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Wendy's

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For the Australian franchise chain, see Wendy's Supa Sundaes.

Wendy's is an international fast food chain restaurant founded by Dave Thomas on November 15, 1969, in Columbus, Ohio, United States. The company decided to move its headquarters to Dublin, Ohio, on January 29, 2006. It has been owned by Triarc (now called Wendy's Company) since 2008. As of March 2010, Wendy's was the world's third largest hamburger fast food chain with approximately 6,650 locations, following McDonald's 31,000+ locations and Burger King's 12,000+ locations.[1][2][3]

Wendy's
Company typeWholly owned subsidiary
IndustryRestaurant
FoundedColumbus, Ohio (November 15, 1969 (1969-11-15))
FounderDave Thomas
Headquarters
Dublin, Ohio
,
United States
Number of locations
6,650 stores (2010)
Area served
Worldwide
Key people
Dave Thomas, Founder
Wendy Thomas, namesake
ProductsHamburgers
Chicken sandwiches
Salads
Breakfast sandwiches
Frozen desserts
RevenueIncrease $2.469 billion US$ (2006)
Increase $37.0 million USD (continuing operations) (2006)
Total assetsIncrease $9.45 billion USD (2006)
Number of employees
46,000
ParentWendy's Company
Websitewendys.com

Approximately 77% of Wendy's restaurants are franchised, the majority of which are located in North America. Wendy's and its affiliates employ more than 46,000 people in its global operations. In fiscal year 2006, the firm had $2.469 billion (USD) in total sales.[4] While Wendy's sets standards for exterior store appearance, food quality and menu, individual owners have control over hours of operations, interior decor, pricing, staff uniforms and wages.

Wendy's menu consists primarily of hamburgers, chicken sandwiches, French fries and beverages, including the Frosty, a form of soft serve ice cream mixed with frozen starches. Up until recently, the company did not have a signature sandwich, such as the Big Mac or the Whopper. Instead, the square burger patties (which are fresh ground beef rather than frozen patties) were their signature items. Recently the company introduced a new sandwich entitled, The "W".

History

 
Wendy's freestanding unit in Hillsborough, North Carolina

The idea for Wendy's "old fashioned" hamburgers was actually inspired by Dave Thomas's trips to Kewpee Hamburgers in his home town of Kalamazoo, Michigan. The Kewpee sold square hamburgers and thick malt shakes, much like the well-known restaurant that Thomas eventually founded in Columbus, Ohio, in 1969. Within a year, Thomas opened a second restaurant in Columbus, featuring what Wendy's claims in its corporate history was "the first modern-day, drive-thru window," added in 1971.[5] The Columbus location later added a Tim Hortons and was closed on March 2, 2007 after 38 years of business due to declining sales.[6][7] Thomas named the restaurant after his fourth child Melinda Lou "Wendy" Thomas.[8] Photographs of her were on display at the original Wendy's restaurant until it closed.

In 1979, Wendy's was the first fast-food chain to introduce the salad bar. Garden Sensations salads were added in 2002.[9]

In response to a 1986 slowdown in the chain's performance, Wendy's restructured its cleanliness standards, menu and other operational details to ensure that stores met the goals and standards of the parent company so that its franchises would be more competitive in the market.[4]

On April 24, 2008, the company announced a merger with Triarc, the parent company of Arby's. Despite the new ownership, Wendy's headquarters remained in Dublin.[10] Previously, Wendy's had rejected more than two buyout offers from Triarc Companies Inc. Following the merger, Triarc became known as Wendy's/Arby's Group, a publicly traded company.[citation needed] The merger was not a success and Arby's was sold in summer 2011.[11]

 
Wendy's headquarters in Dublin, Ohio

Wendy's offers two different hamburger patties, a "Junior" 2.25 ounce (63.8 gram) patty and its "Single" 4 ounce (113.4 gram) patty. 4 ounce patties are sold in single, double and triple sizes whereas the junior patties sell in single and double patties. The previous size of 2 ounces per junior patty was altered to its current size in 2007 to save on expenses from rising food costs. In August, 2011, the junior patties were once again re-sized to 2.25 ounces along with the Doublestack burger being discontinued and the new Cheesy Cheddarburger being introduced. Originally, Wendy's had only two kinds of chicken sandwiches, fried and grilled. The spicy chicken sandwich started out as a promotional sandwich. It was later put on the menu full-time in 1996 due to its popularity and the fact that, compared to most promotional sandwiches, it was much simpler to make (it used the same condiments as the standard breaded chicken sandwich).

