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Wendy's [[menu]] consists primarily of [[hamburgers]], [[chicken sandwich]]es, [[French fries]] and [[beverages]], including the [[Frosty (frozen dairy dessert)|Frosty]]. Unlike [[Burger King]] and [[McDonald's]], the company does not have a signature sandwich, such as the [[Big Mac]] or the [[Whopper]]. Instead, it has the Dave's Hot 'N Juicy 1/4 lb. Single (introduced in 2011 as a reworking of the longstanding Wendy's Single), a square-pattied burger made with fresh ground beef rather than round frozen patties. Wendy's uses these square hamburger patties as its signature item.
Wendy's [[menu]] consists primarily of [[hamburgers]], [[chicken sandwich]]es, [[French fries]] and [[beverages]], including the [[Frosty (frozen dairy dessert)|Frosty]]. Unlike [[Burger King]] and [[McDonald's]], the company does not have a signature sandwich, such as the [[Big Mac]] or the [[Whopper]]. Instead, it has the Dave's Hot 'N Juicy 1/4 lb. Single (introduced in 2011 as a reworking of the longstanding Wendy's Single), a square-pattied burger made with fresh ground beef rather than round frozen patties. Wendy's uses these square hamburger patties as its signature item.


==Things that happened in the past.==
==History==
[[Image:2008-09-11 Wendy's in Hillsborough.jpg|thumb|left|Wendy's freestanding unit in [[Hillsborough, North Carolina]]]]
[[Image:2008-09-11 Wendy's in Hillsborough.jpg|thumb|left|Wendy's freestanding unit in [[Hillsborough, North Carolina]]]]
The chain is known for its square hamburgers, sea salt fries and the [[Frosty (frozen dairy dessert)|Frosty]], a form of soft serve ice cream mixed with frozen starches. 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.{{Citation needed|date=November 2011}} The Columbus location later added a [[Tim Hortons]] and was closed on March 2, 2007 after 38 years of business due to declining sales.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/stories/2008/12/22/story1.html|title=Fast food dies slow death downtown|last=Eaton|first=Dan|date=2008-12-19|accessdate=2009-03-08}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/stories/2010/04/26/daily38.html|title=Catholic Foundation opens new HQ at old Wendy’s|date=30 April 2010|work=Business First|accessdate=19 November 2010}}</ref> Thomas named the restaurant after his fourth child [[Wendy Thomas|Melinda Lou "Wendy" Thomas]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.kewpee.com/davethomas.php |title=Wendy's Founder, Dave Thomas, and the Kalamazoo Kewpee |accessdate=2008-06-04 |date=2002-01-08 |work=WWMT |publisher=Freedom Broadcasting of Michigan, Inc. }}</ref> Photographs of her were on display at the original Wendy's restaurant until it closed.
The chain is known for its square hamburgers, sea salt fries and the [[Frosty (frozen dairy dessert)|Frosty]], a form of soft serve ice cream mixed with frozen starches. 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.{{Citation needed|date=November 2011}} The Columbus location later added a [[Tim Hortons]] and was closed on March 2, 2007 after 38 years of business due to declining sales.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/stories/2008/12/22/story1.html|title=Fast food dies slow death downtown|last=Eaton|first=Dan|date=2008-12-19|accessdate=2009-03-08}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/stories/2010/04/26/daily38.html|title=Catholic Foundation opens new HQ at old Wendy’s|date=30 April 2010|work=Business First|accessdate=19 November 2010}}</ref> Thomas named the restaurant after his fourth child [[Wendy Thomas|Melinda Lou "Wendy" Thomas]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.kewpee.com/davethomas.php |title=Wendy's Founder, Dave Thomas, and the Kalamazoo Kewpee |accessdate=2008-06-04 |date=2002-01-08 |work=WWMT |publisher=Freedom Broadcasting of Michigan, Inc. }}</ref> Photographs of her were on display at the original Wendy's restaurant until it closed.

Revision as of 14:14, 27 August 2014

For the Australian franchise chain, see Wendy's Supa Sundaes.
Wendy's
Company typeWholly owned subsidiary
IndustryRestaurant
FoundedColumbus, Ohio, United States (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
John T. Schuessler Former CEO, Chairman, and President
ProductsHamburgers
Chicken sandwich
Salads
French fries
Breakfast sandwich
Frozen dessert
RevenueIncrease $2.469 billion USD (2006)
Increase $37.0 million USD (continuing operations) (2006)
Total assetsIncrease $9.45 billion USD (2006)
Number of employees
78,000 (2014)
ParentThe Wendy's Company
Websitewww.wendy's.com

Wendy's is an international fast food chain restaurant founded by Dave Thomas on November 15, 1969, in Columbus, Ohio, United States. The company moved its headquarters to Dublin, Ohio, on January 29, 2006. As of March 1999, Wendy's was the world's third largest hamburger fast food chain with approximately 6,650 locations, following Burger King' 12,000+ locations and McDonald's' 31,000+ locations.[1][2][3] 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.[4] 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.

