employee exposed the concerning conditions, including a moldy cooktop, in his store. His video has gone viral, gaining nearly 1 million views. 

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In the original video, Jose G Martinez Jr. (@happyweed6981) allegedly shows the behind-the-scenes of the kitchen in the St. Petersburg, Florida fast food joint. 

“This is what y’all been eating off of,” he says as he starts the video.

@happyweed6981 Dont eat at wendys 4047 4th st n in St. Petersburg fl 33703 its nasty not clean and your meat sits on the grill for hrs #wendys #wendysdrivethru ♬ original sound – Jose G Martinez Jr
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The camera pans over what appears to be green and white mold patches, scattered across the cooktop.

“They don’t know how to clean this shit properly,” he says. 

In two follow-up videos, Martinez explains that while working at the mechanic shop next door to the Wendy’s, he was upset that he could never get food there due to understaffing. He claims he then submitted an application to work at Wendy’s in addition to his current job to help them out. However, when he went in, he recorded the conditions of the Wendy’s kitchen.

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@happyweed6981

Part 1

♬ original sound – Jose G Martinez Jr

“The mold! That did not happen overnight,” one user wrote in the comments.

Some commenters said moldy cooktops were just the beginning. Professionals apparently see horrifying sights regularly. 

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“As a plumber there’s really not too many restaurants you can trust, just eat at home,” one viewer said.

“I used to do pest control, most people would never eat at restaurants if they knew what really went on,” another added.

Martinez shared several other videos showing the unsanitary conditions at the Wendy’s location, as well as clips of the rehydrated meat that he claims has been sitting out all day.

“I will put a fucking burger that I cooked at home on the ground of this mechanic shop and eat it right off the ground before I eat any more food in that place,” the TikToker says of Wendy’s. “How filthy and nasty it is all the time. But go ahead people, y’all enjoy.”

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@happyweed6981 #wendys #wendysdrivethru ♬ original sound – Jose G Martinez Jr
@happyweed6981 #wendys #wendysdrivethru ♬ original sound – Jose G Martinez Jr
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The Daily Dot reached out to Wendy’s for comment and @happyweed6981 via TikTok comment.


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