In 1988, Wendy's was the first fast-food chain to create a single price-point value menu where all items listed on that menu were priced exclusively at 99¢. The menu was restructured in 2007 due to rising costs as the Super Value Menu with prices ranging from 99¢ to $2.00 US$. In 2011 Wendy's introduced the Every Day Value Menu with 9 items at $0.99. ( 8 items at $ 1.89 in Canada)

Breakfast

In mid-2007 Wendy's began a national debut of its new breakfast menu in its U.S. and Canadian stores. Wendy's experimented with serving breakfast for a short time in 1985, but the endeavor was unsuccessful due to many issues.[12][13] While approximately 12 Wendy's restaurants in the U.S. and its territories have been serving breakfast since then, Wendy's has not had a company-wide breakfast offering.[13][14] The new breakfast menu was expected be fully deployed to all Wendy's in the United States by the end of 2009, but as of July 2010, many Wendy's franchises across the country still do not have a breakfast menu.[when?]

The new breakfast menu differs slightly from the one featured in 1985, and it is structured similarly to its lunch/dinner menu, with value meals and various sides like blended fruit.[14] Menu items include several breakfast sandwiches served on biscuits, frescuit and Kaiser rolls, breakfast burritos and side orders of hash browns, muffins, and cinnamon sticks.[15] In order to avoid the same issues the original 1985 breakfast offerings faced, the new menu was designed for ease of operation, lower costs, and reduced preparation time.[13]

In 2011, Wendy's said the chain plans to change its breakfast menu. Pancakes and omelets have not been successful because they "aren't conducive to eating on the go."[11]