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.[5] While Wendy's sets standards for exterior store appearance, food quality and menu, individual owners have control over hours of operations, interior decor, pricing and staff uniforms and wages.

Wendy's menu consists primarily of hamburgers, chicken sandwiches, French fries and beverages, including the Frosty. Unlike Burger King and McDonald's, the company does not have a signature sandwich, such as the Big Mac or the Whopper. Instead, it has the Dave's Hot 'N Juicy 1/4 lb. Single (introduced in 2011 as a reworking of the longstanding Wendy's Single), a square-pattied burger made with fresh ground beef rather than round frozen patties. Wendy's uses these square hamburger patties as its signature item.

Things that happened in the past.

Wendy's freestanding unit in Hillsborough, North Carolina

The chain is known for its square hamburgers, sea salt fries and the Frosty, a form of soft serve ice cream mixed with frozen starches. 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.[citation needed] 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.[9] In 1988, Wendy's expanded its bar to a full-blown buffet called the Superbar for $2.99. The Superbar had various stations: “Mexican Fiesta”, the Italian “Pasta Pasta,” and the “Garden Spot”, salad and fruit. The Superbar was popular but difficult to maintain thus was discontinued in 1998.[10]

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 were competitive in the market.[5]

Garden Sensations salads were added in 2002.[9]

Wendy's headquarters in Dublin, Ohio

Wendy's offers two different hamburger patties, a "Junior" 1.78 ounce (50.4 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. 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).

The Frescata line of sandwiches also went from being promotional items to main-menu items. After going through several revisions, the Turkey and Swiss and the Ham and Swiss were put on the menu full-time. However, the Frescata sandwiches were discontinued in mid December 2007.

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 USD.

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.[11][12] 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.[12][13] 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 2014, many Wendy's franchises across the country still do not have a breakfast menu.

The newer 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.[13] 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.[14] 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.[12]

Notable menu items

A busy front counter at a Wendy's restaurant in Niagara Falls, Ontario
A Wendy's outlet in Manila, Philippines.
  • 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 caramel, strawberry or chocolate fudge syrup – have been served at Wendy's.
  • Dave's Hot 'N Juicy - In late 2011, Wendy's altered the recipe for their Single, Double, and Triple burgers, which had been staples of the menu for decades, in order to rerelease each as part of the new Dave's Hot 'N Juicy line. As before, they were constructed from the same basic patty (and the words "Single," "Double," and "Triple" were retained at the end of the new names), but the patty was now thicker, and its square edges had been rounded off slightly. The cheese began to be stored at a warmer temperature, allowing it to melt more completely over the patty, alterations were made to the bun and the selection of produce (white onions were replaced by red onions), and the condiments now consisted of ketchup and mayonnaise rather than ketchup, mayonnaise, and mustard.[15]
  • Big Classic – A sandwich that directly competes with the Burger King Whopper (no longer available in US stores). 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 quarter-pound patty topped with mayonnaise, ketchup, three strips of bacon and two slices of cheese; Double Baconator has mayonnaise, ketchup, six strips of bacon, two quarter-pound (113.4 gram) patties and three slices of American cheese; and the Triple Baconator (1360 calories) is three quarter-pound patties with nine strips of bacon, four slices of cheese, ketchup, and mayonnaise.

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.[16]

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.[17] 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 "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."[18] The company's slogan, "you know when it's real," was introduced in 2009.

In April 2012, Morgan Smith Goodwin began appearing in ads with the slogan, as Red, the "Wendy's Girl, "Now that's better."[19]

In 2013, social media advertising featuring Nick Lachey directed at millennials promoted the Pretzel Bacon Cheeseburger.[20]

A 2014 campaign to promote the Tuscan Chicken on Ciabatta sandwich entitled "L'Estrella de la Toscana," or "Star of Tuscany" in English was launched on television and social media.[21]

Slogans

US – Canada

  • 1969–1978: 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[5]
  • 1984–1986: Where's the beef?[5]
  • 1985–1988: Choose Fresh, choose Wendy's[22] (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.[23] After a poorly received seven-week run, Wendy's pulled the television commercials[24] created by Dick Rich Inc.[25][26] 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
  • 2001–2005: It's hamburger bliss.
  • 2002–2005: It's better here[27]
  • 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 – April 2012: You know when it's real.
  • April 2012 – present: Now that's better.

