Wendy's Revives $29.99 9-Patty T-Rex Challenge in Oklahoma for 9-Minute Prize

Q: Will Wendy's corporate shut down this massive 3,000-calorie franchise stunt again like they did in 2013?

Probably, but it is not confirmed. What is clear is that the T-Rex burger challenge appears to be a franchise-level promotion in Edmond, Oklahoma, not an officially announced national Wendy’s product. That matters because Wendy’s corporate shut down a Manitoba franchise’s T-Rex offering in 2013 over health and nutrition concerns, and this new version raises many of the same issues: roughly 3,000 calories, very high sodium and saturated fat, and a speed-eating element. There are also signs that corporate could intervene if the promotion spreads. Reports say an employee expected the challenge to expand across Oklahoma, but there has been no public corporate rollout or endorsement. A multistate or statewide expansion would likely draw more scrutiny from headquarters than a single-store stunt. At the same time, there is no public evidence yet that Wendy’s corporate has ordered the Oklahoma franchise to stop. Until the company comments, the most accurate answer is that a shutdown is possible, even plausible, but not yet documented. The strongest clues point both ways: Wendy’s has a history of reining in this exact burger, and the nutrition optics are difficult; however, the current promotion may still be small enough, and recent enough, that corporate has not acted publicly. If headquarters views it as damaging to the brand or inconsistent with franchise rules, it could end quickly, just as it did in 2013.

3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Sep 11

$29.99 buys a nine-patty, roughly 3,000-calorie T-Rex burger at a Wendy's in Edmond, Oklahoma, where customers get nine minutes to finish it for a T-shirt and another prize.
An employee said the promotion is expected to expand across Oklahoma starting Sept. 10, and the hinted extra prize includes a free-meal voucher; fries and a drink do not have to be finished.
Reddit reactions split between calling the stunt unhealthy and saying they could "destroy" it, while a dietitian said the burger is more novelty than nutrition and warned of heavy sodium, saturated fat and calorie intake.
The T-Rex dates to a mid-2000s joke that became a viral unofficial order in Canada before Wendy's corporate shut it down in 2013, though fans kept recreating it by adding six patties to a Dave's Triple.