 
The front of a Wendy's outlet in the SM City Santa Mesa, in Manila, Philippines
 
A busy front counter at a Wendy's restaurant in Niagara Falls, Ontario
  • Wendy's features French fries as its primary side item (the recipe was modified in 2010[16]), but also offers a number of options for side items including salads, chili and baked potatoes. In several markets the customer may request any of these be substituted for fries in their value meals.
  • Frosty dessert – a frozen dairy dessert sold in chocolate and vanilla flavors. The Frosty flavors are also sold as a float Recently, Frosty Shakes – a Frosty blended with either vanilla bean, strawberry, chocolate fudge, Caramel and Wild Berry Syrups and topped with Syrup – have been served at Wendy's. In 2011 Wendy's discontinued the Twisted Frosty, in place introduced Frosty Parfaits, they come in Caramel Apple and Chocolate Oreo
  • In Costa Rica, gallo pinto is available. Gallo pinto is a breakfast dish made with fried rice and black beans.
  • In Japan, Wendy's offered a red bean paste and cheese sandwich called an "An" Burger (あんバーガー anbāgā). They also served several types of teriyaki burgers.[17]
  • Big Classic – A sandwich that directly competes with the Burger King Whopper. Mayonnaise, lettuce, tomato, pickles, ketchup and onions served on a Kaiser-style roll. A second version with bacon is available, called the Big Bacon Classic, which was replaced with the Bacon Deluxe in 2009 when the Applewood Smoked Bacon was introduced.
  • Baconator – Single Baconator is one 1/4-pound patty topped with mayonnaise, ketchup, three strips of bacon and one slice of cheese; Double Baconator has mayonnaise, ketchup, six strips of bacon, two 1/4-pound (113.4 gram) patties and two slices of American cheese; and the Triple Baconator (1360 calories) is three 1/4-pound patties with nine strips of bacon, three slices of cheese, mayonnaise, and ketchup.
  • The Double Stack was Wendy's $0.99 double cheeseburger. It comes with two 1.78-ounce patties, American cheese, ketchup, two pickles, two onions and mustard on a small bun. It was on the menu in the 1980s and 1990s, replaced with the $1.29 "Stack Attack" for several years, and brought back in late 2008. At one point, the Double Stack was $1.29 in most locations. In August 2011, the Doublestack was discontinued and a new burger called the Cheesy Cheddarburger was brought in to replace it.
  • In December 2006, Wendy's phased out and stopped offering their fried "homestyle" chicken strips in most U.S. locations. There is now a chicken club combo in the strips' place, which features a homestyle chicken breast with Swiss cheese, three strips of bacon, lettuce, tomato, and mayonnaise. Wendy's also offers the spicy or grilled chicken fillet sandwich, which comes with either honey mustard or mayonnaise, lettuce, and tomato. The homestyle chicken strips are still available in Canada.
  • Outlets in North Carolina and South Carolina offer a sandwich called the Carolina Classic. The sandwich consists of a single quarter pound patty of beef, topped with chili, coleslaw, onion, and mustard.
  • On July 9, 2010, Wendy's began serving four salads, including Apple Pecan Chicken, BLT Cobb, Baja Salad, and Spicy Chicken Caesar throughout the U.S. Also the Berry Almond chicken and Asian Firecracker salads are available in select areas. [9]
  • In February of 2011, Wendy's changed the chicken club sandwich to the "Asiago ranch, removing Swiss cheese from the menu. Mayonnaise was replaced with ranch, and the sandwich is available with the Homestyle, spicy or grilled chicken.
  • In September 2011, Wendy's replaced their then-current meat with Dave's Hot 'N Juicy. A 4 oz. Thick Cut patty was introduced for premium sandwiches,[11] and the chain replaced 1.78 oz. with 2.25 oz. for Value sandwiches. This was part of the chain's attempt to totally revamp its cheeseburgers.

Advertising

After successful early growth of the chain, sales flattened as the company struggled to achieve brand differentiation in the highly competitive fast-food market. This situation would turn around in the mid-1980s. Starting on January 9, 1984, elderly actress Clara Peller was featured in the successful "Where's the Beef?" North American commercial campaign written by Cliff Freeman. Her famous line quickly entered the American pop culture (it was even used by Walter Mondale in a debate with Gary Hart in the Democratic primary election) and served to promote Wendy's hamburgers. Peller, age 84, was dropped from the campaign in 1985 because she performed in a commercial for Prego spaghetti sauce, saying she "finally found" the beef.[18]

Peller was soon after replaced by Wendy's founder Dave Thomas himself. Soft-spoken and bashful, the "Dave" ads generally focused on Thomas praising his products and offering a commitment to quality service, although there would occasionally be "wackier" ads as well. In 1997, the company pulled its advertising from the sitcom Ellen after the show's main character came out as a lesbian. The result was a boycott initiated by the gay and lesbian community.[19] After Dave Thomas' death in 2002, Wendy's struggled to find a new advertising campaign. After a round of conventional ads describing the food they serve, in 2004 they tried using a character they made called "Mr. Wendy" who claimed to be the unofficial spokesperson for the chain. These proved to be extremely unsuccessful. After seven months, Wendy's returned to an animated campaign focusing on the difference between Wendy's square hamburgers and the round hamburgers of competitors.

Wendy's marketing arm engages in product placement in films and television and is sometimes seen on ABC's reality show Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, serving food to the more than 100 construction workers. A recent Wendy's commercial features the tune from the Violent Femmes song "Blister in the Sun."

With their recent "That's right." ad campaign not a success, Wendy's unveiled a new ad campaign, featuring an animated Wendy that's voiced by Luci Christian highlighting certain menu items. The new ad campaign made its debut in late January 2008, with a new slogan: "It's waaaay better than fast food. It's Wendy's."[20] The company's most recent slogan, "you know when it's real," was introduced in 2009.

The chain's newest TV ad campaign, launched in 2011 alongside the introduction of the new "Dave's Hot 'N Juicy" hamburgers, features the chain's namesake Wendy Thomas.

