Is a Burrito A Sandwich? (512 hits)
Category: NewsRating: 1 on 20 reviews (Rate this item) (V)
Submitted by Galen Caulfield <fishmonarch.at.hotmail.com> (View user info) at 2006-11-13 10:48:55 EST
Is a burrito a sandwich? Judge says no
Fri Nov 10, 4:17 PM ET
WORCESTER, Mass. - Is a burrito a sandwich? The Panera Bread Co. bakery-and-cafe chain says yes. But a judge said no, ruling against Panera in its bid to prevent a Mexican restaurant from moving into the same shopping mall.
Panera has a clause in its lease that prevents the White City Shopping Center in Shrewsbury from renting to another sandwich shop. Panera tried to invoke that clause to stop the opening of an Qdoba Mexican Grill.
But Superior Court Judge Jeffrey Locke cited Webster's Dictionary as well as testimony from a chef and a former high-ranking federal agriculture official in ruling that Qdoba's burritos and other offerings are not sandwiches.
The difference, the judge ruled, comes down to two slices of bread versus one tortilla.
"A sandwich is not commonly understood to include burritos, tacos and quesadillas, which are typically made with a single tortilla and stuffed with a choice filling of meat, rice, and beans," Locke wrote in a decision released last week.
In court papers, Panera, a St. Louis-based chain of more than 900 cafes, argued for a broad definition of a sandwich, saying that a flour tortilla is bread and that a food product with bread and a filling is a sandwich.
Qdoba, owned by San Diego-based Jack in the Box Inc., called food experts to testify on its behalf.
Among them was Cambridge chef Chris Schlesinger, who said in an affidavit: "I know of no chef or culinary historian who would call a burrito a sandwich. Indeed, the notion would be absurd to any credible chef or culinary historian."
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Your tax dollars at work. Thanks Panera, for being such dickwads.
User Reviews
Submitted by Allyson (user info) at 2006-11-14 01:15:57 EST (#)
Ranking: 0
wow.
Submitted by frankthebear (user info) at 2006-11-14 00:37:11 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
I hate panera!
I went to one once, and I wanted a reuben sandwich, and they don't make reuben sandwiches!
WHAT KINF OF RESTAURANT THE SPECIALIZES IN SANDWICHES DOESN'T OFFER A DAMN REUBEN SANDWICH?
Submitted by HotWillie (user info) at 2006-11-13 22:51:11 EST (#)
Ranking: 0
No Comment
Submitted by BadAssJulie (user info) at 2006-11-13 19:14:04 EST (#)
Ranking: 1
Submitted by JonnyX (user info) at 2006-11-13 13:12:57 (#)
Ranking: 1
Submitted by BLITZKREIG_BOB (user info) at 2006-11-13 11:18:32 (#)
Ranking: 0
There's a Panera by my office. I went there once. It was full of latte-drinking turtleneck-wearing buttheads.
Submitted by Beer_bong (user info) at 2006-11-13 17:00:51 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
Submitted by Orgasmatron (user info) at 2006-11-13 11:32:31 (#)
Ranking: 1
Fakk you yah fakkin whooooah sammich. Ah'll fakk yoo in frontaya fakkin motha. YOHRE GONNA DIE SAMMICH, AH'M COMIN OUTTATHA BOOTH.
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Submitted by retrospect (user info) at 2006-11-13 11:23:21 (#)
Ranking: 0
"welcome to woostahhh. a dolla 25 theah bishop"
I love both of you.
A burrito is NOT NOT NOT NOT NOT NOT a sandwich.
Warning: Gratuitous Sandwich Linkwhore
http://www.ubersite.com/m/79350
Submitted by Dolson (user info) at 2006-11-13 16:18:17 EST (#)
Ranking: -1
Dude, this is last week's non-news.
Submitted by Hookhand (user info) at 2006-11-13 15:30:20 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
I disagree with the dickwads crack. As a possible future lawyer, I laugh that someone had the chrome-plated balls to try and use a sandwich exclusivity clause to prevent an eatery where they could argue sandwiches were served from opening. It was a nice try. I am glad it didn't work out for them, but another day, another judge, it may have worked.
Submitted by TheSpook (user info) at 2006-11-13 14:20:51 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
Fuck Panera bread and their $7 turkey sandwiches.
Submitted by DudeThatsBOSH (user info) at 2006-11-13 13:59:39 EST (#)
Ranking: 1
heres a dollar twenty-five ..and go fuck yourself.
Submitted by FartSmeller (user info) at 2006-11-13 13:47:49 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
hahahahahahahaha fuck panera
Submitted by JonnyX (user info) at 2006-11-13 13:12:57 EST (#)
Ranking: 1
Submitted by BLITZKREIG_BOB (user info) at 2006-11-13 11:18:32 (#)
Ranking: 0
There's a Panera by my office. I went there once. It was full of latte-drinking turtleneck-wearing buttheads.
Submitted by ilikesteak (user info) at 2006-11-13 13:04:33 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
I am a master of all things culinary, and while ia tortilla is bread, it does not constitute a sandwich. It is an offshoot of the sandwich, and would normally be considered a sandwich in most, if not all cases, but the loophole is well known, and it is not a sandwich. Like comparing bats to birds. Really similar, but not the same thing.
Submitted by Life101 (user info) at 2006-11-13 11:40:35 EST (#)
Ranking: 1
No Comment
Submitted by Orgasmatron (user info) at 2006-11-13 11:32:31 EST (#)
Ranking: 1
Fakk you yah fakkin whooooah sammich. Ah'll fakk yoo in frontaya fakkin motha. YOHRE GONNA DIE SAMMICH, AH'M COMIN OUTTATHA BOOTH.
Submitted by retrospect (user info) at 2006-11-13 11:23:21 EST (#)
Ranking: 0
"welcome to woostahhh. a dolla 25 theah bishop"
Submitted by BLITZKREIG_BOB (user info) at 2006-11-13 11:18:32 EST (#)
Ranking: 0
There's a Panera by my office. I went there once. It was full of latte-drinking turtleneck-wearing buttheads.
Submitted by FiveStarGeneral (user info) at 2006-11-13 11:12:40 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
In my opinion, Panera is a snooty chain restaurant. I generally don't like their clientele on top of that.
Submitted by Davros (user info) at 2006-11-13 11:08:08 EST (#)
Ranking: 1
Submitted by JoeyG (user info) at 2006-11-13 10:54:45 (#)
Ranking: 2
We have equally questionable usage of our taxes in the UK.
Scientists at Oxford university received a goverment grant of approximately £64000 in order to investigate why coffee stains are round.
Something I'm sure we've always wanted to know........
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Not to mention the payout we have just given to ex-cons who were forced to give up drugs while incarcerated. Turns out that not letting them use "illegal" drugs violates their human rights.
Who woulda thunked it?
-Dave
Submitted by JoeyG (user info) at 2006-11-13 10:54:45 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
We have equally questionable usage of our taxes in the UK.
Scientists at Oxford university received a goverment grant of approximately £64000 in order to investigate why coffee stains are round.
Something I'm sure we've always wanted to know........
Submitted by sicosemen (user info) at 2006-11-13 10:51:32 EST (#)
Ranking: -1
Good topic, cut and paste.