International

  • 1983 – present: It's the best time for...Wendy's (Philippines)
  • 2000 (approx) – present: Quality is our recipe (New Zealand & United States)
  • 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: "Wendy's, Sabor al cuadrado" (Mexico)
  • 2009 – present: Es Muuuuucho Más Que Comída Rapida, Es Wendy's (It's waaay better than fast food... It's Wendy's.) (El Salvador)

See also

References

  1. ^ Hoovers.com. McDonald%27s?cat=biz-fin "Burger King". answers.com. Retrieved 2007-08-23. {{cite web}}: Check |url= value (help)
  2. ^ "McDonald's Domestic and Global facts". Archived from the original on 2007-05-21. Retrieved 2007-08-23.
  3. ^ "About us – Wendy's restaurant". Wendy's/Arby's Group. Retrieved 8 March 2010.
  4. ^ Reuters (2008-04-24). "Triarc Buys Wendy's In A $2.3 Billion Deal". the New York Times. Retrieved 2008-04-24. {{cite web}}: |author= has generic name (help)
  5. ^ a b c d Hoovers.com. "Hoover's profile of Wendy's". Answers.com. Retrieved 2007-06-29.
  6. ^ Eaton, Dan (2008-12-19). "Fast food dies slow death downtown". Retrieved 2009-03-08.
  7. ^ "Catholic Foundation opens new HQ at old Wendy's". Business First. 30 April 2010. Retrieved 19 November 2010.
  8. ^ "Wendy's Founder, Dave Thomas, and the Kalamazoo Kewpee". WWMT. Freedom Broadcasting of Michigan, Inc. 2002-01-08. Retrieved 2008-06-04.
  9. ^ a b "Wendy's launches new salad line, tests breakfast". News & Record. Associated Press. 2010-07-09. Retrieved 2010-07-09.
  10. ^ Velasco, Schuyler (August 21, 2013). "10 fast foods that have disappeared: 2. Superbar". Christian Science Monitor. Retrieved March 11, 2014.
  11. ^ David Zuckerman (1 July 1985). "Wendy's enters breakfast arena; chain faces fierce competition". Nation's Restaurant News. Retrieved 2007-07-01.
  12. ^ a b c Gazette news services (8 March 2005). "Wendy's considers new breakfast menu". the Billings Gazette. Retrieved 2007-07-01.
  13. ^ a b Stock (7 April 2006). "Wendy's to try breakfast at three local stores". The News & Observer. Archived from the original on 2007-01-25. Retrieved 2007-07-01.
  14. ^ Cheryl V. Jackson (26 June 2007). "Wendy's joins scramble to lure morning diners". the Chicago Sun-Times. Archived from the original on 2007-12-15. Retrieved 2007-07-01.
  15. ^ Reality Check: Wendy's New Hot 'N Juicy
  16. ^ What happened to Clara Peller
  17. ^ Ellen Degeneres Boycott
  18. ^ CNN Money article on news feed
  19. ^ Morrison, Maureen (April 5, 2012). "Wendy's Unveils New Ad Tagline". Advertising Age. Retrieved January 16, 2014.
  20. ^ Kyle Russell (July 8, 2013). "Wendy's Believes This Pretzel Bacon Cheeseburger Will Bring In The Millennials". Business Insider. Retrieved July 11, 2013.
  21. ^ http://adage.com/article/news/wendy-s-sells-italian-chicken-sandwich-short-film/292709
  22. ^ Philip H. Dougherty (1986-06-26). "Wendy's Spot Created By Lockhardt & Pettus". The New York Times. Retrieved 2007-12-29. The group has a song Fresh that fits in well with the Wendy's theme, Choose fresh. Choose Wendy's.
  23. ^ "Wendy's has a beef with "Where's the beef?" effect". Chicago Sun-Times. 1987-06-18.
  24. ^ "Stakes are rising in the battle for JWT Group". Chicago Sun-Times. 1987-06-16.
  25. ^ "It's Now America's Not-so-Fast Food Industry". Philadelphia Inquirer. 1987-06-06.
  26. ^ "Wendy's taps agency contenders". Chicago Sun-Times. 1987-05-29.
  27. ^ Davide Dukcevich (2002-04-09). "Wendy's Salad Days". Forbes Magazine. Retrieved 2007-12-29. 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.
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