Wendy's is the official sponsor of ESPN Football Friday every Friday during football season, getting fans ready with shows throughout the day previewing the upcoming college and NFL games.

Slogans

North America

  • 1969–Present: Quality Is Our Recipe (this slogan is still shown on the Wendy's logo today.)
  • 1978–1979: Juicy hamburgers
  • 1979–1980: Hot-N-Juicy
  • 1980–1981: Wendy's Has the Taste You Crave
  • 1981–1982: Ain't No Reason to Go Anyplace Else
  • 1982–1985: You're Wendy's Kind of People
  • 1983–1984: Parts is parts[4]
  • 1984–1986, October 2011 - present: Where's the beef?[4]
  • 1985–1988: Choose Fresh, choose Wendy's[21] (Originally used alongside "Where's the Beef?")
  • 1987–1993: Give a little nibble was to be a catchy phrase that would capture the attention of consumers and help make Wendy's major player on the fast-food scene once again. This television commercial was a flop and sent Wendy's hunting for a new advertising agency.[22] After a poorly received seven-week run, Wendy's pulled the television commercials[23] created by Dick Rich Inc.[24][25] The "nibble" spots were meant to emphasize Wendy's better-tasting hamburger. They showed customers ripping off chunks of meat from an absurdly large hamburger.
  • 1988–1992: The best burgers in the business.
  • 1989–1998: The best burgers and a whole lot more (also was printed inside the hamburger wrappers during the 1990s)
  • 1996–1998: The Best Burgers Yet!!
  • 1997–present: You can eat great, even late
  • 1999–2005: It's hamburger bliss.
  • 2002–2005: It's better here[26]
  • 2003–2007: It's Always Great, Even Late. (Canada)
  • 2005–2007: Do what tastes right. (primary slogan)
  • 2005–present: It's good to be square.
  • January 2007 – October 2007: That's right.
  • January 2007 – October 2007: Uh Huh.
  • 2007–2008: Hot Juicy Burgers
  • January 2008 – October 2009: It's waaay better than fast food... It's Wendy's. (US)
  • January 2008 – October 2009: It's waaaaaaaaaay delicious. It's Wendy's. (Canada)
  • January 2008 – October 2009: Carrément bon. C'est Wendy's. (EN: "Squarely good. It's Wendy's.") (Quebec, Canada)
  • October 2009 - present: You know when it's real.
  • 2009–present: "Wendy's, Sabor al cuadrado" (Mexico)

International

  • 1983–present: It's the best time for...Wendy's (Philippines)
  • 2000 (approx) – present: Quality is our recipe (New Zealand and Indonesia)
  • 2000 (approx) – present: Wendy's cuadra contigo (Wendy's fits with you). The word cuadra (fit) is a reference to the Spanish word cuadrado that means square. (Venezuela)
  • 2001 (approx) – present: El Sabor de lo Recien Hecho (The Flavor of the Freshly Made) (Honduras)
  • 2007 (approx) – 2009: Wendy's es Sensacional (Wendy's is Sensational) (El Salvador)
  • 2008–present: It's not just fast food; it's fresh food, made fast (Malaysia)
  • 2008–present: Old Fashion Hamburgers (Dominican Republic)
  • 2009–present: Es Muuuuucho Más Que Comída Rapida, Es Wendy's (It's waaay better than fast food... It's Wendy's.) (El Salvador)
  • 2011–present: T&T, Meet Wendy (Trinidad and Tobago)[27][28]

