Famous Food

A Popeyes employee was caught making their now-infamous chicken sandwiches above a trash can -- for which the owner has now taken full responsibility and corrected.

TMZ has obtained some pretty shocking photos taken Friday at a Popeyes restaurant in Fairfax, VA -- where it appears an employee behind the counter is fast at work putting together as many sandos as possible. But, it's being done on top of a tray that's conveniently resting on top of a large trash bin ... and the setup was in customers' line of sight.

The placement begs many different questions -- the obvious one being ... WHY? Not enough counter space? Not enough hands on deck? Too much demand? Turns out, it was pretty much all of the above, according to this location's owner.

The guy tells us that on this particular day, the restaurant was overwhelmed after only having been open a few days, and then getting slammed with a 100 chicken sandwich order.

He says when he saw his brand new employees using the bin -- which he claims was totally empty -- he immediately ordered another table, which is in the store now.

Of course, this is just the latest eyebrow-raising behavior that's surfaced over the past week or so since Popeyes reintroduced their viral sensation sandwich.

The fights over the reintroduction of Popeyes' chicken sandwich are not slowing down ... workers at one franchise ganged up on a fellow employee they say was selling the popular item on the low.

Check out this insane video from a Popeyes restaurant in Los Angeles ... it's a madhouse behind the counter, with employees swinging on each other and one worker wielding a frying pan above their head.

The person behind the camera claims the violence erupted after an employee was caught selling the chicken sandwich out of the back door.

In the video, you hear a worker screaming, "You f**king hit me, bitch!!!"

As we've reported ... fights have been erupting across the country after Popeyes brought back the chicken sandwich last weekend, and a man waiting in line in Maryland ended up dead after a violent altercation.

A fight in another part of Maryland shows a customer brawling with employees behind the counter, and getting a bunch of flour dumped on his sweatshirt.

Footage from a fight in Florida showed two men going at it in the drive-thru line, with one dude hitting the pavement after taking a punch.

The founders of Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream know they're most likely about to spend a night in cold jail cell, but they're totally down to follow Jane Fonda's lead in protesting climate change.

Jerry Greenfield and Ben Cohen are joining forces with Jane for her "Fire Drill Fridays" demonstration on Capitol Hill ... and Jerry told us on "TMZ Live" it didn't take much pressure from Jane to join her on the frontlines. He said climate change would have been enough, but this Friday's demonstration also focuses on war and the military -- 2 subjects he and Ben have strong feelings.

As we've reported ... Jane has been arrested each of the past four Fridays as part of her climate change crusade, and her arrest last week resulted in her spending a night in the slammer.

Jerry says he's ready to do the same, because of the grave consequences for our planet's future.

Ben and Jerry have been sounding the climate change alarm for years -- there's even a Ben & Jerry's flavor called Save Our Swirled -- but Jerry says Jane's helped him realize more has to be done.

Popeyes' wildly popular chicken sandwich will remain on menus nationwide, despite the chaos it's causing at several locations ... including a fatal stabbing.

A rep for the fried chicken fast-food chain tells TMZ the sandwich is still available ... meaning it's not being pulled in the wake of scattered mayhem erupting across the country since its return to the menu this week.

As we've reported ... fights have broken out all over the place as customers are heading to Popeyes in droves to wait in long lines for a taste of the chicken sandwich, and one altercation in Prince George's County, Maryland Monday night left a 28-year-old dead from a stab wound.

A Popeyes spokesperson tells us the Maryland incident "is a tragedy and we are saddened to hear about this senseless act of violence," adding ... "We, along with the franchisee, are fully cooperating with local authorities and actively working to gather more information."

Some other violent incidents include a rowdy kitchen brawl in Edgewood, Maryland (above) ... and a drive-thru beatdown in Ellenton, Florida (below). But, there are many, many more examples online.

The chicken chain says the safety of its employees and customers is always a priority, and franchisees have worked to boost staffing during this craze to be ready to serve guests quickly and safely.

It adds that most Popeyes restaurants are franchised and "additional onsite security matters are handled by the franchisees."

So, there you have it -- Popeyes customers can expect long lines and potential fights to continue ... 'cause the delicious chicken sandwich isn't going anywhere.

