Wendy’s is BACK! US burger giant will open first of three UK outlets in June… 21 years after losing battle with Burger King and McDonald’s and shutting its British branches
- Iconic brand known for its square burgers will open Reading restaurant in June
- Third largest burger chain in the world last closed its last British store in 1999
- Fast food giant hopes to create 12,000 new jobs across 400 different branches
Iconic American fast food chain Wendy’s is returning to the UK this summer, more than two decades after shutting its last British branch.
Wendy’s, the world’s third largest burger business with more than 6,700 branches across 30 countries, will return to the UK from next month.
The US fast food giant will return to British shores at the start of the summer and hopes to create more than 11,000 jobs across the country in the coming years.
Wendy’s will open its Reading outlet on June 2 – a tentative step in a long plan to build a 400-strong branch presence across the United Kingdom.
Wendy’s is set to open it’s first UK branch in Reading, 21 years after the popular American fast food chain closed all of its doors on British shores
Concept images show the new designs for the Wendy’s Reading restaurant, including a feature wall and a pick-up area, which is set to open on June 2
Steven Derwoed, vice president, global design and construction for Wendy’s told The Mirror: ‘We’re very proud of our restaurant design in Reading, and I’m confident that we’ve built a place that our customers will love to go and our employees will love to work.
‘The interior has a cool vibe with a focus on natural wood, dark contrasts, comfortable seating and fun art making it feel fresh and current.’
Branches will also be opened in Stratford and Oxford in the second half of 2021, alongside three others, but dates and locations are yet to be confirmed.
Wendy’s last had a restaurant in the UK in 1999, but returned to its American roots over cost complaints and amid a fierce battle with McDonald’s and Burger King.
The company, which claimed to have ‘de-throned’ Burger King to become the second biggest US hamburger chain last year, hopes the new venture will ‘spearhead a European-wide expansion’ according to an official statement.
Abigail Pringle, head of Wendy’s international operations, said the company will look to compete with its largest UK market rivals, McDonald’s and Burger King.
A Wendy’s spokesperson also confirmed they were ‘exploring additional opportunities’ in London.
They continued: ‘The brand is excited to enter the UK with company owned and operated restaurants this year, and we are looking for franchisees to grow with us across the UK.’
Wendy’s says it won’t be offering zero-hour contracts and it will partner with Uber Eats to offer a delivery option.
What’s on the Wendy’s menu?
Wendy’s haven’t revealed exactly what will be on their UK menu, but their US menu includes the following: –
Jalapeño Popper Sandwich: Breaded chicken breast, jalapeño cream cheese, shredded pepper jack cheese, jalapeños, Applewood smoked bacon, cheddar cheese sauce
Pretzel bacon cheeseburger: A quarter-pound beef patty, soft pretzel bun, warm beer cheese sauce, Applewood smoked bacon, smoky honey mustard, crispy fried onions, pickles, muenster cheese
Spicy Chicken Nuggets: 100% white-meat chicken breaded and marinated in a unique, fiery blend of peppers and spices. Served with your choice of six dipping sauces including Buttermilk Ranch, Creamy Sriracha, BBQ, Sweet & Sour, Honey Mustard
Baconator: A half-pound beef patty, American cheese, six pieces of crispy Applewood smoked bacon, ketchup, mayo
Dave’s Triple: Three quarter-pound beef patties, toasted bun, American cheese, crisp lettuce, tomato, pickle, ketchup, mayo, onion
Crispy Panko Fish Sandwich: Wild caught Alaskan pollock fillet, crunchy panko breading, topped with creamy dill tartar sauce, pickles, lettuce, and American cheese.
Bacon, Egg & Swiss Croissant: A fresh-cracked grade A egg and Applewood smoked bacon covered in creamy swiss cheese sauce on a flaky croissant bun. Breakfast basics worth waking up early for.
The Wendy’s menu includes the likes of a Bacon Double Stack burger (left) and a Crispy Chicken BLT (right)
Go large! They also offer the Triple Bacon Jalapeño Cheeseburger, which is a whopping 1330 calories, although it’s not known if the US-sized portions will make it across the Atlantic
The last two decades has seen soaring success for US fast food joints in the UK.
Five Guys, which first opened in the UK in 2013, now has 95 restaurants with three more set to open this year.
Shake Shack also opened it’s first restaurant in London in 2013 and now has 19 locations in the UK.
Wendy’s was founded by Dave Thomas in Ohio, 1969 and has a market value of approximately £3.6billion.
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