Wendy’s is ready to embrace the future of fast food service with the unveiling of a redesign. The new digs are convenience, speed and accuracy-focused, featuring a dedicated delivery window, mobile order pick-up shelving, a reimagined kitchen and upgraded next-gen technology for increased digital business.
"To accelerate our business and expand our footprint across the globe, we must consistently meet the needs of our customers however they choose to engage with Wendy's, whether that's through a digital platform or in the drive-thru," said Wendy's President and CEO Todd Penegor in a press release.
Dubbed Wendy’s Global Next Gen, the future-forward redesign takes into consideration COVID-19's impact on food delivery services, now a $150 billion global market, having tripled since 2017.
The new dedicated delivery pick-up window comes with parking, making it more streamlined and convenient for delivery drivers. Previously, delivery drivers had to enter the restaurant to retrieve orders, or use the drive-thru, contributing to traffic.
Mobile orders also receive the dedicated parking treatment, along with pick-up shelving in-restaurant. The freshly imagined ordering setup allows customers to select a pick-up time and upon arrival, park in a mobile-order specific spot, grab their meal from the pick-up shelving and be on their way.
To increase crew efficiency, the kitchen has been transformed into a galley-style, which stretches from the front to the back of the restaurant. With this front-to-back style, crew members can switch positions more easily and support faster order fulfillment.
"As the first restaurant brand to offer a modern pick-up window more than 50 years ago, Wendy's continues its legacy of design and innovation with Global Next Gen," said Penegor. "Our new global restaurant standard unlocks opportunities at the intersection of innovative design and technology, bringing us one step closer to our vision of becoming the world's most thriving and beloved restaurant brand."
The first state to receive the Next Gen treatment will be Ohio in spring 2023.