George Lopez says the chaos and literal bloodshed that's erupting over the Popeyes famous chicken sandwich just ain't worth it, especially considering what he believes you're actually eating.

The comedian was at LAX Tuesday when he weighed in on the frenzy over the notorious sandwich's comeback, telling us plain and simple ... don't get taken out for a chicken breast between a couple of buns -- 'cause there's more to live for beyond that.

ICYMI ... full-on brawls have been breaking out at Popeye's restaurants across the country over these things, and one guy even got stabbed to death waiting in line for one.

Like we said ... utter madness.

BTW, if you're gonna go and get yourself killed over something, George thinks there's only one thing worth the ultimate sacrifice. We think he's kidding. We hope he is.

As far as GL is concerned, people have lost sense of what's important. Besides, he thinks what's going into these chickens isn't all that healthy to begin with.

Fights have erupted all over the place with the reintroduction of the Popeyes chicken sandwich, and one altercation left a 28-year-old man dead.

The man waiting in line at Popeyes in Prince George's County, Maryland Monday night was involved in an altercation when either someone cut in front of him or he cut in front of someone else. They started fighting and it ended outside the chicken joint with the 28-year-old getting stabbed. He died at the hospital.

The video (above) is of another fight ... this one in Edgewood, Maryland. You see people going nuts in the video ... all over the sandwich which has become the biggest thing since the cronut.

And, there have been other fights around the country where people seemed to be competing rather than just standing in line for a chicken sandwich. The video (above) is in Ellenton, Florida, where some guys in the drive-thru got into a wild fistfight.

McDonald's just sent its CEO packing without so much as a Happy Meal after learning he'd been banging a fellow employee -- a big no-no in the trusty Golden Arches' handbook.

The fast-food chain made the announcement Sunday, saying Steve Easterbrook -- who'd been in charge since 2015 -- had "separated" from the company after a consensual relationship between him and a subordinate came to light. Sounds like he was fired for it.

In a blog post naming Chris Kempczinski as the new chief, they made note that Easterbrook screwed up. Mickey D's says ... "Kempczinski succeeds Steve Easterbrook, who has separated from the Company following the Board's determination that he violated company policy and demonstrated poor judgment involving a recent consensual relationship with an employee."

It's unclear who exactly the employee was, or how the company even heard about this -- but either way ... Easterbrook's out. He also reportedly resigned from the Board itself, and even wrote an email to lower-level employees further explaining his departure.

Easterbrook reportedly wrote, "This (relationship) was a mistake. Given the values of the company, I agree with the board that it is time for me to move on. Beyond this, I hope you can respect my desire to maintain my privacy." BTW, the guy's single ... divorced, it seems.

Considering they're pushing this as a consensual thing, you gotta wonder what the big deal is for McDonald's brass. Ya can't have your apple pie there and eat it too, apparently.

Kanye West and his Sunday Service team were wrongly accused of charging $55 for a lousy brunch plate ... and now the catering company behind it is taking responsibility.

Kanye and crew performed in Baton Rouge Friday night at a "Brunchella" fundraising event held in front of Bethany Church. Guests were charged $55 per plate ... and one documented their meal on social media -- showing pancakes, sausage and a couple slices of bacon -- the post quickly spread, with many comparing it to the meal served at Fyre Festival.

Kanye and team came under fire ... with people accusing him of being the one who was charging for the subpar meal. However, we're told it was quite the opposite ... in fact, Kanye didn't receive any money to perform Friday and covered all travel costs for his choir as well.

The catering company behind the meal, Lauryn's Fine Catering, tells us, "The catering company acknowledges it did not provide adequate food for ONE attendee and a social media post went viral."

They continue, "Kanye West and the Sunday Service collective should be disassociated with such claims surrounding the food at the event."

West has taken his Sunday Service on the road in the last few weeks ... making stops in Detroit, Chicago, New York City and Jamaica. Prior to the Baton Rouge show, Kanye performed his new "Jesus is King" album for thousands at The Forum in Los Angeles.

Cardi B looked ecstatic as she roamed the grounds of Disneyland with baby Kulture.

The duo hit up a bunch of rides Saturday night under the watchful eye of bodyguards. They took in Fantasyland, took selfies on Dumbo and then went for a carousel ride. They also made it over to Pirates of the Caribbean.

