Not only is Wendy’s kicking ass on its home turf this year—becoming America’s second-largest burger chain by sales as well as a top-three destination for fast-food breakfast—but it’s also shining in its international pursuits. According to a press release, the chain just achieved a major milestone by opening its 1,000th international restaurant.
Wendy’s made its debut in the United Kingdom in June, and its 1,000th location happens to also be the fourth restaurant it is opening in that market—located in Croydon, a town south of London. But it was mostly its major expansion in Canada, where it recently opened its 400th restaurant, and the APMEA region (Asia Pacific, Middle East, and Africa), where it has as many as 300 locations, that has gotten it to this important milestone .
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“We are extremely proud of the progress we are making against our strategic growth pillar of expanding our global footprint,” said President and Chief Executive Officer, Todd Penegor. “Our 1,000th International restaurant opening marks an exciting milestone for Wendy’s and our growth plans in the United Kingdom and beyond.”
After launching in Columbus, Ohio in 1969, the popular burger chain wasted no time expanding its reach beyond the borders. It brought its square-shaped burger patties to Canada shortly after, in 1975, and has been on an ambitious growth plan ever since. Wendy’s recently announced it plans to reach some 8,000 or 9,000 global restaurants by 2025—a drastic growth from its current footprint of 6,900 locations.
But the beloved chain isn’t all about quantity—it’s the quality of service that matters, too. The company recently struck a partnership with Google that will enable it to speed up its service and provide a more personalized approach to customers. Thanks to a vast pool of customer data it collected via its app during the pandemic, the burger chain plans on making its drive-thrus faster and more accurate, as well as making efficiency upgrades to its kitchen operations.
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