Global locations

 
Locations of Wendy's Red = current, Orange = former

Countries with Wendy's

Countries formerly with Wendy's

See also

References

  1. ^ Hoovers.com. McDonald%27s?cat=biz-fin "McDonald's". answers.com. Retrieved August 23, 2007. {{cite web}}: Check |url= value (help)
  2. ^ "Burger King Domestic and Global facts". Archived from the original on May 21, 2007. Retrieved August 23, 2007.
  3. ^ "About us – Wendy's restaurant". Wendy's/Arby's Group. Retrieved March 8, 2010.
  4. ^ a b c d Hoovers.com. "Hoover's profile of Wendy's". Answers.com. Retrieved June 29, 2007.
  5. ^ "Our Story". Retrieved October 6, 2011.
  6. ^ Eaton, Dan (December 19, 2008). "Fast food dies slow death downtown". Retrieved March 8, 2009.
  7. ^ "Catholic Foundation opens new HQ at old Wendy's". Business First. April 30, 2010. Retrieved November 19, 2010.
  8. ^ "Wendy's Founder, Dave Thomas, and the Kalamazoo Kewpee". WWMT. Freedom Broadcasting of Michigan, Inc. January 8, 2002. Retrieved June 4, 2008.
  9. ^ a b "Wendy's launches new salad line, tests breakfast". News & Record. Associated Press. July 9, 2010. Retrieved July 9, 2010.
  10. ^ Reuters (April 24, 2008). "Triarc Buys Wendy's In A $2.3 billion Deal". the New York Times. Retrieved April 24, 2008. {{cite news}}: |author= has generic name (help)
  11. ^ a b c "Thinking inside the bun, Wendy's reworks its burger". News & Record. Associated Press. September 19, 2011. Retrieved September 19, 2011.
  12. ^ David Zuckerman (July 1, 1985). "Wendy's enters breakfast arena; chain faces fierce competition". Nation's Restaurant News. Retrieved July 1, 2007.
  13. ^ a b c Gazette news services (March 8, 2005). "Wendy's considers new breakfast menu". the Billings Gazette. Retrieved July 1, 2007.
  14. ^ a b Stock (April 7, 2006). "Wendy's to try breakfast at three local stores". The News & Observer. Archived from the original on January 25, 2007. Retrieved July 1, 2007.
  15. ^ Cheryl V. Jackson (June 26, 2007). "Wendy's joins scramble to lure morning diners". the Chicago Sun-Times. Archived from the original on December 15, 2007. Retrieved July 1, 2007.
  16. ^ "Wendy's changes French Fries".
  17. ^ Japanese Wendy's official site
  18. ^ What happened to Clara Peller
  19. ^ Ellen Degeneres Boycott
  20. ^ CNN Money article on news feed
  21. ^ Philip H. Dougherty (June 26, 1986). "Wendy's Spot Created By Lockhardt & Pettus". The New York Times. Retrieved December 29, 2007. The group has a song Fresh that fits in well with the Wendy's theme, Choose fresh. Choose Wendy's.
  22. ^ "Wendy's has a beef with "Where's the beef?" effect". Chicago Sun-Times. June 18, 1987.
  23. ^ "Stakes are rising in the battle for JWT Group". Chicago Sun-Times. June 16, 1987.
  24. ^ "IT'S NOW AMERICA'S NOT-SO-FAST FOOD INDUSTRY". Philadelphia Inquirer. June 6, 1987.
  25. ^ "Wendy's taps agency contenders". Chicago Sun-Times. May 29, 1987.
  26. ^ Davide Dukcevich (April 9, 2002). "Wendy's Salad Days". Forbes Magazine. Retrieved December 29, 2007. Earlier this month, Wendy's released a new advertising tagline, "It's Better Here," as part of a campaign that purports to showcase Dublin, Ohio, where it has its headquarters.
  27. ^ Wendy's Trinidad & Tobago (Facebook page)
  28. ^ Wendy's Trinidad & Tobago (official site)
  29. ^ All the Hungarian Wendy's will be closed (in Hungarian)
  30. ^ Wendy's 等先後結業
  31. ^ [1][dead link‍]
  32. ^ [2][dead link‍]
  33. ^ "News Release | Investors | About Wendy's". Phx.corporate-ir.net. Retrieved November 25, 2011.
  34. ^ Tran Huu Dung (November 27, 1998). "Wendy in Korea". Wright.edu. Retrieved November 25, 2011.
  35. ^ "Taiwan Food". TaiwanEnglishTeacher.com. March 15, 2008. Retrieved May 22, 2008.
 
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