There were delectables as well ... cotton candy in particular.

The duo also took in the fireworks and had such a good time they stayed afterward, as most people left the park.

KSI is eating like the Notorious leading up to his rematch with Logan Paul ... hiring Conor McGregor's personal chef to cook his meals leading up to the fight!!

The 26-year-old British internet superstar gave an inside look into his insane training program for the Nov. 9 bout ... revealing he hired combat sports superchef Eric Triliegi to help him get in fighting shape.

"When it comes to cooking, we needed to upgrade the nutrition," KSI said on DAZN's "40 Days: Behind-The-Scenes With KSI" docuseries.

"We needed something more performance-based and that's why we decided to get Eric in."

As we previously reported, KSI says he's spent $300k of his own money on boxing training and other fight preparation expenses ... dude's taking this extremely seriously.

Chef Eric -- who's worked with pro fighters like McGregor, Anthony Pettis and Miesha Tate -- gave a breakdown on the diet he's cookin' up for KSI ... and it doesn't hurt that the food looks BOMB.

"Our main goal is to give fighters food that enhances performance. If we're not doing that, then why are we even here feeding them?"

Logan also kept the cameras rolling for his 'Countdown to Fight Night' docuseries with DAZN ... which shows the intense training he's been putting into the rematch. There's a cool moment where he puts on the 10 oz. gloves for the first time.

"This shouldn't be allowed. I swear to God, this shouldn't be allowed," Logan said ... saying the 2 oz. glove difference from the 12 oz. gloves they rocked in the first fight will give him a huge advantage.

Logan also had Elvis Grant Phillips -- founder of Grant Boxing Worldwide -- over to his mansion to try on a sick pair of silk-lined gloves, which Elvis says is a first of its kind.

"I feel like I am holding a gun in my hand."

LeBron James' Taco Tuesday tradition is making a big impact this week ... the Lakers superstar sent food trucks to the firefighters and first responders working to put an end to the California wildfires.

LBJ -- who was forced to evacuate his Brentwood mansion when fires got dangerously close to his home -- sent his thanks to the people battling the blazes with delicious tacos.

L.A. mayor Eric Garcetti thanked Bron for the gesture ... saying "Thank you, @KingJames, for generously sending a taco truck to support our @LAFD firefighters, first responders, and partner agencies working to fight the #GettyFire."

The King ain't the only celeb chipping in to help ... John Cena has also pledged $500k of his own money towards fighting the California fires.

Of course, Bron is known for being crazy excited to celebrate his weekly ritual ... but this one has to be extra special.

LeBron also spoke about it at Lakers practice, saying "My appreciation and loyalty to the first responders. Those men and women are unbelievable, with what they're doing and their bravery throughout this time."

If Zion Williamson wants to cut out injuries and cut weight ... he NEEDS to cut meat out of his diet ASAP, so says John Salley who says VEGANISM can save Zion's career.

Look, a lot of people think 284 pound Zion is just too heavy to have a long NBA career. He's already missing the first 6 to 8 weeks of the NBA season after undergoing knee surgery.

Enter Salley ... who says Zion can turn the ship around if he turns his diet around.

"My message to Zion? Go vegan, bro. Drink a bunch of water and find out the best way to heal your body, meaning ... not just ultrasounds, not just a hot tub, don't take pills."

The 4-time NBA champ says Zion was destined to become teammates with Jahlil Okafor, who recently made the switch to "mostly" veganism and lost 20 pounds ... and Salley wants Williamson to listen to the vet.

G-Eazy's giving getting saucy a whole new meaning ... after treating 100 fans to a chow down at his favorite chicken joint.

The "Me, Myself & I" rapper corralled 100 of his most fervent fans Friday night in Chicago for a spicy spread at Nando's PERi-PERi Chicken (think Chipotle but with an explosive taste featuring chicken).

G-Eazy kicked off the weekend by asking his more than 8.3 million Instagram followers who wanted to grab dinner. The first 100 to RSVP to the number he posted got directions to Nando's in Chi-Town for a free meal.

The rapper more than delivered ... treating fans to an insane spread of 25 chicken platters (that's about 100 quarter chickens if you're counting), 300 wings, plus tons of sides that included mashed potatoes, fries, spicy rice, macho peas and garlic bread.

