Top 5 Times Franchise Brands Have Popped Off on Twitter

With the rise of social media, brands have begun to use their platforms to engage consumers more directly. Many brands have TikTok accounts showcasing behind-the-scenes aspects of daily activities. But before TikTok was popular, Twitter was the place to interact with your consumers. Including well-known franchises such as Wendy’s, Pizza Hut and Taco Bell, here are the top five times franchise brands have popped off on Twitter.

IHOP vs Denny’s

In July 2017, IHOP’s Twitter account tweeted “WE ARE THE PANCAKE OG AND WILL BE RESPECTED AS SUCH.” Denny’s, the other famous pancake-and-breakfast franchise, quickly fired back with “wait what’s OG mean” and included a screenshot of their founding date in comparison to IHOP’s. Denny’s was founded in 1953 while IHOP was founded in 1958. IHOP did respond with “spoken like second place.” This may have been a publicity stunt or all in good fun. Either way, both places are great options for breakfast. 

Wendy’s vs Everyone

Wendy’s is quite possibly the most famous franchise brand known for roasting and trolling other brands, as well as everyday users, on Twitter. The quick-service brand started popping off on Twitter in 2017 when a Twitter user claimed that their beef was frozen. Wendy’s politely responded that its beef has never been frozen since its founding in 1969. The Twitter user continued on with the tirade, bringing McDonald’s into the conversation. Wendy’s then responded, “You don't have to bring them into this just because you forgot refrigerators existed for a second there.” 

This is just the first in many instances that Wendy’s has roasted someone on Twitter. Now the brand has even taken to roasting people and brands on National Roast Day, which is January 12. On National Roast Day, A&W Restaurants* told Wendy’s to “do your worst,” and Wendy’s responded with “But then our food would taste like yours! #NationalRoastDay.” You can view a list of Wendy’s 2022 roasts here. 

DiGiorno vs Papa John’s

2017 was the year for feuds, and this one comes with a backstory. Former CEO of Papa John’s, John Schnatter, alluded to the fact that sales were down because NFL players were kneeling during the National Anthem. Papa John’s became the official pizza of the NFL in 2010, but that ended in 2018. Schnatter claimed that the NFL’s failure to resolve the matter of players kneeling caused a massive third-quarter sales slump. 

DiGiorno weighed in on the drama by tweeting “us” with a pizza emoji and a trending upward emoji followed by “them” with a pizza emoji and a trending downward emoji. Then, just in case you didn’t know who they were talking about, they tweeted “Better Pizzas. Better Sales” very obviously playing off of Papa John’s Slogan “Better Pizza, Papa Johns.” Papa John’s did try to fire back by tweeting “#NewTwitterBio.” The new bio read “Frozen Pizza=the equivalent of a participation trophy.” This wasn’t met with much enthusiasm from consumers, with some responding to Papa John’s with “you tried.” DiGiorno was informally declared the winner of this pizza war. 

Burger King vs McDonald's

Burger King and McDonald’s are probably the two most famous quick-service restaurants that serve very similar food menus. Naturally, the similarities between the two menus have caused a bit of strife between the burger brands. Famous rapper Kanye West randomly tweeted “McDonald’s is my favorite brand.” The tweet can no longer be viewed due to West’s suspended Twitter account. Burger King U.K. Twitter used this opportunity to add fuel to the feud and simply said, “Explains a lot.” 

This is not the first time Burger King has shaded McDonald’s. In 2014, the brand tweeted, “Why eat with a clown when you can eat with a king? #Likeaking.” This was obviously shading McDonald’s, whose brand is centered around Ronald McDonald the clown. 

Popeyes, Chick-fil-A and Wendy’s Battle for the Best Chicken Sandwich

Popeyes workshopped its now-famous chicken sandwich in 2016 and launched it to the public on August 12, 2019. There was an almost immediate frenzy for it, with lines stretching into the street and physical altercations breaking out in stores. One week later, Chick-fil-A tossed its hat in the ring and tweeted “Bun + Chicken + Pickles = all the [heart] for the original.”

Popeyes clapped back with a response that was simple and reflective of its southern origins, “...y’all good?” This sparked a debate amongst consumers about who had the best chicken sandwich and drove sales through the roof. Fun-loving Wendy’s of course had to throw in their two cents and responded by saying, “Y’all out here fighting about which of these fools has the second best chicken sandwich” and included an image of a Wendy’s chicken sandwich.