There are a lot of things that set Wendy’s apart from other major players in the fast Food game. One of them is the brand’s history of ‘being different’ from the competition. How far can ‘being different’ go towards keeping a burger chain afloat these days?
Official photo: From the opening of Wendy’s first location, in downtown
Columbus, OH. Dave Thomas (r.); Melinda ‘Wendy’ Thomas (c.);
and Dave’s resto-game mentor, Phil Klauss (l.).
We’ve all heard the stories about how founder Dave Thomas felt about being different. About how he insisted that Wendy’s always use fresh, never frozen beef in its burgers. About how his burgers be easily discernible as different from the other guys’? (He made them square, not round like everybody else, and the chain still does.)
Being different…
And did Dave not make it clear from the start that he was inspired by a love for hamburgers and a desire to provide a better lunch option in downtown Columbus? (While others, like the McDonald brothers of San Bernardino, CA, were obsessed with perfecting the burger assembly line? And their successor at the helm of McDonald’s, Ray Kroc, was obsessed by the profit potential of franchising?)
According to the corporate website, the chain’s success has always been fuelled by innovation: “Under Dave’s leadership, Wendy’s led the industry in product innovation. In 1979, the company was the first national chain to introduce salad bars, and in 1983, Wendy’s added baked potatoes to the menu. Other innovations followed, and […] the restaurant industry and business community applauded Dave’s innovation and success.”
Notably, Dave is also acclaimed as the guy who perfected the Fast Food drive-thru window, in 1970, which, “proved to be the catalyst that propelled Wendy’s from a four-store Columbus chain into a food service phenomenon. ”
Even the name is ‘different’…
The well-known story goes, Dave named his restaurant after his own daughter. But her name was ‘Melinda’. Turns out her siblings couldn’t pronounce it, and bestowed the nickname ‘Wenda’ on her. Which subsequently evolved into ‘Wendy’.
Still different…
Even today, Wendy’s still differentiates itself from the competition by sourcing more than 70 percent of its ingredients, fresh, from local sources. And that stand has won it remarkable support.
My take
You don’t see Wendy’s taking as much notice as the other major Fast Food players of the ongoing Value Wars menu-price head-to-head. The folks running the brand today know its popularity and fan loyalty are less dependent on price than on product quality and unfailing drive to innovate.
This month, the brand celebrates 50 years in Canada. Last year, it marked 55 years in the US – since the very beginning.
I think it’s fair to say Wendy’s is destined to continue along it’s own, signature road to success – marked by its persistent, traditional penchant for ‘being different’…
~ Maggie J.