The night ended with "Naughty Natas" ... traditional Portuguese tarts served warm with a sprinkle of cinnamon sugar. G-Eazy picked up the tab ... to the tune of well over $1,000!!!

But, that's not all ... fans also got to mingle with G-Eazy, and also each fan left with a limited edition G-Eazy Nando's sauce bottle. Dude's clearly obsessed with Nando's, an original South African joint that spread like fire in the UK before making its way to the U.S. with 42 locations in D.C., Illinois, Maryland and Virginia.

No, seriously. G-Eazy loves it so much it's practically all he eats when he's in the UK. The obsession's legit ... G-Eazy dropped the joint's name when he made his debut on Charlie Sloth's "Fire in the Booth" segment for BBC Radio.

G-Eazy rapped, "Yeah, PERi-PERi on the Nando's, couple deals on the table, watch me land those." One of Nando's slogans ... "I bring a lot to the table."

Jonathan Cheban -- Kim Kardashian's longtime friend and frequent guest on "Keeping Up with the Kardashians" -- just turned his Instagram handle into his legal name. Chow down!!!!

JC filed legal docs in Florida -- his primary residence, it seems -- asking a judge to sign off on the name change from Jonathan Cheban to .................... wait for it ...

...

...

.... just a little bit more

........... FOODGOD!!!!!!!!!!!!

It's actually just Foodgod, but you get the idea. And yes, there's no capital G in the name, and the words aren't split up either as some media outlets have stylized it in the past. Sorry about that, holy folks and grammar nerds. Unfortunately for you, the Foodgod has spoken.

TMZ got a hold of the official judgment that was entered last week. It ain't all that fancy -- a name change isn't complicated. But, for Jonathan Foodgod, it carries significant weight.

If you don't know, FG's been all about the eats for a while now -- being a bonafide foodie is kinda his thing, and he proudly showcases it all over his social media pages. Literally, it seems like just about every post is related to good grub ... he even sleeps with food.

And, of course, Jon's been rockin' the @foodgod handle for a minute too. But, if you check out his IG today ... you'll see he's got the registered trademark symbol next to it.

Hooters needs to spread its wings and take care of visually impaired folks looking to purchase gift cards ... so says a legally blind man suing the popular restaurant chain.

Marcos Calcano is suing Hooters on behalf of himself and others with vision disabilities because its gift cards do not contain Braille, and he says he's clamoring to buy one ... according to a new suit.

Calcano says adding Braille to the cards is an easy fix that would make it much simpler for people like him to access the $400 billion gift card market ... and it "would restore the dignity to blind persons."

According to the legal docs ... Hooters informed him it does not sell gift cards containing Braille, and he believes the chain has no intention of doing so.

Hooters isn't alone, either -- Calcano claims to his knowledge, the only store that sells Braille gift cards is Starbucks ... even major retail chains like Walgreens, CVS and Target don't offer them.

At the same time he sued Hooters, he also filed against Domino's pizza.

He says he "intends to immediately purchase at least one store gift card" from Hooters as soon as the Braille is added.

Sounds like the guy's got a hankering for a 10-piece pronto ... or he's Christmas shopping early.

Calcano filed the class action suit seeking unspecified damages and wants the court to order Hooters to Braille up.

Vinny Guadagnino's book signing for his new Keto cookbook got stormed by carb-loving protesters ... led by his good buddy, Pauly D.

The 'Jersey Shore' star's devotion to the keto diet -- which cuts carbs in favor of quality high-fat foods -- has helped him shed some serious weight and look great ... and got him dubbed the "Keto Guido" on the first season of "Jersey Shore: Family Vacation."

Vinny also put out a cookbook as a guide for fellow Keto lovers, and held a signing in Vegas Wednesday night ... which was the perfect opportunity for Pauly to strike.

Pauly and the others marched outside the bookstore holding signs with photos of Vinny eating pizza and other carb-loaded dishes ... accusing him of cheating on the diet. The signs read, "Cheato Guido," "My Carbs My Choice," and "Ain't Nothin Keto About This Guido."

The protest then made its way inside the store and Pauly kept the chants going right in Vinny's face ... all in good fun, of course.

Cameras were on hand too ... so it's safe to assume Pauly's antics will be covered on the show.