Woman suing Philadelphia Chick-Fil-A franchise claiming rodent was baked into bun

PHILADELPHIA — A lawsuit claims a suburban Philadelphia woman got an extra topping on her Chick-fil-A sandwich: a dead rodent.

Ellen Manfalouti sued in Bucks County Court over the tiny rodent she claims was baked into the bottom bun of her chicken sandwich.

A co-worker picked up the sandwich for her at a Langhorne restaurant in November, and the two started to eat in a conference room at the insurance agency where they work.

“I felt something funny on the bottom of the bun,” Manfalouti told The Philadelphia Inquirer on Monday. “I turned it over. I said to (my co-worker), ‘They burned my roll really bad.'”

Her co-worker, Cara Phelan, said that as soon as Manfalouti threw the sandwich on the table,

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“I realized it was a small rodent of some sort. I could see the whiskers and the tail.”

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Manfalouti’s lawyer Bill Davis told the newspaper that he filed the lawsuit last week against Chick-fil-A franchise owner Dave Heffernan and the store after they weren’t responsive to complaints.

The suit claims that the employees of the franchise location “intentionally and/or knowingly” served the tainted sandwich to Manfalouti.

Heffernan and the Atlanta-based fast-food chain said they can’t comment on litigation.

Manfalouti is seeking more than US$50,000 for physical and psychological damages.

She told the newspaper she was treated at a hospital for extreme nausea, had to see a therapist for anxiety and could hardly eat for weeks.

— with files from Jenny Rodrigues