• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia
RetailWendy's

A Man Tossed a Gator Into a Wendy’s Drive-Thru Window

By
Benjamin Snyder
Benjamin Snyder
Managing Editor
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Benjamin Snyder
Benjamin Snyder
Managing Editor
Down Arrow Button Icon
February 9, 2016, 5:11 PM ET
Workers In Fast Food Industry Begin Efforts To Unionize Jobs
NEW YORK, NY - NOVEMBER 29: A Wendy's sign hangs as protesters, many of them employees at Wendy's fast-food restaurant, demonstrate outside of one of the restaurants to demand higher pay and the right to form a union on November 29, 2012 in New York City. The campaign, called "Fast Food Forward," organized protests at other New York fast-food establishments including McDonald's, Burger King, KFC, Pizza Hut, Taco Bell and Domino's. The group seeks to double hourly pay to $15 an hour . (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images)Photograph by Spencer Platt — Getty Images

One Wendy’s drive-thru server just got a very unwelcome surprise from a customer.

A man has been accused of throwing a live gator into the drive-thru window of a Wendy’s in Royal Palm Beach, Fl. while being served his food, according to WPTV, citing a Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission report.

Although the incident reportedly happened in October, a Florida man, Joshua James, was named for throwing the gator on Tuesday. Officials say the gator measured 3-and-a-half feet long.

Per the article:

James faces charges of aggravated assault and unlawful possession and transportation of an alligator.

FWC said James admitted to picking up the gator on the side of Southern Boulevard and bringing it to the fast food restaurant.

The gator was reportedly healthy enough after the incident to be released into a canal near the Wendy’s.

 

In a Tuesday court appearance, James was ordered by a judge to remain away from Wendy’s restaurants, avoid contact with animals besides his mother’s dog, to get a mental health evaluation, and to avoid being in possession of any weapons, according to WPTV.

James’ bond has been set at $6,000.

In other Wendy’s news, the fast food chain announced plans to switch to using cage-free eggs in its products in the U.S. and Canada by 2020.

About the Author
By Benjamin SnyderManaging Editor
LinkedIn iconTwitter icon

Benjamin Snyder is Fortune's managing editor, leading operations for the newsroom.

Prior to rejoining Fortune, he was a managing editor at Business Insider and has worked as an editor for Bloomberg, LinkedIn and CNBC, covering leadership stories, sports business, careers and business news. He started his career as a breaking news reporter at Fortune in 2014.

See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Retail

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • Future 50
  • World’s Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Retail

Brian Niccol speaks and gestures in front of a blue and green background.
C-SuiteStarbucks
Starbucks CEO admits the chain ‘ran like a manufacturing facility’
By Sasha RogelbergMarch 23, 2026
24 hours ago
Toilet paper on empty supermarket shelves, lockdown panic buying
EconomyIran
The great toilet paper panic is back as Japan starts stockpiling
By Eva RoytburgMarch 23, 2026
1 day ago
RetailCostco
Costco CEO promises the $1.50 hot dog isn’t going away: ‘The price will not change as long as I’m around’
By Sydney LakeMarch 21, 2026
3 days ago
AsiaPepsiCo
Three Asias, three different playbooks: How PepsiCo’s Anne Tse views the world’s fastest-growing snack market
By Nicholas GordonMarch 20, 2026
4 days ago
A man walks between two luxury cars with the skyline of Dubai in the background.
RetailLuxury
The Middle East is one of the world’s fastest growing luxury markets—and the war in Iran may cut its sales in half, analysts say
By Sasha RogelbergMarch 20, 2026
4 days ago
AsiaMitsubishi
How an MBA internship led Mitsubishi to e-commerce platform Yami—and into the U.S. snacks market
By Nicholas GordonMarch 20, 2026
5 days ago

Most Popular

Commentary
The Treasury just declared the U.S. insolvent. The media missed it
By Fortune EditorsMarch 23, 2026
1 day ago
Personal Finance
Current price of gold as of March 23, 2026
By Fortune EditorsMarch 23, 2026
1 day ago
Economy
It took 200 years for national debt to hit $1 trillion. Annual interest alone now exceeds that—a 'crushing legacy we must reverse,' says budget chair
By Fortune EditorsMarch 23, 2026
1 day ago
Economy
Larry Fink says today's economic anxiety stems from people increasingly feeling like capitalism isn't working for them
By Fortune EditorsMarch 23, 2026
1 day ago
Personal Finance
Current price of oil as of March 23, 2026
By Fortune EditorsMarch 23, 2026
1 day ago
Personal Finance
Current price of silver as of Tuesday, March 24, 2026
By Fortune EditorsMarch 24, 2026
9 hours ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.