Wendy's Has a New Restaurant Design That Lets Them Take 400 Times More Digital Orders The burger franchise has a new leadership team, and they're ready to deliver way more burgers.
By Kim Kavin
This story appears in the January 2025 issue of 91³ÉÈË. Subscribe »
To view our entire 2025 Franchise 500 list, including category rankings, click HERE
There were big changes at Wendy's in 2024. The company brought on a new leadership team, rolled out new strategies to recruit franchisees, and even brought bilingual AI to its drive-thrus — all of which landed the burger brand back in the Top 10. (Last year, Wendy's was No. 17.)
Let's start with the leadership. Kirk Tanner became president and CEO, after a nearly 32-year career at PepsiCo. (He was most recently CEO of PepsiCo Beverages North America.) The brand also elevated new people to its U.S. and international president roles. New initiatives followed — like data-driven incentivization programs, which help new franchises open in locations that have the highest probability of profitability. Wendy's also introduced development incentives in Canada and parts of Latin America.
Related: Here's how we determined the annual Franchise 500 ranking — and what we learned from the data.
The team also focused on a new "next gen" restaurant design, enabling a simplified construction buildout, lower capital expenditures, and reduced operating expenses. Wendy's says it's unlocked up to 400 times the digital and delivery capacity of previous designs.
"The response to the latest design has been overwhelmingly positive from both the franchise community and the industry," says Abigail E. Pringle, Wendy's new U.S. president. As of last November, Wendy's was on track to have nearly 300 next-gen locations operational by the end of 2024.
To optimize its drive-thru experience, Wendy's implemented a voice-enabled AI to take orders in English and Spanish. The system combines conversational artificial intelligence with audio and visual technologies to create a personalized, consistent customer experience. Real people working the counters add a personal touch.
"While still in early learning stages, the new Spanish-language capability empowers Wendy's crew members to better serve Spanish-speaking customers," Pringle says. "We are encouraged by the results of testing at select company restaurants and plan to expand in 2025."
Of course, there's also the addition of food promotions. One recent example is the Krabby Patty Kollab, combining Wendy's Krabby Patty Kollab Burger and Pineapple Under the Sea Frosty to celebrate SpongeBob's 25th anniversary. Pringle says the promotion "really struck a positive chord with consumers, driving impressive sales growth and attention for Wendy's."
Looking ahead, Pringle says, "Wendy's is well positioned for rapid growth moving forward with an anticipated 3% to 4% net unit growth through 2025, supported by the over 250 global new restaurant commitments added year to date." Those restaurants will join the 7,000-plus Wendy's restaurants around the globe.
Related:
