A Matter of Degree: Wendy’s Tries to Cool Its Hot Chocolate

Just in time for winter: Wendy’s says it will spend the next month looking for a way to cool its hot chocolate.

Denny Lynch, a spokesman for the fast-food chain, said Tuesday that the company hopes to resume sales in a month or so, after it finds a way to brew and serve the drink at a lower temperature.

Wendy’s International, which says it sells only about two cups per day per store, serves hot chocolate at 180 degrees, the same temperature it serves coffee and tea.

“We don’t know that it’s too hot,” Lynch said, “but at 180 degrees brewing temperature, it would be too hot if it was spilled.”

He said the company became concerned about the hot chocolate because children are more likely to drink it than other hot beverages.

The decision comes after a ruling in a lawsuit that accused a McDonald’s restaurant of serving its coffee too hot. A woman who was scalded by the coffee was awarded $480,000.

Lynch said Wendy’s has been sued over coffee in the past but that no similar lawsuits are pending.

The company, based in suburban Columbus, has started to notify its 4,000 U.S. restaurants to temporarily stop hot chocolate sales.

Wendy’s has about 4,300 restaurants worldwide.