Wendy’s Clarifies ‘Dynamic Pricing’ Statement After Online Backlash

Wendy’s assured the public on February 27 that despite recent remarks from its CEO Kirk Tanner regarding testing ‘dynamic pricing’ at their restaurants, the company has no intentions of increasing menu prices during peak demand.

The fast food fiasco was sparked from Tanner announcing earlier this month the upcoming launch of new digital menuboards, emphasizing their dynamic aspect, especially the flexibility they offer for pricing adjustments. “Beginning as early as 2025, we will begin testing more enhanced features like dynamic pricing and daypart offerings, along with AI-enabled menu changes and suggestive selling,” he said on a call with investors earlier this month.

The term ‘dynamic pricing’ triggered the online buzz, as various media outlets (including Foodbeast.com), interpreted it as Wendy’s potentially introducing surge pricing, leading to widespread discussion and speculation.

In a statement released Tuesday, Wendy’s clarified, “We said these menuboards would give us more flexibility to change the display of featured items. This was misconstrued in some media reports as an intent to raise prices when demand is highest at our restaurants. We have no plans to do that and would not raise prices when our customers are visiting us most.” The company’s goal for the new digital menuboards is “to change the menu offerings at different times of day and offer discounts and value offers to our customers more easily, particularly in the slower times of day.”

Great news, because imagine paying more for your Spicy Chicken Nuggets and Frosty during the dinner rush?